[2018-10-04-NOAH-Global Junior League 2018: Day 10] Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Takashi Sugiura

[Makai Club #1]

I feel like I can write an essay for why this was a great match but I won't. The match is awesome, incredible even. Nakajima and Sugiura play their roles perfectly; whether it's the sneaky heel (Nakajima) or the annoyed, veteran fighting champion (Sugiura). Both are exceptional. Nakajima being arrogant in his body language, soaking in the crowd, playing with Sugiura throughout the match even when he had the match won, laying into some nasty kicks, cheating just because. Katsu showed why he is a prime contender for WOTY (IMO). Sugiura being on the defensive, trying to survive Nakajima's tactics, firing up at points, laying into Nakajima with some viscous elbows trying to knock some respect into his opponent. Normally the use of weapons (which is more of a weapon trope) can be eyerolling but Nakajima's facials made the spot worked for me. Everything in this match clicked for me. Tremendous. ****1/2

[superkix]

I haven't watched much NOAH this year because I've got better things to do but from what I've seen, I love Nakajima's transformation and yeah, it's basically Tetsuya Naito's "tranquilo" with hard kicks, but it works for him with his shithead smugness. He definitely has some of the best snap kicks in pro-wrestling and paired up against Sugiura's snug elbows, you get some gnarly strike exchanges. But it's got simple things I love, like Nakajima blocking Sugiura's snapmare attempt to hit him with a second snapmare>kick combo. And Nakajima really heats up the strikes down the finishing stretch, between the back-to-front repeat kicks, the nasty slaps, and that fucking punt kick to the face! Brutal. There are plenty of cool moments and as a match, it's definitely the best thing I've seen from NOAH this year, which, granted, isn't much, but still, it beats what I have seen, as well as most of NJPW's convoluted bullshit. 

[nivvad]

It would be hard to argue that Sugiura hasn't had the most consistently greatest Japanese title reign this year. Sugiura has somehow been able to tap into a part of himself that can pull out fantastic title matches, all while elevating his opponents even when he beats them, at his older age. Nakajima was fantastic here too as he was very disrespectful towards the champ for most of the match, but it would be that charismatic cockiness that would cost him. Nakajima had the match won multiple times, either with the knock out punt, or hitting his Vertical Spike, but Nakajima just wanted to keep on beating down the unbreakable champ. The finish comes a little out of nowhere, but I can't say it was dissatisfying as Nakajima truly got what he deserved in the end, ****1/2.

[Richeyedwards]

@Makai Club #1 said that they could write an essay on why they think this was great, I didn't mean to but ended up writing one on why I thought it was not so great.

Takeshi Sugiura c vs Katsuhiko Nakajima GHC Heavyweight title NOAH Jr League Korakuen hall 4/10/18

This was a match that took place on the 4^th of October, but I did not see until the morning of the 12^th October due to the way in which NOAH airs. I had deliberately muted a bunch of words and even people (Sorry Hisame) on twitter so I would not know the result going into the match. There was a lot of anticipation for me on this match. Sugiura’s run is by far the best in Japan right now and probably the world, his title matches are violent and visceral, if at times a little long (see vs Kitamiya). But it has had some really great matches in this reign chief of which would be the title match vs Go Shiozaki which is my favourite NOAH match in many years and in my top three for the year behind two matches from the AJPW CC finals show. There was a lot of hype on this match going in from me and from plenty of others and a general sense of not knowing who was going to win, it was also taking place in Korakuen maybe my favourite venue along with Budokan due to the incredible crowd noise you often get there. Nakajima has been on fire recently after becoming a total sleaze ball to antagonise his opponents often smiling at his opponents attempts to strike him. So, going into this match really excited and the most anticipated I have been for a match all year, probably more than for Marufuji vs Akiyama. So why was I left with the sense 10 mins in that it was not very good and even quite dull? This match in short was a crushing disappointment.

We start with the introductions and everything is fine, both guys get a good reception with plenty of streamers from the crowd of 1314, maybe 100 or so less than I was expecting but it was a workday so that is really quite good for NOAH. Then the bell rings and nothing happens for several straight minutes. Maybe it was my expectations going in that they would do a violent match filled with strikes and that them not doing what I wanted made me disappointed. What they did do was circle each other a bit eventually do a lock up and then an attempted dirty break before resetting. They went outside a bit to do some guardrail and chair spots before coming back in and doing a bit of working each other over. This whole section was dull. The continued going back and forth just doing stuff, feeling like they were killing time without urgency. This went on for 20 minutes. The match in total went 29:37 and for 2/3rds of its run time I was disinterested.

The finish stretch however was different, this was exactly what I had come to see, it starts with Nakajima starting to stiff the fuck out of Sugiura with elbows and kicks and for the clear majority of the finish stretch it is all Nakajima which is great. He does several kicks to a seated Sugiura followed by a horrific punt kick which is sold amazingly by Sugiura, his selling throughout this finish is perfect. Nakajima taunts a bit hits a vertical spike that gets an incredibly close nearfall before going for another that Sugiura grasps his way out of before Nakajima goes for another punt kick to finish the match/kill Sugiura. Sugiura grabs it transitions into an ankle hold and Nakajima taps out. These final few minutes were truly outstanding wrestling. The offence was murderous, the wounded lion selling brilliant I loved this whole section that lasted around 5 mins (the match was nearly 30 mins but had around 5 clipped on the version I saw).

The problem I Have with this match is as I have made obvious the first 20 or minutes of it, that section of the match is so bad to me because of what it reminded me of straight away. It was an Okada title match. Kazuchika Okada is to me a lazy boring wrestler with a set formula that is dreadful. He starts slow and proceeds to meander around for 20-35 minutes of time wasting, a bit a brawling on the outside here, a bit of limb work to kill time there (that is never sold once it is transitioned out of). All before a long finish stretch of dancing around and not selling any of the previous 25+ minutes of wrestling. It is not clever or telling a great story or being tactical, it is long and boring just for the sake of being long because that makes every match “epic”. The start and main body of this match felt like an Okada world title formula match. Now it was better than the majority of his matches because it had 1. Good offense throughout, something Okada has none of outside of his shotgun dropkick and 2. A great finish stretch. It was a better match than an Okada title match it was also much shorter at only 29:37 (that is ridiculous to write but Okada title matches now must go at least 35). But that does not defeat the point that it felt like one of his matches for a large part of it. An outstanding finish stretch does not forgive a poor start and middle.

Maybe if I was not hyped going into this match then I probably would have not been this negative, it was the anticipation for this match that let it down for me. It was still good and there was stuff to like, I know some people will love this but for me it will end up being a very disappointing *** on the strength of the finish alone, but in my mind,  I know they have a ****1/2 in them.

[Jmare007]

STRIGGA has this match running 29 minutes on the results sections at Purolove, but the link I came upon on had it at 22 minutes or so. I saw a few noticeable edits at the beginning, but it didn't seem it was THAT long, 7 minutes feels like a lot of stuff left off to appreciate the match more.

But anyways, onto the match. I too have been away from NOAH for a long ass time but after watching Nakajima's new gimmick and demeanor at the last Kobashi produced show, I had to see this match against Sugi, who I've always loved. This was dope as hell to watch. There's two halfs, the first one with Nakajima working as the sleamy heel and tricking the champ at every step, LOVED how the only way for Sugi to get on top was him doing a misdirection move that Nak couldn't see coming and counter. Once Sugiura gets on top he fucking lays a beating on Nakajima, to the point Korakuen went from booing the guy to cheering him on. Then we get a distraction spot so Katsuhiko can use a foreign object and regain control. From then on Nakajima unleashes a demonic ass kicking, similar to the one Shibata gave Okada last year. Dear lord at the kicks Sugi eat in this match. The final comeback and finishing sequence were fine but it kinda lacked the drama it seemed this was going for. Still, I thought the ending was suitable considering the story and match they had, it was the only way Sugi could've won.