[2001-09-16-NJPW] Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai

[Superstar Sleeze]

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojim vs Toshiaki Kawada & Mitsuya Nagai - NJPW 9/16/01

Last legs of New Japan vs All Japan feud which started a year prior. Kawada dumped Fuchi for Nagai as his partner in 2001 which would lead to the unreal RWTL finals. This is neither the 12/11/00 classic or the 2001 RWTL Finals. This is surprisingly boring and I say surprisingly as I like 3/4ths guys a lot and just havent seen much of Nagai.

TenCozy who is on their last legs as a tag team jump the All Japan boys before the bell but that doesn’t really lead to much. The first seven or so minutes not much happens honestly. Tenzan misses a top rope diving Headbutt and sells like he has been KO’d by Stan Hansen’s lariat. It was really 0 to 60 oversell that didn’t even realize was happening when all of sudden Nagai doing one foot covers and Tenzan was collapsing on whips like he was Kawada. I was like lol what? Kojima screams “TENZAN~!” At the top of his lungs for like ten minutes. Seems like a little much. Kawada/Nagai’s heat segment wasn’t all that interesting outside one Dangerous Backdrop Driver. Kawada goes for the Powerbomb Tenzan counters and we get a decent hot tag from Kojima. Finger gun elbow. Powerbomb. They trade attacking each others Lariat Arm and Kawada gets the better with a Stretch Plum. Kojima gets the better of Nagai with an Ace Crusher. Tenzan gets his hot tag. The Kawada/Nagai near fall is a big boot into a German. After Kojima blasts Kawada with a lariat, Tenzan hits a Tenzan Driver and a Tenzansault to win.

It was a pretty dull match and not something I will remember next week.