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[2010-01-04-NJPW-Wrestle Kingdom IV] Shinsuke Nakamura vs Yoshihiro Takayama


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  • 4 years later...

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs Yoshihiro Takayama - NJPW 1/4/10

 

I was reading my review of Nakamura vs Ohtani from 2009 and I was really high on Nakamura at the time. Reading it back it sounded like a great match and Nakamura gave a great cocky heel champion performance. I claimed to get it that this is the Nakamura people know and love. You know what I will never get Nakamura and I should stop saying I do. He has had great matches and even great performances, but I don't get him. He is very mercurial that's both his gimmick and who he is. I do get Yoshihiro Takayama and is a badass. This match main evented the Dome six years prior.

 

One of the reasons I say I don't get Nakamura is thought this was a pretty lukewarm performance from him just months after the great one against Ohtani. Takayama was his usual asskicking self. The story of the match was pretty much Takayama just kicked Nakamura's ass. Nakamura hung with him for a little while but Takayama just brutalized him into submission. He tried to give him a heart attack with repeated elbow drops. Some glorious Takayama kneelifts. I love a good kneelift and Takayama is the God King of them. Nakamura's selling is just kinda there. He gets a good knee strike to the head on a suplex attempt. Another knee to the head. I like Nakamura going for headshots. Then he goes for a juji-gatame, gets him over but cant break the clasp. Takayama then launches into an excellent suplex barrage. Backdrop driver, The old knee in the corner then Butterfly, Dragon Suplex into the ring. He looked great. Nakamura gets wristlock out of a bridge and tries for a cross armbreaker, again Takayama clasps his hands and kicks Nakamura in the head. Nakamura slides right into a knee lift. What the fuck was that? Now Takayama charges and Nakamura gets a kneelift. Boma Ye to the back of the head. I think that's the death knell for the Bleached Blond Giant of Japan. Nakamura goes for the sleeper, but Takayama drives him into the buckles. There is a big punching slugfest. Takayama has way better punches and Nakamura sells well. Nakamura whiffs on his head kicks, but gets a couple big Boma Ye Knees to win.

 

I think Nakamura just sucks as a babyface. He is too reserved when he is in that role. Takayama was so much fun on offense. The finish didn't feel climatic. Takayama was in control and then Nakamura gets in a couple kicks to the head that don't really connect to set up the Boma Ye Knees. Just didn't feel big enough. ***1/4

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  • GSR changed the title to [2010-01-04-NJPW-Wrestle Kingdom IV] Shinsuke Nakamura vs Yoshihiro Takayama
  • 9 months later...

Wild seeing a NJPW Tokyo Done main go under 20 minutes. I liked this more than Marty but see the critique. I thought Takayama was terrific. Calculated and lethal. He is the ultimate gate keeper. Nakamura couldn’t match that both from a storytelling standpoint as well as a striking standpoint besides the knees to the body. Overall him wearing Takayama down and winning with the KO shot felt fulfilling but unworthy all at once. ***3/4 

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  • 2 months later...

Pre-Weirdo Nakamura! I know people prefer Nakamura’s character later on, but I love his serious demeanor. There is something “big match” about it. And against someone like Takayama, you need to match his intensity. The first half of the match is all Takayama - a real mauling. Takayma lays in the strikes hard early on and completely nosells Nakamura’s (weak) forearms. And beats on Nakamura with his brutal knees on the outside, and then, in a great feel moment, he makes the count to 10 himself. And then he elbows Nakamura right on the bridge of the nose! Nakamura sells really well too. He really seems out of it at times, just lying motionless. Nakamura slowly starts to get back into the match though and keeps up the selling, taking more time to pull things off like the german suplex, for example. Nakamura has some really nasty knee strikes to the stomach that would make any normal person vomit. Loved the counter from Nakamura from a clothesline attempt into an armbreaker. Nakamura following it up with kicks to the elbow was even better. There was some really good struggles for it later on with Takayama breaking out of an armbar stomping on Nakamura’s face which was followed up by a wicked knee to the face - a call back to their more famous match in six years prior. The finish of Takayama and Nakamura exchanging punches and kicks allowing Nakamura to catch Takayama off guard and nail the Boma Ye was absolutely amazing. Had me off my seat. Great way to end the match, highlight both guys strengths (Takayma’s strikes and Nakamura’s wit and counters). Never watched this match before I don’t believe, never really hear it brought up as a match to even watch let along a great match. But that’s what this was. Takakyama looked like a total behemoth beating the hell out of Nakamura with his violent offence. Nakamura brought him great selling to the match, some great counters and striking too. Excellent main event for the Tokyo Dome. Maybe I'm overrating it but what the hell. ****1/2
 

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