Taka Michinoku

[Grimmas]

Discuss here.

[Timbo Slice]

Early TAKA was as exciting as it got, but I don't think he has enough over time to make a list like this.

[BillThompson]

I love Taka, but he's never done enough to make the list. Early M-Pro Taka is great and loads of fun, and I appreciate later dick heel Taka. But, he does have all those WWF years where while entertaining he didn't exactly set the world on fire in the ring.

[Dylan Waco]

Watching him in recent years makes me want to explore his "prime" more. I was always sort of dismissive of him years ago, thinking he was good, but not a real standout performer. What is interesting is that there was a real contingent of people who thought he was excellent, and one of the better juniors in wrestling during a period when juniors were thought highly of. As such I was in the real minority at the time in some circles I travel in (or at least this is how I remember it).

 

As an "old man" he's had some fun, and even borderline great matches in recent years. Yes he didn't to fade into the scenery in New Japan multi-man tags but that is common. When given more of a chance in K-Dojo, or opposite Tajiri, et he has delivered far beyond what you might expect. I've been most impressed by his matwork and sense of struggle, both of which standout a ton in the context of modern Japanese wrestling.

 

I'd really like any Taka advocates to suggest possible singles matches for me to go back and watch. I'm not opposed to rewatching some of the MPro multi-mans, but I don't think those performances are likely to put him on my ballot. He is going to sink or swim on individual performances.

[Tim Cooke]

vs Funaki from 12/18/97 from MPro

His 1994-1995 Tiger Mask singles series is worth seeing for how a young TAKA holds the hand of a young TM and has some fun matches

 

I think TomK or Phil really liked the Kaz match from AJPW from 2/22/04. I remember it being solid but nothing out of this world

[Mando]

He is going to sink or swim on individual performances.

 

Here's a couple TAKA discoveries I've had last few years:

 

Champion of STRONGEST-K Title: TAKA Michinoku © vs Great Sasuke - K-DOJO "CLUB-K SUPER take", 09.06.2009 - My review

 

Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Taka Michinoku vs. Dean Malenko - WWF Sunday Night Heat 4/23/00 - My review

 

I'd say he'll make the bottom 25 of my 100 at this point.

[Parties]

Kaientai will be represented by Dick Togo, who's more deserving in all aspects of the game. Nothing against TAKA, and he's sustained himself really well as one of those Suzuki/Takayama/Sano types who changed their game as they got older. He's as good as grumpy veteran as he was as young upstart. His WWF Light Heavyweight run was one of the things (perhaps the thing) that got me watching Japan. But he's not top 100 for me.

[GOTNW]

But, he does have all those WWF years where while entertaining he didn't exactly set the world on fire in the ring.

I've watched way more attitude era stuff than I should've and I don't think this could be any further from the truth. He may not have any epics during that run but he always performed great and he had a couple of matches I'd call great (I can think of the HHH title bout, a sprint vs. Dick Togo from a Raw in 98 and a match vs. Pantera from No Way Out 98 off the top of my head). Plus "all those years" is really only 98-01.

[Jetlag]

Peak TAKA is, to me, an incredible wrestler. Incredibly athletic, obviously, but also unbelievably versatile. A tremendous high flyer whose Spaceman dives still hold up as breath taking even today. Could do pissed off brawling, babyface selling from underneath, be a swarmy provocateur heel, tag in and out quick to do something exciting etc. His crowning achievement of wrestling mastery is getting an actively good match series out of Minoru Tanaka. I love the BattlARTS crew, but none of them came close to what TAKA was able to do with that guy.

 

Here's their first match from PWFG:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slHBUqCtwtE

 

This really illustrates the versatility of TAKA as it's full on UWF style compared to the more juniorish form their later matches would take, and more impressive than I recall Tanaka's matches vs. the likes of Yuki Ishikawa being. Taka does his dive fake, flips off Tanaka then offers to let him into the ring, and it all works. Taka has also a pretty epic PWFG singles vs. Fujiwara.

 

2000s Taka can be a pretty great veteran worker and still has killer matches once in a while in his own fed even these days. However, he also goes a little overboard in the Kurt Angle-ish way at times. I'm really unsure on where to go with the guy but based on raw talent he wouldn't feel out of place on a Top 100 to me.

[InYourCase]

TAKA is ranking for me. It took awhile to convince me, but he'll be on my list. Incredible peak, he has longevity on his side, but he's a guy that I really appreciate when it comes to him doing the simpler things. He's a guy that I wish could've worked Saturday Night tapings because seven minute TAKA matches in front of a hot crowd sounds like a hoot.

 

 

I'd really like any Taka advocates to suggest possible singles matches for me to go back and watch. I'm not opposed to rewatching some of the MPro multi-mans, but I don't think those performances are likely to put him on my ballot. He is going to sink or swim on individual performances.

vs. Black Tiger Eddie: J Cup 1994

vs. Shinjiro Otani: 7/28/02

vs. Masato Tanaka: 8/4/02

w/ Mochizuki, Yokosuka vs. CIMA, Shingo Takagi, & Magnitude Kishiwada: 9/7/05

 

There's a good chance most people will hate that last match I recommended, but I love it and I think TAKA is outstanding in the match.

[elliott]

TAKA managed to stand out during the peak of Junior heavyweight wrestling. He was a really good mat worker early in his career and seemed to have the skill set that would age well. The 90s Junior stuff I've revisited he still really stands out as an awesome wrestler and insanely great athlete. I've always wanted to look at his Post WWE return to Japan. Looking at match lists, he it looks like hes in a bunch of potentially interesting matches but 2000s Japanese indies is a big blind spot for me outside of the various Battarts incarnations. 

[Clayton Jones]

Get ready to watch him and Dick Togo trade a lot of face locks. I love TAKA and have him 98th on my rough draft but worry his career is too uneven to hold that spot given the names knocking at the backdoor. 90s MPro is among my favorite stuff ever though so no matter how many ROD matches I might have to go back and watch he may scrape and claw to keep his spot.

[Boss Rock]

Another terrific utility player with a good amount of longevity. His BOSJ runs were always solid and his 2017 tag match with Ibushi against Okada and Gedo is great. Someone I'm definitely considering.

[concrete1992]

I ran Taka through the Random Match Theory and the metrics are good folks! Sure, YT will dish up a lot of stuff from his WWF run but honestly, he's good in it? His springboard crossbody gives a certain floor for those matches cause it won't not pop my shit. He has this match against Pantera Jr., who is weird mechanically, walks like an old man and so on, but Taka let's him do all sorts of lovely lucha matwork and this wild float over headscissors on the apron that should be illegal. Taka didn't bring the offense but in his role, had the tools to pull any match out with the Michinoku Driver which looks kickass in these matches. Never looks like a chump, gets to do his out-of-this-world cool spot, but also understands how to feed someone else.

There is also a match with Tajiri where again he takes these wicked kicks, a lot of letting the other dude showcase himself while still showing "Oh yeah, Taka has the goods". Keeps them from all feeling back-and-forth for the brief period these matches go.