Jun Akiyama

[Superstar Sleeze]

When I first started watching puro back in 2006-ish, I, much like most, was all about Misawa, Kawada and Kobashi. I have grown to love Taue and how focused he is. Everything builds to Nodowa and he may be the greatest apron worker of all time with the great teases. His 1995 is one of the best calendar years in wrestling history. However, Akiyama was just someone who never stood out from the other four. He was good, but in a serviceable type way. In watching his matches for Ditch's poll, I have grown to like his in-ring work more from a lay-out and execution perspective. He is not as focused as Taue, but he tends to be more focused than Kobashi and less get all my shit in like Misawa. His attack on Misawa's neck on 02/27/00 and Kobashi's arm on 12/23/00 were some of the best parts of those matches. He was more willing to tie it up on the mat noted by his New Japan Dome tag against Mutoh and Hase. His submissions were actual finishers in All Japan as he polished off Kobashi on 08/00 with his guillotine choke. I think my major hang-up with Akiyama is I don't think he ever found his personality in the ring the same way the others did.

 

We all know Misawa as the stoic Ace with the amazing extended comebacks, Kawada as the persistent "I think I can, I think I can" Number two with some of the greatest selling in wrestling history, Kobashi as the fiery bastion of machismo with flair for the dramatic, and Taue as the heelish fucker that is willing to claw someone's eye out for the win. Who is Akiyama? It sounds like a dickish question, but in Japanese wrestling without promos (for us at least) everything needs to be conveyed in the ring. The Four Corners of Heaven knew exactly who they were and what role they played. That is what made them so transcendent as opposed to the interchangeable wrestlers presented today. Maybe someone can flesh out who Akiyama is for me. Maybe it will come in time with watching more footage. Now, Akiyama's 2000-01 is so intriguing to me because from a booking perspective he strikes me as the absolute hottest wrestler in puroresu.

 

Feb '00 - Pins Misawa

Aug '00 - First NOAH show, chokes out Misawa, pins Taue and drops tag partner Kobashi with a back drop driver. That is a huge friggin' angle. The next night he chokes out Kobashi to win.

Dec '00 - Kobashi gets his win back, but needs to use the Burning Hammer

July '01 - Pins Misawa to win the GHC Title

Oct '01 - Headline NJPW Dome show against Mutoh & Hase with Nagata

Jan '02 - Pin Nagata headlining 01/04 Dome show

Feb '02 - He pins Kobashi in a tag match against Kobashi & Misawa with Nagata

April '02 - Drops title to Yoshinari Ogawa, WHAT THE FUCK!?!?

 

Just like that Akiyama stops being the hottest commodity in puroresu. I know that he made his debut in 1992, but given where he was in the late 90s (solidly as Kobashi's tag partner against No Fear and a smattering of Triple Crown title shots) he had a rocket strapped to his ass and he was pushed to the puroresu moon. I think he made a lot of this opportunity. The Feburary 2000 Misawa is on my list for Match of Decade Contender. The 12/00 Kobashi and '01 Misawa matches are MOTYCs for their year. He had a super hot angle with Kobashi and worked outside shots for NJPW in a headlining capacity. This is where everything intersects. I don't think Akiyama was a very good heel in the ring and it caused a disconnect with the angle. The finish for 08/00 Kobashi match clearly casts him as one. He chokes out Kobashi, they are giving Kobashi CPR and Akiyama gets into a scuffle with the young boys and he kicks their ass. However during the ring action it just felt like another good to great NOAH match. Akiyama is a great wrestler there is no doubt about it. The booking launched him and he wrestled well enough to do the bare minimum. Most wrestlers could never even do the bare minimum. He take it that next step in my view to be in that next level. I have seen the '04 Kobashi match, but not in context. I look forward to seeing Akiyama more and trying to garner a better understanding of how he is. I think the "heel" turn hurt him because it is not who he is like Taue or Takayama being a natural heel and it felt foisted onto him.

 

Also, why the hell did he drop the belt to Ogawa? I get setting up Misawa/Kobashi, but why not Takayama directly?

[Ditch]

I don't think any amount of 2002 or 2004 booking would have "made" Akiyama. He was never going to be a Misawa/Kobashi level star. If it was in the cards, NOAH would have been popping in late 2001. It wasn't. NOAH didn't pop until Kobashi returned. And when Kobashi left in 2006? Company tanked.

 

Akiyama has had a fine career. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. If he debuts a couple years sooner? No sweat. Maybe he gets Taue's spot.

 

Akiyama and Nagata both suffer as a result of who they're compared to. How do you follow the Musketeers? How do you follow the Four Corners? I think the same thing happened with Jumbo (comp to Baba) and Fujinami (comp to Inoki). Jumbo and Fujinami were the 'pause that refreshes'. NOAH didn't have anyone to follow up with after Akiyama, but in Nagata's case I think he and Tenzan were needed to clear the stage for Tanahashi et al. to be seen as a success on their own terms rather than the terms of the golden days.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Victim of circumstance feels right to me. He just happened to be at the tail end of a great generation, while still being classed with that generation. I feel like if he debuted ten years later, he could be the flagship of NOAH now. Alas. Interesting, you bring up Nagata, but I always felt Sasaki was the Akiyama to the Three Musketeers. Technically in the same generation as the Musketeers but a couple years younger and not pushed as hard. They both had their semi-breakout years in 2000. Only for both to take a step back a bit and settle into a number two banana in a promotion type role, never really being an Ace again. Guess I never really thought of Nagata that way.

 

I agree all the above does make it harder for Akiyama. I don't think circumstances make it an absolute fait accompli that Akiyama would be a second-tier player. It is the confluence of circumstances and not having charisma of other the Four Corners doomed him. He could do all the same moves as everyone else and he could have Match of the Decade Candidates like everyone else. From what I have seen, he just didn't have IT like Misawa, Kobashi and Kawada did.

[MikeCampbell]

I don't think any amount of 2002 or 2004 booking would have "made" Akiyama. He was never going to be a Misawa/Kobashi level star. If it was in the cards, NOAH would have been popping in late 2001. It wasn't.

If NOAH ever showed any real interest/ability in elevating younger talent, and sticking to it, then it's possible that they might have been popping in 2001. But, they didn't, and they weren't. Akiyama won the strap from Misawa, and Kobashi was hurt, so there's nobody seen on Akiyama's level to challenge him. NOAH never had an interest in Omori, who had lots of history with Akiyama, Takayama really wasn't seen as more than Omori's partner until the Don Frye fight in PRIDE, and the push in New Japan that got the buzz going for him. Akiyama/Vader could have been a hot program, but NOAH never really did much with Vader. So, NOAH had a new king, with nobody to really challenge him for the throne.

 

The Ogawa loss in April was entirely due to Akiyama running out of steam. Ogawa was just a placeholder until the next idea came along, which was Takayama.

[Timbo Slice]

I still think there was a case for Akiyama to take the belt from Kobashi at the Dome in 04. After the initial run running out of steam, he picked things up by being the big draw of the G-1 and got some momentum going towards the big main event. Problem was they didn't have anyone to build off of after that to feed to him. They just let Kobashi run in place until they decided Rikio got a shot. Which was disastrous.

 

Akiyama was a singular entity in AJPW. He was just behind the Four Corners in class and really had no peer, which made him stick out, but also made him that awesome "kid brother" type to the big guys, which made his entry into the main event scene in 1996 that much more fun. After that, AJPW started its fallout by going with Kobashi on top after Kawada had been basically sucked dry of any drawing power, and they waited too long to pull the trigger on an Akiyama push.

 

He's a fantastic worker. One of the best in-ring guys ever. But because he didn't have the guys from his class to work with like the Four Corners or the Musketeers, he's seen as an outcast that won't get his fair shake in the annals of history. If AJPW produced anyone alongside him who could go out and work like he did with the Four Corners, his harshest critics would be singing a much different tune.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Its Akiyama Time!

 

Jun Akiyama vs Mitsuharu Misawa - Budokan 2/27/00

 

After this match, Akiyama was paid, laid and made. This was not a passing of a torch. Akiyama was out to seize that torch on that night and Misawa was going to fight every single step of the way to keep it. The proof is in the pudding: watch Akiyama's head snap back on one of Misawa's transition elbows in the corner or the knee drop Misawa drops on Akiyama's nose that draws blood. When I saw that knee, I was like "Holy fuck, I think he just broke his nose" and when Akiyama came up then was blood. Akiyama gave as he good as he got. As soon as, he was given a weakness (Akiyama drove Misawa to the mat on an attempted reverse cross body and Misawa came up holding his neck) and he went after Misawa's neck (yes given the circumstances now that can be uncomfortable) with a tenacity rarely seen. I am a drop toehold mark. In this match, I think I saw the greatest drop toehold of all time, when Akiyama applied a drop toehold onto Misawa into the railing. Thus match developed into one of the all-time classic Misawa matches with Misawa working underneath while Akiyama strung together one of the greatest offensive runs of all time. The whole time because of the credibility of Misawa's comeback and Misawa's elbow going all the way back to 1990 you never once think he is outta of it until he is shockingly out of it.

 

They are a bit tentative to start and they actually dive out of the way each of the other's moves before Misawa hits a dropkick sending him out of the ring. Akiyama, knowing Misawa too well, moves out of the way so Misawa stops himself on the apron and hits his diving elbow onto Akiyama. Misawa hits some absolutely wicked elbows on Akiyama in the corner to establish him dominance as THE ACE. However, Akiyama side-stepped a Misawa reverse cross body and drove him to the mat. Misawa comes up holding his neck and the complexion of the match totally changes. Akiyama hits a jumping knee to send Misawa out to the ring. Misawa whips Akiyama into the railing, but Akiyama side-steps him and hits the most wicked drop toehold into railing. He drops Misawa onto the railing throat first and while he is hanging there he hits him with a knee from the apron. Then he hits a knee while Misawa is hanging on the apron, then a piledriver onto the floor and then a friggin' wrist-clutch exploder on the apron. This was a holy shit string of moves all focused on the neck. Akiyama wrangled him into a cool neck submission with grapevining his legs in such a way to apply pressure on Misawa's neck.

 

Misawa backs him into the corner and hits an absolute monster back elbow and then a springboard dropkick to face. This is a wake up call to Akiyama that there is a reason Misawa is known as one of the most resilient wrestler ever. Misawa hits his front facelock the announcer sells it like it is 1992, but it is 2000 and the crowd does not really buy it. I will say it still looks tenacious as all hell. The crowd just was not buying it as a possible finish. Akiyama dropkicks Misawa off the top rope, hits a running knee off the apron, knee to the back into railing, tombstone piledriver in the ring and finishes this run off with a huge diving elbow to Misawa's neck while he is in the ring and an Exploder. He still can only get a 2.

 

Misawa gets out of a neck submission to hit his spinkick and drop a nasty knee to Akiyama's nose that draws blood. Misawa's frogsplash gets 2. Misawa runs of his impressive offense: two Germans and a Tiger Driver. Misawa hits a roaring elbow, but just phases Akiyama who hits two Exploders. On the second exploder, Misawa fumbles around before falling looking oddly like arch-rival, Toshiaki Kawada. Could the Kid actually pull it off? Akiyama hits a running knee to Misawa's face and then an exploder for 2. He hits a brainbuster for two. Finally hits the mother of all wrist-clutch exploders dropping Misawa on his head to win at that point the biggest of match of his career in grandiose fashion.

 

This match reminds me so much of The Dark Knight in how it is perfect confluence of the superficial with meaning. What makes the Dark Knight so great is there is enough fireworks and eye candy to appeal to our audiovisual senses, but all rooted in a beautifully woven story. It appeals to pretty much facet of humanity, much like this match. You have the story of the young upstart looking to dethrone warrior-king by attacking his neck ruthlessly and violently. The old warrior-king has plenty of fight left in him, but eventually he overcome by the surmounting pain and the indefatigable resolve of the young upstart. On top of that, this is one of best offensive spectacles to ever be produced. Akiyama does a tremendous job of never letting up just zeroing in when Misawa is coming back he does not stop coming forward. Misawa is one of the ultimate underneath workers in this match he gives Akiyama even more offense than he would usual, which shows how much he trusted him at this point. After that second Exploder, when Misawa tried to get up and just fell back down you flashed back to all the times it had happened to Kawada and it was Misawa standing tall. The grand finale was a vicious head-drop wrist clutch exploder. Akiyama respected Misawa enough to know that he had to have no remorse if he wanted to take his place in the run. *****

[Clayton Jones]

No matter what his historical significance is or what level star he was, Akiyama is a personal favorite to watch. He has consistently gotten some of the most interesting matches from his opponents and as a veteran elevated younger talent. I absolutely love his mentor/tough love relationship with Hashi that he invested so much of himself into, the match with Shibata, the G1 Climax finals with Tenzan (and man do I hate Tenzan). His work in AJPW the past few years is the only reason I've given a crap about that promotion. I like how he pairs with the four corners in singles matches better than any pairing aside from Misawa/Kawada or maybe as a darkhorse Kawada/Taue. He is the X factor in tag work with those guys that brings the extra level of drama. It wasn't always the case for me but when all is said and done I'd have a hard time putting him outside of my top 10.

[Timbo Slice]

I think my favorite thing Akiyama does is that he knows how to have big matches in the right spots. Like he had this awesome match with Sasaki at Korauken in either 2009 or 2010 that was one of the best matches Japan produced that year, and it didn't have to be. They went out and decided to work a big-time match and it went off beautifully.

 

I'll say this about Jun: Very rarely did I come away from a big-time match with him on it where I thought he didn't look good.

[Superstar Sleeze]

No matter what his historical significance is or what level star he was, Akiyama is a personal favorite to watch. He has consistently gotten some of the most interesting matches from his opponents and as a veteran elevated younger talent. I absolutely love his mentor/tough love relationship with Hashi that he invested so much of himself into, the match with Shibata, the G1 Climax finals with Tenzan (and man do I hate Tenzan). His work in AJPW the past few years is the only reason I've given a crap about that promotion. I like how he pairs with the four corners in singles matches better than any pairing aside from Misawa/Kawada or maybe as a darkhorse Kawada/Taue. He is the X factor in tag work with those guys that brings the extra level of drama. It wasn't always the case for me but when all is said and done I'd have a hard time putting him outside of my top 10.

Some high praise, I did not put him in my top 50 because I have not watched nearly enough, but I am definitely excited.

 

Mitsuharu Misawa & Akira Taue vs Burning (Kenta Kobashi & Jun Akiyama) - NOAH Debut Show 8/5/00 2 Out Of 3 Falls

 

Pyrotecnics, a ramp and a post-match angle immediately NOAH signals that it is going to be different than All Japan. The booking builds on Akiyama's big victory over Misawa and pushes him as the center piece of the new promotion. From August through December, NOAH relied on the Akiyama/Kobashi feud to carry the shows. What a way to kick off this money feud then with Akiyama taking out Misawa and Taue in two straight and then laying out Kobashi after the match. Thats how you make a new star!

 

Within 2 minutes, Akiyama chokes Misawa out and had young boys tending to him. I will say that Kobashi did hit a half-nelson suplex right before, but I don't think it lessens the impact of Akiyama winning the first fall in such decisive fashion. Misawa made a career out of takin a lickin and kept on tickin. It is elbows for everyone and Taue slaps the shit out of Akiyama. After a exchange Misawa/Kobashi, the Akiyama show begins again with Akiyama getting whipped by Taue. Taue hits his Nodowa on the ramp (excellent first use of the ramp) and Akiyama is just a heap. Taue heaves him back into ring. Misawa and Taue get nearfalls on Akiyama. Akiyama rolls through a Nodowa. Kobashi with a spinning back chop, but Taue gets a knee lift to tag Misawa before things get too out of hand. Misawa hits a missile dropkick to swing it back in their favor. Misawa blocks the half nelson suplex, but Akiyama blinds tags himself in. Young hotshot just looking for action or is he looking to prove himself as the new ace? Taue and Akiyama tease the apron Nodowa, but Kobashi breaks it up (buzzkill). Taue hits a nodowa in the ring and a Dynamic Bomb, but Kobashi saves again. Kobashi powerbombs Misawa into the corner, which always looks sick. Kobashi hits the Burning Lariat on Taue, but walks into Emerald Flowsion. Akiyama hits the Exploder twice on Misawa and a knee and an exploder on Taue. After the match, the real fireworks begin when Akiyama hits a back drop driver on his long-time partner, Kenta Kobashi. Thus setting up the main event for the next night.

 

The match is really a vehicle to propel Akiyama to the top as I stated he wins two straight falls over two of three of his biggest possible opponents and then dropped the other on his head after the match. I think there was subtle ways to make Akiyama the heel besides the fact he was the one who turned Kobashi. He choked out Misawa, which is a pretty violent way to beat someone. Also, he was getting saved a lot by Kobashi. He did ultimately win and he did not look weak, but maybe the story is that he is biting off more than he can chew. Only way to find out is watch the next night's main event. ***1/2

 

Jun Akiyama vs Kenta Kobahi - NOAH #2 8/06/00

 

Now that they positioned Akiyama as a force to be reckoned with it was time to consolidate that and they went a long way towards doing that by having Akiyama choke out Kobashi to win NOAH's first single main event. My biggest issue with this is that it was not wrestled that much in the vein of blood feud, but more along the lines of an All Japan epic and I think if NOAH really wanted to depart from the past then have an out of control brawl could have cemented that image. No matter this is still a very good match just a bit disconnected from the storyline set up the night before. It actually began as I wanted with a heated exchange and Akiyama powdering, but once he got back in everything became tentative they went into the test of strength and sort of slowed it down. The first big highspot is Kobashi hitting a powerbomb on Akiyama to the outside. Akiyama really milks for everything it is worth. That separates the great wrestlers from the chumps because plenty would be right back up hitting moves and taking bumps. Kobashi is now doing ab stretches and a full nelson. I don't have anything against that, but I think storyline necessitates a more violent layout. Akiyama hits a pair of basement dropkicks on the bandaged knee to take control and Kobashi selling of these dropkicks is so damn good. "Ko-Bash-i" chants ring out as Akiyama has him in the scorpion deathlock. Akiyama is relentless on the knee very similar to his hyper-focus in the Misawa match. Akiyama goes for an Exploder and a great struggle before Kobashi snaps off a suplex then his own sleeper suplex. Kobashi is still selling his knee as he tries string together some offense: powerbomb and half-nelson suplex. However, it seems like the injuries have sapped too much of his strength and energy as Akiyama hits FIVE exploders and chokes him out to win. After the match, the young boys are tending to Kobashi and one is giving him CPR so Akiyama to be a prick gets into a scuffle and there is even a hip swivel on the ramp.

 

Watching this match, I thought I came in with the wrong expectations. It was a dick move to drop Kobashi on his head the previous night, but maybe it was supposed to be more symbolic then start of Akiyama, the super heel. Then the finish and post-match happened where Akiyama chokes him out, attacks those helping Kobashi and is a cocky prick on the ramp. I think antics are truly emblematic of what is trying to be achieved. It is just that the All Japan guys are so rooted in their ways they only know that way to wrestler a match. It is a very good match, but falls short of being on the level of other All Japan epics, but that's why they have rematches, folks. ****

[rzombie1988]

Jun was good but not on the level of the Big 4, Jumbo or Baba. He never had the ring presence or charisma to get to the next level and his moveset always kind of held him back a bit. I'm always kind of underwhelmed by his stuff. He can consistently put out good matches but rarely any great matches.

 

The Ogawa title run was hugely panned. People still aren't over it. He got it due to being best buddies with Misawa and probably due to some surprise factor.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Jun was good but not on the level of the Big 4, Jumbo or Baba. He never had the ring presence or charisma to get to the next level and his moveset always kind of held him back a bit. I'm always kind of underwhelmed by his stuff. He can consistently put out good matches but rarely any great matches.

 

The Ogawa title run was hugely panned. People still aren't over it. He got it due to being best buddies with Misawa and probably due to some surprise factor.

I may buy the charisma argument. Nobody is going to be as effusive as Kobashi, but Misawa and Kawada have their own special charisma. We will see how I feel about Akiyama. I am not buying the moveset argument at all not even for a dollar.

 

Jun Akiyama vs Kenta Kobashi - NOAH #4 PPV 12/23/00

 

The story of Akiyama's two monumental victories is focus, focus, focus. Take what it is given to you and don't let up. Weather the inevitable comeback and unleash a barrage of Exploders to win. In this match, he has three things working against him: he falls into an early hole, Kobashi's half-nelson suplex levels the playing field in the middle and then pride at the end. In the previous matches, Misawa's elbow and Kobashi's lariats and suplexes were rendered powerless by Akiyama's tenacious work. In this match, Kobashi shows tremendous fighting spirit in working through his arm injury to hit a half-nelson suplex to knock Akiyama out. Akiyama is able to recover from this, but when he had Kobashi knocked out on the outside after an Exploder instead of taking the victory he wanted the decisive victory. Thus was the great, long fall of Akiyama from the top rope onto the back of his head.

 

Kobashi is ripshit to start the match and is lighting Akiyama up. Akiyama vacillates between retreat and standing tall with neither working. On the outside, he is able to use Kobashi's overzealousness against him ducking out of the way of a chop. He drops him across the railing and Kobashi is really selling the cheat. As a viewer, I thought this was clearly the opening Akiyama would exploit. However, Akiyama deviates and instead goes high-risk on the ramp hitting a DDT on the ramp and a running elbow (ala Mutoh). He looks to end it early with an Exploder, but Kobashi plants him with a DDT on the edge of the ramp. Akiyama deviating from the gameplan did not work out too well. Instead, Kobashi takes a page out of Akiyama's playbook and is absolutely relentless on Akiyama's neck. It really climaxes when Akiyama goes for his knee in the corner and Kobashi throws him down. Akiyama really sells that neck making you believe Kobashi had turned the tables on Akiyama. I actually believed I could buy Kobashi's headlock as the finish after the neck work and Akiyama selling and how tenacious this headlock was.

 

In a callback to the August match, Akiyama saves himself with two desperation dropkick to Kobashi's knee. Different day, same story? Not so fast, Akiyama drops a boot on Kobashi's arm from the apron and drives his knee into Kobashi arm riding into the railing. Akiyama is looking to take away the Burning Lariat and the lethal chops of Kobashi. The following arm work is so textbook, but so well-done with Akiyama using everything available (ropes, post, railing, his own shoulder) to hit to inflict damage on the arm. Kobashi makes you believe that arm is totally useless, but just when end seems near he snaps off a sleeper suplex. Kobashi continues to sell the arm, but hits a half-nelson suplex on Akiyama that knocks him the fuck out. That is not something Akiyama had to weather in his previous victories. Kobashi is still injured, but in a lot of ways the entire playing field had been levelled. Kobashi, ever the sportsman, stops the ref's count and drags Akiyama back into the ring. Kobashi still sells the arm doing moves like the powerbomb and the lariat. You believe it is arm that is allowing Akiyama to kick out because those moves don't have their usual power behind them.

 

Kobashi goes for a move that does not use the arm: the moonsault. However, Akiyama gets up to powerbomb him off the top rope. It is even stevens. It really feels like it is a tied ball game going into sudden death overtime at this point. Akiyama goes for the kill with the exploder on the apron, but they both jump off the apron. Akiyama is able to hit an Exploder on the exposed concrete and he is fuckin out. Now, Akiyama stops the ref's count to drag Kobashi back into the ring. In Akiyama's mind, a pinfall the ring must mean effacing all doubts and securing his place in the Sun. He hits a double-arm DDT, a diving elbow to the back of Kobashi's head and then a exploder, but only gets two. Akiyama goes for his choke, but they get wrapped up in the ropes. There is a great struggle over the wrist-clutch exploder where you actually feel bad that Kobashi is about to be hit with this move. Then Kobashi kicks out! So Akiyama figures the only thing more he can do is hit the Exploder off of a higher place. Kobashi still has enough struggle in him to send Akiyama crashing onto the back of his head. Kobashi just collapses onto the mat in a great visual. Kobashi hits three lariats, but he knows what he must do. Akiyama puts up a perfunctory struggle before the inevitable BURNING HAMMER~! Both men shake hands and all is right in the Kingdom of NOAH.

 

At 35+ minutes, this match continues the lineage of dramatic, epic Kings Road matches. I loved the symmetry of both men having the other knocked out at different points, but wanting to finish it in the ring. I liked the callbacks to their previous encounters. I do think this match is a little overly self-indulgent and could have benefited from trimming. There is plenty of gratuitous suplexes and such that left off because I did not want to write a novel about this match and because I thought they were insignificant. I am strong believer moves like that should not be. In the February 2000 classic with Misawa, there were no wasted moves. Still, it showcased Akiyama and Kobashi at their finest with Akiyama working the arm over and Kobashi fighting through it. There is no slight in not being as good as that Misawa/Akiyama 2000 match. It was a great, great blowoff match and excellent example of both men's resumes. ****1/2

 

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Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Shinya Hashimoto & Yuji Nagata - Zero-One 3/2/01

 

The decentralization of puroresu continues as the disenchanted Hashimoto forms his own promotion known as Zero-One (started in the year 2001) and brings in three of the biggest stars of puroresu for his debut show. It is the fastest rising stars in New Japan and NOAH on either side and of course the main attraction is to see the Ace of 90s New Japan mix it up with the Ace of 90s All Japan. I did not expect such a snoozefest of a match. Everything felt so tepid until the end. The match did make Hashimoto look like an absolute monster, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. Nagata is just not a very submission wrestler, which is a problem since that is his gimmick at this point. Akiyama does his best to make it interesting by heeling it up and taunting Hashimoto. After Nagata catches him with a German, Misawa says "Kid, let me show you how it is done." and Nagata gets some kicks in before it is elbow city. Misawa gives him "Now you do something" tag. Akiyama piledrives Nagata while taunting Hashimoto. This match undercut Akiyama pretty bad, but hey at least he was a total prick during it. Nagat kicks Akiyama's leg out from under him and is going to do his Nagatalock while saluting Misawa, but thinks better of it and tags Hashimoto. Hashimoto rips through Akiyama, who bails. Akiyama thinks about it on the outside before coming back in and just being taken to the woodshed. It really feels like Akiyama was playing the same role as Nobutaka Araya in the tag match I watched earlier. Akiyama is not Araya. Hashimoto overhand chop is pretty sweet and he looks like a beast.

 

Finally, we get Misawa vs. Hashimoto. Misawa hits a spinning back elbow up against the ropes. Hash with a huge overhand chop sends Misawa to his knees and then floors him with a kick to the chest. Then tags Nagata. Awww is that it? Tease. Nagata applies a shitty armbar and then a crossface. Misawa can't be bothered with this shit and just elbows out of it and tags Akiyama. Take care of my light work, Akiyama. They trade exploders, you know it was coming. Akiyama applies a crossface. Akiyama goes for another, but Nagata drops down into guillotine choke. I liked the symmetry of that. Here comes Hash to murderize Akiyama, but Ak cuts him off with a high knee. Atta boy! He puts his foot on his throat and makes the ref count. Glorious. Misawa goes for the Tiger Driver, but Nagata interferes. Hashimoto disposes of Misawa and tags Nagata. Misawa gets the Tiger Driver for two. On the next one he elbows Hashimoto, but it gets reversed into a triangle choke. Akiyama saves Misawa after a Nagata back drop driver with a pin.

 

Hashimoto is in for the kill and hits a couple DDTs, but cant put Misawa away while Nagata detains Akiyama. Akiyama breaks free and slaps the shit out of Hashimoto while he is trying to suplex Misawa. This wakes up Hashimoto who now has murder in his eyes and goes to town in the corner. This allows Misawa to hit a German Suplex from behind for the win. After the match, Hashimoto makes a beeline for Akiyama and tries to kill him. Melee ensues.

 

 

It was nice to see Akiyama heel it up and Misawa in a back to basics match, but it felt like nothing happened. Hashimoto would come in kick ass and then leave. Why leave? Why not just win? Misawa was not much better with Nagata either. He let Nagata hit moves, but then no sold them and just would elbow. Akiyama was at least interesting, but treated like Hashimoto's bitch. I get the appeal that it is Misawa vs. Hashimoto. It did not do anything for me. The ending was good with all of Akiyama's antics finally getting him in hot water with Hashimoto. The payoff with Misawa sneaking away with the victory was cool. I'm giving it *** because it was a decent match with a very good payoff and finish.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Skipping the GHC Title Change with Misawa and the Misawa & Kobashi tag because I have seen them before and have notes and am deciding between watching them again or reviewing based off notes. Onto Akiyama as the Ace of the tag division

 

GHC Tag Team Champions Wild II (Takeshi Rikio & Takeshi Morishima) vs Jun Akiyama & Atikoshi Saito - Budokan NOAH 9/23/02

 

You know all those touring 80s metal bands with only one original member (looking at you, Quiet Riot) that's what this match felt like. It was a wicked bad All Japan tribute match that had one of the original members of the band performing. You know what this match is good for, though. You see why Akiyama is a cut above the rest. The way he throws himself into every bump and into every move makes you believe. Don't get me wrong, Rikio and Morishima had potential, but they were so tentative. Not tentative in a I am selling that match as a big deal let me be cautious, but tentative more like I don't want to hurt myself or my opponent and still pretty green. Atikoshi Saito is a lost cause and just a pretty atrocious wrestler. I have no idea how Akiyama got saddled with such a chump. He was apart of some of the slap exchanges and double clothesline spots ever. Jesus, in Japan, it is not like work their slaps just friggin' shoot slap him. Rikio and Morishima were not much above him in terms of laying it in, but they did try a bit harder with Akiyama. The Morishima side slam on Saito to transition out of his heat segment was pathetic and Saito visibly hopping into Rikio's arms for a bearhug was sad. I'll give credit where it is do, Wild II was effective in working Saito's ribs with lots of double stomps and Saito actually sold pretty well, but that part was merely decent. The best parts of the match were of course when Akiyama was in. The way he just bumped for Morishima and Rikio made them seemed so much more credible. When he slapped them, it definitely woke them up. Morishima finally started hitting some big clotheslines and because Akiyama is a total nut he took a wicked Doomsday Device. Akiyama gave as good as he got because he messed Morishima's face with his jumping high knee. The finish run features Saito and Rikio and it is about as anti-climatic as one can imagine. Saito wins after a bunch of jumping enziguiris. Easily the worst match I have seen so far in my 00s puroresu watching. It is full of trite slap exchanges and poor offense. How far has the once mighty All Japan has fallen! I am not even going bother rating it.

 

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GHC Tag Team Champions Sterness (Jun Akiyama & Atikoshi Saito) vs Burning (Kenta Kobashi & Kentaro Shiga) - NOAH 10/19/02

 

The undisputed and unlikely star (at least from my perspective) was Kentaro Shiga. I had never seen Shiga, but with that frame he looked like as if I stepped into the ring. He is not a shorty like Saito, but a tall-ish, lanky fellow. So when Akiyama waves him off dismissively at the very beginning as if to say "Listen chump, it is time for the big boys to play" and then promptly cheapshots him off the apron Shiga comes in and tries to retaliate, but this is not Akiyama's first rodeo and he backs off the apron and gives him a wag of the finger. , I was like "Fuck Yeah!" Shiga then proceeded to prove me wrong the rest of the match that he did belong. Shiga just screamed "Face In Peril", but lo and behold he was one helluva hot tag. Shiga gets a hold of Akiyama and slaps him in the corner. You can imagine what happens next as Akiyama just brutalizes Shiga with a barrage of slaps. Akiyama goes to finish the job on the ramp, but Shiga gets a tornado DDT off the ramp that almost decapitates Akiyama on the railing. HOLY SHIT! He does it two more times off the apron onto the railing and I think Akiyama is dead. Akiyama can only get a foot on the ropes and collapses on the Irish Whip attempt. Kobashi is in and get hits his delayed vertical suplex, but Saito saves drawing boos. One other thing I love about this is match is that there is actual heel heat for Sterness. When Saito saves Akiyama he actually draws boos. Interference is pretty liberal in puroresu tags, but rarely draws boos. The facts the crowd was in unison for Kobashi & Shiga and there was an actual build to a finish improved this match tenfold over the previous Sterness tag. Saito draws more boos by breaking up a sweet ab stretch with crossface. Kobashi tags Shiga, but outside of his on bomb he just does not have the offense to take it to Akiyama, who wrangles Shiga into a vicious crossface while Saito restrains Kobashi. This has been a perfect use of Saito so far.

 

Now the real fun begins as Akiyama busts open Shiga's nose with a high knee and they just brutalize his face during the heat segment. Saito, who throws a pretty good kick, kicks him in the face and steps on his face. Akiyama slaps Shiga in the face while Saito holds him as the ref is admonishing him Saito stands on Shiga's face. This is friggin' awesome. Shiga gets a lariat to tag in Kobashi. I have to say I was bit underwhelmed by Kobashi. It was a pretty tepid hot tag when I was expecting molten fire. He chops the fuck out of Akiyama, but they go into finisher tease. Saito hits a real sweet axe kick on Kobashi and a German. Kobashi lariats Saito and tags Shiga, who is a fuckin house of fire. He is out for blood and just crushing anything that moves. A Saito jumping enziguiri stymies his run. Now it is Kobashi's turn to rattle off offense: he throws Akiyama down on the knee to corner and half-nelson suplexes follow, but Saito saves. They tease the Burning Hammer, but Saito the Personification of Buzzkill breaks it up with a jumping enziguiri. Don't worry Kobashi, Shiga has this on lock. He applies an STF on Akiyama while Kobashi detains Saito and the crowd is rocking for Shiga. Shiga does for his big bomb: the tornado DDT, but Akiyama hits a brainbuster out of it. Akiyama goes to choke a bitch, but Kobashi saves. Shiga gets one more hope spot with a roll-up outta of an exploder, but Akiyama proves too much for him hitting a brainbuster, exploder and a fisherman buster to polish him off for a successful defense of the tag titles.

 

The match does run pretty long and can be a bit excessive at times would be my quibbles. I would imagine this is Shiga's match of a lifetime. Everyone loves an underdog and this is a story anyone can get. The underdog punking out the bully, getting his ass beat, taking it right to the bullies, but coming up short. Kobashi, who lets face it can be a bit of a glory hog, really let Shiga shine in this. Akiyama played a great heel prick in this much better than any other match I have seen from him. ****

[Superstar Sleeze]

GHC Heavyweight Champion Mitsuharu Misawa vs Jun Akiyama - Budokan 1st Anniversary 07/27

 

The crowning achievement of Jun Akiyama's career as it finally seems like he is going to be the man. All of 2000 was leading to this climax where he defeats Misawa to become the GHC Champion. The aftermath would turn out differently as NOAH would reset and go with Kobashi as their big drawing ace. However, for this one night Akiyama looked like he fulfilled his potential and had become puroresu's new big star.

 

In their last big match at the Budokan, Misawa lost to Akiyama and he comes out elbows blazing. He will not be deterred and elbows through everything. Akiyama tries to powder. Misawa keeps elbowing. Akiyama ties to take it to the mat. Misawa elbows out. Akiyama tries to go elbow for elbow well that is just preposterous. Akiyama finally kills this onslaught by dropkicking Misawa off the top rope onto the floor in a sweet bump. Akiyama drives his knee into Misawa back sending him crashing into the railing. Misawa is not the only who remembers their previous match as Akiyama goes for Misawa's neck with a tombstone piledriver and some neck submissions. All of sudden we are transported to the Greensboro Coliseum where the "Total Package" Mitsuharu Misawa no-sells "Nature Boy" Jun Akiyama's strikes in the corner and cleans his clock with some more elbows and Akiyama has some great webble-wobble, ropes holding me up sells of it. The one of the biggest stylistic differences in this match from the 02/00 match is that Misawa gets way more of his offense in this match. I don't if it is due to his age, but Misawa almost looks demonic when he slaps on the front facelock the way his eye-brows are arched. Misawa gets his trademark diving elbow to the floor after doing a rana out of a powerbomb and a butterfly suplex after he cant get his Tiger Driver. Then out of nowhere Akiyama applies a crossface.

 

Here come the fireworks! Akiyama DDTs Misawa on the ramp and teases an Exploder and a German off the ramp onto the floor, but Misawa elbows him off. Similar to Misawa's fatal mistake in 2000, Akiyama dodges an elbow from the ramp and drives him to floor. He capitalizes on this mistake with an Exploder on the floor and in the ring. Then in a perplexing move, Akiyama goes to the top? They tease a superplex until you realize that they are actually going to do a SUPER TIGER DRIVER~! It did not look as great as it possibly could have, but the audience and announcers all collectively lost their shit. Misawa sells his own damage thus it takes him too long to cover. Misawa follows up with the Roaring Elbow and a Tiger Driver both getting two. Hence he looks to finish off Akiyama and hit the Emerald Flowsion, but Akiyama wriggles free to hit two Exploders to level the playing field.

 

They are both in their respective corners and charge at each other, but it is Akiyama's high knee that finds the mark. The end is nigh for Misawa. The brainbuster and choke fail to polish off Misawa, but the combination of an Exploder and a Wrist-Clutch Exploder ultimately finish Misawa and Akiyama wins his first major singles title.

 

Unlike the first match, Akiyama feels like he is overcoming Misawa's onslaught of elbows and bombs. In the first match, he builds a huge lead and needs to weather the inevitable comeback. In this performance, he proved he does not have to be a front runner and he has big time comeback ability. I loved Misawa's presence in this. He was not going to lose to Akiyama again and just elbowed through everything. He would not be denied. The problem was that when he tried something high-risk it paid off with him crashing and burning (yes he pulled off the SUPER TIGER DRIVER~!, but more often than not he ate concrete). Eventually, it came down who was quicker at pulling the trigger Akiyama's knee or Misawa's elbow and the younger Akiyama won that battle and ultimately the match. My major issue with this match was the transitions were pretty lame and did not weave a complete story. The Akiyama crossface and the SUPER TIGER DRIVER~! were poorly set up from an in-ring action perspective. I don't think they made the most of their big spots. Nothing seemed to have any consequence until about 2 minutes to go. I liked the story, but I thought the plot devices could have been better combined to deliver a more complete match. ****

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Jun Akiyama & Yuji Nagata vs Mitsuharu Misawa & Kenta Kobashi - Budokan 2/17/02

 

The two combatants in New Japan's 01/04/02 Dome show team together to face Misawa & Kobashi in Kobashi's return match from knee injuries to draw a sell out at the Budokan. Not only is it Kobashi's return match, but was this the first time he had teamed with Misawa since 1995. NOAH played two pretty big drawing cards there to ensure a sell-out. There are big Kobashi chants to start and you know Akiyama's days as champion are numbered with such a big time reaction. Misawa and Nagata start with some decent chain wrestling. Nagata seems to get the best of Misawa on the mat and fights through Misawa's trademark elbows. They both tag out and there is a big pop for the Kobashi vs. Akiyama showdown. Kobashi looks pissed and is ready to light up some muthafuckas. That is the theme of the beginning of the match, the people want to see Kobashi kick some ass so he delivers. He chops the shit out of Akiyama and hits a delayed vertical suplex then brutalizes Nagata with high chops and then does his short knee lifts/ab stretch combo on him. Nagata kicks Kobashi knee during a struggle over a suplex to buy his team some time and Akiyama capitalizes with a jumping high knee. That is the risk Misawa and Kobashi took with having Kobashi take a bulk of the offense early. Akiyama applies a Boston Crab, but Kobashi makes it to the ropes. Kobashi starts to hulk-up and throws down Akiyama in the corner, but a drop toehold stymies him and Nagata applies the crossface. Nagata get back to the legs and drops down for his version of the figure-4 and Akiyama cuts off Misawa this time. Kobashi's selling including verbal selling has made this heat segment one of the better ones so far in my 00s puroresu watching. Kobashi is able to fire off a suplex to finally tag Misawa.

 

Misawa will not be denied and his elbow find its mark on Akiyama and Nagata. However after repeated attempts for the Tiger Driver, Akiyama nails him with an Exploder. Akiyama wisely tags out to Nagata who hits a Northern Lights Suplex and applies a crossface, but now Kobashi saves. Here comes the Misawa comeback with the Roaring Elbow and Tiger Driver, but only gets 2. Kobashi comes in to the joy of the crowd and delivers his string of crowd-pleasers: Spinning Back Chop, Half-Nelson Suplex, but powerbomb gets countered into a triangle choke by Nagata. Nagata aint holding down Kobashi, who gives him a sleeper suplex for his troubles. Nagata is able to kick Kobashi's leg one last time to give his team the advantage. Akiyama and Nagata are able to do a double submission spot with Nagata applying the STF and Akiyama his choke. Huge Kobashi Chants. Kobashi is still struggling, but to my surprise a wrist-clutch exploder does him in while Misawa is detained by Nagata.

 

I am so used to American psychology, I often forget it is customary for wrestlers to lose their return match to put over ring rust and build their comeback to a more satisfactory climax. This is a fun popcorn match. The beginning is just giving the fan what they want Kobashi killing bitches dead. Then they add the drama with Akiyama and Nagata targeting the injured knee. After that it just becomes a bomb fest with everyone hitting their best hits before Nagata gets one last ditch kick to knee and you see Kobashi putting over the new champion Akiyama. While this is yet another big win for Akiyama, soon after he would be shunted to the tag division and the process was begun to get the strap to Kobashi by getting it to Misawa first to set up a big money gate at the Budokan. ***1/2

[Superstar Sleeze]

So I thought I would posit another reason why Akiyama did not "make" it so to speak that is to say he never felt like The Man the same way Jumbo, Misawa or Kobashi did at times. I think among other things that were noted was that he was portrayed as a heel during his first major push of his career. It was one thing to make a statement by suplexing your partner after winning a match. It is whole another thing to choke him out the next night and beat up those trying to administer aid to him. Akiyama was clearly positioned as a heel, but I believe Japanese fans were conditioned to see the native Aces as a babyfaces. Thus Akiyama would always play second fiddle to Kobashi & Misawa because they are an Ace Faces. I don't think that could be underestimated in how that inhibited Akiyama's rise to absolute tippy-top of the card. I have not seen the rest of his work from the decade yet (I have seen '04 Kobashi match but it has been forever) and I would imagine there are more booking botches, but I thought it was interesting they positioned him as a heel when usually the next big thing is positioned as a babyface. Anybody agree with me or think I am way off base?

[Timbo Slice]

NOAH had shit for challengers early on. It wasn't so much that Akiyama was a heel early on. Misawa was presented as a punk upstart to Jumbo, yet he was able to get over on him and was a made man when he pinned him. It was that NOAH wanted something definitive, and by doing that, it didn't go over nearly as well. Akiyama was never really positioned as the ace of the company. I don't think it was because he wouldn't have gotten over well, but more because whoever had the book at the time always thought there was someone better, and then (outside of Kobashi) that person bombed on top. It's hard for the fans to see him as a future ace after the start he had when three months later he was losing to Kobashi and then losing to Misawa in the GHC tourney semis after that. Then, when they DID decide to put him over, they had him make two NJPW defenses instead of giving him a long title run against NOAH wrestlers, and then had him drop the title on a fluke to Ogawa so that Misawa wouldn't beat him again. From there, he played second fiddle to Misawa and Kobashi before they decided to go with Rikio instead. When that happened, it was the beginning of the end of NOAH being a viable promotion.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I agree he was never positioned as the Ace because Misawa and then Kobashi still had enough drawing power to warrant staying on top. Part of the loss to Kobashi was that he was positioned as the heel thus necessitating the loss to Kobashi in the blowoff. Regardless, he still choked him out in the lead-up and they were presented on an "equal" footing except in wrestling the number one face and number one heel there is a slight uneveness in their relationship. I don't think the loss to Misawa in the semis hurt because he won the next encounter. I thought it was weird that he headlined two Dome shows for NJPW, but did not have any high profile defenses in NOAH. I agree his lack of peers his age really fucked him. By the time they decided to go with Kobashi and thus having him drop the title to Ogawa it hurt him, but I don't think it was over per se. The Rikio switch, which I have not gotten to yet seems to death knell. Misawa versus Jumbo felt like a changing of the guard and even though Akiyama got huge wins (two over Misawa in the Budokan in 2000 & 2001) it just was not enough. Reevaluating I agree he was a victim of circumstance of having a lack of challengers.

[Jmare007]

Jun Akiyama vs KENTA - "Cross Road" 17.05.09

 

Akiyama's best performance in years up to that point. I was pleased that they didn't do any limb work and just focused on the striking. KENTA is really good against heavyweights (and the fans believe in him) and this is no exception, some great hard hitting action. Watching a grumpy Akiyama drop someone on his head and continuously working that area was highly entertaining. They brought some life to a dead place like Differ Ariake.

 

Jun Akiyama vs Kensuke Sasaki - Global League 04.04.10

 

Well this was unexpected. A hot Korakuen crowd gladly welcomes this hard hitting match that has a surprisingly big amount of technical wrestling and not a lot of bomb throwing.

 

Go Shiozaki vs Jun Akiyama - "PRO-WRESTLING NOAH ANNIVERSARY" 06.08.2011

 

As with every NOAH title match, your enjoyment will depend on the early to middle part of the match and if you can be entertained by it or keep interest on what they are doing. Akiyama busting Go hard way with a flying knee from the apron and working the injury gave the match the touch it needed for me to be invested in Go's comeback and his continuous struggle to prove he is no longer a "young gun". They had a stupid top rope stop were I don't know what they were trying to do but besides that, this was a solid, hard fought battle. And hey, Differ Ariake didn't suck for once.