[2002-04-10-AJPW] Keiji Muto vs. Satoshi Kojima

[Ma Stump Puller]

For a year where AJPW was mostly in the pits, this was a surprisingly really good match....and it only needed 15 minutes. Starts with both men feeling each other out on the mat, with Muto eventually able to get a good hold of Kojima's leg and works it for a bit until he smartly reverses it into his own hold; this causes Muto to quickly get to the ropes with him laying down uneasy while Kojima gets right back up in the middle of the ring, super confident. Good starting spot that establishes how Kojima's prior experience with Muto gives him a edge. Both men explode into their signature spots, Muto going for a early Wizard that's blocked, Kojima going for a lariat that's blocked, which ends with both of them troubled by how well the other has defended themselves: Kojima calling Muto a bastard for even daring to sneak a win early is a great spot but it also showcases that Muto's leg-targeting gameplan despite being dominant against nearly everyone else in the Carnival wasn't going to fly here.

Kojima is the one instead to work over Muto's legs: he spends a good portion here wearing them down so he can then just blast him away with stiff chops and strikes. Muto in turn opts for Kojima's lariat arm instead, which I thought was a lot more explosive than you'd think: despite the usual key locks and cross armbreakers we also get Muto just wrecking the arm with endless kneeling dropkicks. What I do like is how both guys sell fatigue here: Kojima obviously has his dramatic selling for the arm and whatnot where he's screaming and falling over but Muto has a more subdued style of selling where he's clearly not comfortable and having to pull out big risky moves to even the score before Kojima can run him over again. It's Misawa-lite almost how he doesn't go crazy with the emoting, but you can clearly tell he's hurting. That's the story of the match, and it plays out in the usual formula of the time as the two pursue their respective limbs while also getting in bombs whenever possible. There's a good pace here as both men take turns doing that exact thing while not stretching things out too much.

Kojima mounts one final comeback using a Koji Cutter and Michinoku Driver for a 2. 9. He hits a proper Lariat at last but the arm work allows Muto to take the dampened impact just fine and answer with a Wizard. The finish is amazingly innovative as Muto smartly uses a modified Franksteiner to roll into a cross armbreaker mid-lariat attempt, getting the tap out victory. This is easily Muto's best match in the Carnival barring the Tenryu bout: intense, psychologically driven warfare between two guys who have each other's number by this point. The crowd was totally into this one and were massively behind Kojima to take it who played to this well with his babyface selling of Muto's offence; some could say it's a bit too exaggerated at points, but I think Kojima has a charm that allows him to get away with stuff like that. Muto really went into next gear here in getting over Kojima as his most dangerous threat yet as he needed to pull out everything to get over and even then he barely got the win. The shortened pace meant that both men cut the filler for more hard-hitting action, which was definitely the right choice given the conditions. Easy to watch but lots of fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Superstar Sleeze]

Keiji Mutoh vs Satoshi Kojima - AJPW 4/10/02

I am so annoyed with this match. I love formula because once it has been established any deviation generates thrill im the viewer. I have watched damn near every major Mutoh match from 2001-2002 so finding a match where he uses his dropkicks to the knee & a dragon leg screw to se up ARM work makes me go from 6 to midnight. When Kojima went down to one knee, I was like a bit early for the Shining Wizard. He dropkicked the Arm and stayed on the arm with dropkicks. Oh he dragon leg screw, back to Figure-4, NOPE Top Wristlock in the Side Mount and sold like a submission. It was so awesome but every other aspect of this match he did the lamest thing possible. 
 

I want to like Kojima so bad but he is just so mediocre. The only thing I thought this match did better than their 2001 bout was teasing the finishers early with a blocked Shining Wizard and blocked lariat. The New Japan chain wrestling to open was fine. Kojima’s control segment was pedestrian. He kinda sorta went after the knee. He kinda sorta also just chopped Mutoh. He ran through some of his customary early offense the somersault and finger gun Elbow drop. The 2001 he was really throwing Mutoh tactics back in his face. He hits a Powerbomb. Mutoh just gets up and dropkicks his knee. Lame. Your turn is over. Now it is my turn. Lame. Lame. Lame. That turns into the most interesting portion of the match as I covered above. The only thing I want to add to Mutoh control segment that I thought was cool was how Kojima blocked Shining Wizard attempt which hurt his arm and then on the Lariat attempt Mutoh easily repelled it and it hurt Kojima’s Arm more. That was sick. 
 

Mutoh works a cross Armbreaker as his capper out of his top rope Frankensteiner. It was tasteful; appropriate Selling be close enough to the ropes that it didn’t feel cheap. What did feel cheap was Kojima just hitting an Ace Crusher. Your turn is over. Now it is my turn. Lame. Lame. Lame. Lariat! Shining Wizard! A tribute to 90s All Japan. What puts the match in my good graces enough to call it good is that Mutoh uses a Flying Armbar to finish Kojima with a cross Armbreaker to pay off the arm work. So I’ll go *** 1/4 but it could have been so much more!