[2005-03-05-NOAH-Navigation For Evolution 2005] Mitsuharu Misawa & Kotaro Suzuki vs Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[dawho5]

Early heel stuff by Ohtani was gold. Early reactions and ass-kickery by Misawa also gold. The heat segment on Suzuki was well-done. Then Misawa comes in and the match loses me. There was enough good stuff to be a fun one time watch. The finishing run with them teasing a Misawa-assisted Suzuki upset (a la Kobashi/Akiyama) was not too bad.

[Superstar Sleeze]

NOAH (Mitsuharu Misawa & Kotaro Suzuki) vs. Z-1 (Shinjiro Otani & Tatushito Takaiwa) - NOAH 3/5/05

 

Ohtani & Takaiwa versus Kanemoto & Minoru this was not. It is a rock solid match, but really only Otani gives an inspired performance. The other three gave the type of performances you would expect on a weekly RAW. Dont get me wrong, this match would win match of the night on most RAWs. It is just the usual lazy transitions and hit my spots type wrestling with a bigger finish run than you would expect Stateside. What was the point of this match? Was it to lead into a Suzuki/Takaiwa Junior Heavyweight feud? Was Misawa just in there to lock up with Ohtani?

Ohtani is heeling it up early mockingly giving the crowd a pair of thumbs down. Thats right crowd, you suck! Suzuki gets the jump on Otani and hits a big splash to the outside and tags out to Misawa. This is the whole point of the tag match from my perspective. Misawa vs Ohtani, baby! What makes Ohtani better than most Japanese wrestlers in the 00s is that he actually sells the elbows like they hurt before winding up and delivering a chop. It is much more entertaining than the interminable Kobashi/Sasaki CHOP WAR~! After destroying both Otani and Takaiwa with elbows, Misawa tags out to the kid, thinking he cant possibly get into trouble. Of course, two seconds later Suzuki is in a half crab. Ohtani during this heat segment is the whole point to watch this match.

Otani busts out some great heel gold here, Not just the basics like eyerakes and fishhooks, but also an awesome punt to the nutsack when Suzuki was looking to fire up and mocklingly leading a Kotaro chant before dropping him on his head and pinning with one foot. In what became a sad precedent we get a lame transition to a Misawa tag. Misawa ends up in peril and this leads to an Otani facewash, which is a highlight. Misawa then decides lets go home and hits a Tiger Driver and tags in Suzuki. The finish run like the rest of non-Otani parts of this match was mediocre. You know its 2005 because Suzuki dials up a 619! Misawa and Suzuki hit a couple double teams and his big false finish is a Gory Special. After this Takaiwa kills him dead with a double powerbomb and a DVD. Misawa does not even bother to act like he cares to save him and basically gives up.

Three wrestlers were just going through the motions and Ohtani's actions were not enough to make this into a great match. The transitions in this were some of the laziest I have seen. ***

[Vinnie B]

This was another really fun match.

-This was certainly the Ohtani show for the most part with his expressions and heel shtick

-Putting a flippy young guy with Misawa is apparently a recipe for me to enjoy a match, although it got a bit overkill at the end.

-I could do without a Tiger Driver as a transition move. Suzuki's 619 and botched West Coast pop were cringey as hell
- I really don't think you can accuse Misawa of not being motivated. I winced at him being dropped on his head from a dragon suplex, and he took multiple stiff lariats and even a superplex. He also looks ancient in this, I can't believe he was older than 42

- Like the Tenryu match from January, this was just really fun. I actually thought this was slightly better because we get a more heavy hitting and serious finishing stretch, even if they overdo it a bit

 

I thoroughly appreciate that I will have liked this match more than anyone else here watching it. I'm surprised as well, but if it floats my boat I'm going to keep watching 2005 NOAH matches. ****