[2001-12-09-NOAH-Navigation In Raging Ocean, Night 14] Jun Akiyama vs Vader

[Superstar Sleeze]

GHC Heavyweight Champion Jun Akiyama vs Vader - NOAH 12/9/01

Not at the Budokan but a pretty big event at 12000 with a GHC Tag Title match on the undercard pitting No Fear against Misawa & Y. Ogawa. I believe this must be Vader’s last major title shot, he looked shaky to start but once he gained momentum he looked great. This is Akiyama’s second title defense and he would be looking at main eventing the New Japan Tokyo Dome show on January 4th against Yuji Nagata. 

Beginning saw Vader just stand & bang. Akiyama held his own but any time he tries to pick up the Mastodon he paid for it. He tried to go up top to utilize gravity to his advantage but ended up getting clobbered to the floor. Vader looked great down here big shots and dropping Akiyama abdomen first on the railing but Akiyama came back throwing Vader on a table and attacking his right arm with a chair. Going to the outside definitively kicked this match up. Akiyama Worked the arm. Vader hit a ridiculous German Suplex to turn the tide. He basically launched him without falling back it was insane. Great spot Akiyama elbows the injured arm to break the grip but his good arm Vader clubs him. Vader works Akiyama’s abdomen on the outside. Scorpio is coaching up Vader audibly yelling “work the stomach”. Vader obliges. Perhaps Vader would have anyways but this guaranteed sound psychology. He was burying the fists in the breadbasket. Wicked front Suplex. Great selling. Insane Saito Suplex. Vaderbomb had great heat. Vader looks to take him up for the Powerbomb but Akiyama DROPKICKs the knee. He goes full Mutoh; Dragon Leg Screw and a rope-assisted Shining Wizard. Exploder! Guillotine but can’t cinch it in and Vader clubs him to get out. Vader is going for the Vadersault but Akiyama POWERBOMBS Vader! Wow! Vader throes a desperation bear paws out. Wild Vader chokeslam! Akiyama kicks out at 2. Vader goes for a super chokeslam but Akiyama wriggles into a cross-armbreaker.Exploder no go OO-SOTO-GARI! Cross Armbreaker wins it!

Love Akiyama winning with something besides an Exploder or Guillotine Choke. Vader once he got rocking and rolling, looked like the killer grizzle bear he is. Loved him swinging bear paws to get out of trouble and set up his power offense. Vader still had it this late. Misawa and the boys have a formula that just works in how they accentuate their high spots and their transitions matter. ****

[MLB]

After remarking on Vader's steep decline in the vs. Mysterio thread, I decided to give this match a view.

@Superstar Sleeze did a great recap. I've lurked at pWo for a long time and always dug the write-ups, Sleeze. Vader looked better than his WWE exit would've suggested. The German Suplex is insane as advertised.  As noted, Vader appeared anxious walking out to the ring. This was his last world title shot and he knew it. Akiyama tested him at the start with the blistering slaps in the face off the collar and elbow. I wouldn't say the match picked up on the outside, Vader seemed blown up about 5 minutes into it. Vader tossed a chair from the crowd at Akiyama in frustration after getting slammed on a table, which Jun picks up and repeatedly rams into him directly in front of the ref, and then goes back in the ring to break the count. 

The match was exactly the right pace for Vader's remaining abilities, with Akiyama doing some arm work for rest to setup the Armbreaker finish on his back. Akiyama's strikes are always on point and he took some bombs from Vader. Akiyama just barely got him over on the Exploder.

Vader proved a lot here, and it was a more fitting note than the sour WWE one I had been left with previously. Vader went on to wrestle for another 16 years(!?) after this, in Japan and mainly Indies, which is wild to consider. A reminder to look closer at some of Vader's final years in NOAH, however this was probably his last singles match that went over 10 minutes.