[2002-06-07-NJPW-Battle Zone] Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Graham Crackers]

This isn't nearly as terrible as I thought it would be. That said, it's not even a top ten Nagata singles match so it's not going very high either. This is an archetypal late 2000s Japanese main event but slightly less bloated.

[Superstar Sleeze]

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki - NJPW 6/7/02

 

I am more glad this exists then I am about how it was executed. The two biggest NJPW stars of the early 00s clash for supremacy. I am partial to Sasaki, but I understand given Inoki's preferences why he choose Yuji Nagata: Super Counterwrestler Extraordinaire. Besides the fact that Nagata has the charisma of a potted plant, what bothers me is Nagata tends to do all this counterwrestling early, but then always ends up finishing with suplexes and kicks. Contrast that to Minoru Tanaka, who uses his other offense to set up his counterwrestling and look how much more invested the crowd is in his submission wrestling. Not to mention that Minoru Tanaka is just a more entertaining and charismatic wrestler. Nagata matches tend to be very disjointed and this is not much different. I like Sasaki, but he is someone who is more of a follower than leader. So when Nagata or Kobashi is leading, then his matches tends not go too well.

 

Early on, they spend a lot of time on the mat, which is a nice change of pace from NOAH. Sasaki does admirably holding his own, but overall I would say Nagata wins the early portion with a stepover toehold. Nagata gets a bit cocky and starts kicking Sasaki repeatedly so Sasaki responds with a slap and Northern Lights Bomb. Nagata powders. I love that about Japan. It is an excellent way to hit a big move, but protect it. Sasaki starts using power wrestling to set up for lariat, but Nagata kicks the lariat arm. Nagata is not really building to anything just hitting some signature moves. Sasaki is able to lariat his knee while he is on the apron. Sasaki does well to use this as an opening to hit a power move, work holds on the knee like the Scorpion Deathlock, but Nagata just won't sell it. Nagata kicks lariat arm. Nagata runs through suplexes and head kicks to polish him off.

I enjoyed the change of pace in the beginning compared to NOAH, but they did not follow through in any interesting way and ended in a similar fashion. Oh well.

[Jetlag]

You can't call this a bad match but you can hardly love it either. The opening is okay like a poor mans BattlARTS match. They do some matwork and mix in stiff shots. The second half had some good ideas but never really grabbed me because it felt like your stereotypical japanese big match with neither guy adding any character. Also, both guys went back to offense too easily. Nagata catching Sasaki with surprise high kicks was cool but him basically no selling back to offense and burying Akiyamas finishers (prick) didn't do much for me. Kensuke when he is not wearing MMA gloves or in there with an all time great also continues to do very little for me.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Wow I was quite the hater back in the day. Have no recollection of watching this and liked it way more so re-doing the review from scratch.

IWGP Champion Yuji Nagata vs Kensuke Sasaki - NJPW 6/7/02

Since I’ve been doing this project to watch all the IWGP title defenses between Fujita to Lesnar, I have had this one circled for a while. Sasaki is one of all-time favorites and brilliant power wrestler who had the misfortune of peaking during Inokiism. Nagata is someone who has grown on me and I don’t think he has the charisma of a potted plant anymore and also I own 10 potted plants now and I think potted plants can be charismatic. I watched this match before but I was out to lunch then. It is a ***1/2 match that deserves a better review.

Nagata just won the title from Yasuda and defended at the Dome against Takayama. This presents a different more traditional pro wrestling challenge for Nagata. In the year 2000 Kensuke must have been pumped he was the heir apparent to the Musketeers and getting a big push against Kawada and All Japan. Then Inoki switches gears to Fujita and Yasuda and never looks backs. Nagata fits better in Inoki’s vision of a hybrid wrestler. 
 

This starts very New Japan for like ten minutes but ends very All Japan. I liked the mixture. The beginning matwork was classically influenced think NWA championship style: headlocks, wristlocks, armbars. Nagata starts peppering Sasaki with kicks who responds with ROARING Oo-Soto-Gari loved that response from him. Then they did my favorite thing they teased their finishers: Northern Lights Bomb and a Nagatalock. Then they back to matwork but more Shoot-influenced the struggle over the Cross-Armbar was tremendous. Nagata Dane out the better with a step over toehold. Nagata starts pelting Sasaki with kicks. Sasaki punches him in the face. NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB! Nagata powder. A beautiful All Japan sequence straight out the Kawada playbook and the response by Nagata was genius simultaneously protecting the move and selling it. 
 

This is the more All Japan finish run. Sasaki hits his special armdrag. I really liked the transition to Nagata's offense. Sasaki mistimed a rope running sequence. He tried to ricochet off the ropes and catch Nagata bouncing off the turnbuckles. Nagata did not bounce as quickly so he missed Nagata who then kicked his head off! I love him paying for trying to be too convoluted. 

Nagata's control segment was a lot of kicks and then on a Sasaki powder, Sasaki tried the All Japan ricochet off the railing Lariat, but Nagata caught him in an Exploder. Nagata pretty much had the match won here. As he was getting back in the ring, Sasaki LARIATS the knee! This was a great, last ditch, desperation ploy by Sasaki. This leads to him using the Scorpion Deathlock and when that does not work trying to truck Nagata with Lariats, but he is running out of steam. Nagata kicks the Lariat arm some brutal kicks to the head. Wrist-clutch Exploder and two Saito Suplexes win the day for Nagata!

I liked how they clearly showed Nagata was the better wrestler. He has better ground game and striking game, BUT Sasaki has a puncher's chance. His two best openings were the closed fist/Northern Lights Bomb combo and the Lariat to the Leg/Scorpion Deathlock. Sasaki could do damage but he needed a closed fist or a sneak attack chop block to gain an advantage. He put Nagata over strong, definitely an enjoyable match. ***1/2