[2005-07-26-AJPW] Satoshi Kojima vs Keiji Mutoh

[Superstar Sleeze]

All Japan Triple Crown Champion Satoshi Kojima vs Keiji Mutoh - AJPW 7/26/05

After a brief inter promotional interlude feuding with IWGP Champion Tenzan, Kojima is back in All Japan. This is pretty much the biggest match All Japan can offer at this point and they couldn’t get over 10k. They were getting 10k + a couple times in 2004 including a sellout at the Budokan with Kawada vs Hashimoto on top. Sasaki is seemingly the replacement for Tenryu and Hashimoto. Kojima going through Kawada, Mutoh (2x because of Great Muta) and Sasaki is a great row of challengers to give him credibility but it was too late. I remember Kojima being more over at the beginning of the year. All Japan overperformed both business wise and quality wise from the split through 2004 but the 2005 Kojima reign is when the descent to a distant third became inescapable. I don’t think it is really his fault. 

I have a soft spot for Kojima he looks like a cool soccer mom ready to break out into the Numa Numa dance and basically wrestles as a Greatest Hits of 90s Puroresu wrestler. I have a love-hate relationship with Mutoh but I usually give him the benefit of the doubt. 
 

Mutoh starts off explosive with a dropkick and the back handspring elbow. Kojima powders. The story I imagine is the old timer wants to end the match early as the longer it goes the more it benefits the youthful Kojima. But they end up grinding the match into the normal New Japan opening matwork. It takes a wild for the match to get going. Kojima is nominally in control after Shining Wizard causes Mutoh to powder but Mutoh does come back with his Power Driver Elbow. Overall Kojima gets more offense in this stretch. 
 

The match really kicks into high gear in a big way on the apron which is a good call back to all those All Japan matches where the apron spot was the turning point. Kojima goes for his Ace Crusher off the apron but instead Mutoh BLASTS him with a Shining Wizard. Then Mutoh BLASTS him with another one against the railing which Mutoh lunges so hard that he ends up busting himself open. He is bleeding from the back of the head.

I am a sucker for post-2001 Mutoh and when he hits the Dragon Leg Screws in teh ropes and off the apron, I was lapping it up. Kojima was selling his ass off. Loved the STF and the Figure-4. I thought they were heading to 4+ territory but the wheels fell off. Mutoh goes for the backbreaker + moonsault combo BUT Kojima gets up and lariats him. I wish Mutoh missed his moonsault to set up the comeback instead Kojima blows off the knee work and starts doing his finish stretch. Of course the Ace Crusher and a Brainbuster. I do love Kojima’s commit to the Lariat and he throws a good one. It becomes a battle of the Latin versus Shining Wizard. Mutoh does throw in a Moonsault for good measure. The last minute of Lariat vs Shining Wizard is pretty fun. I dug this. Falls short of **** but still an entertaining main event style match. *** 3/4