2016 Yes/no NOAH/Dragon Gate/DDT/WRESTLE-1 & associated companies

[GOTNW]

NOAH nominations:

Minoru Suzuki vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (2/24) || 3 yes || 0 no ||  = 3

 

Dragon Gate nominations:

 

DDT & friends nominations:

Isami Kodaka vs. Konosuke Takeshita (DDT 1/3) || 4 yes || 0 no ||  = 4

Ryota Nakatsu vs. Ikuto Hidaka (BASARA 1/21) || 1 yes || 1 no ||  = 0

Isami Kodaka vs. Masa Takanashi (DDT, 1/31) || 1 yes || 1 no ||  = 0

HARASHIMA vs Shigehiro Irie (DDT 2/28)  || 1 yes || 0 no ||  = 1

HARASHIMA vs. Kazusada Higuchi (DDT, 4/24) || 1 yes || 0 no ||  = 1

Shuji Ishikawa vs. Shigehiro Irie (DDT, 6/26) || 1 yes || 0 no ||  = 1

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yuko Miyamoto (DDT, 7/3) || 1 yes || 0 no ||  = 1

WRESTLE-1 nominations:

Minoru Tanaka vs. Yuji Hino (Wrestle-1 2/10) || 1 yes || 0 no ||  = 1

Yuji Hino vs. KAI (Wrestle-1 5/4) || 1 yes || 0 no ||  = 1

[The Z]

I nominate Isami Kodaka vs. Konosuke Takeshita, DDT 1/3/2016. Just a super fun match. I posted it here.

[maciej]

Hell yes to Kodaka/Takeshita. The strong up-and-comer vs. scarred up vet dynamic is nice, the arm-submission struggle at the end and Takeshita's selling on offense do a good enough job of making the arm stuff integrated into the match, and the work itself is solid. This is probably my favorite match I've seen out of Japan so far this year.

[Superkicks All Day Long]

Kodaka vs. Takeshita - 1/3 - YES

 

Normally, I don't care for Isami Kodaka but I liked the sort of scrappy role he played here against the physically stronger Takeshita, relying more on his trap-style submissions than trying to go blow-for-blow. Takeshita looked really good here and his offense looked powerful, with Kodaka's sells helping out. Probably in Top 5 so far this year. 

[Superkicks All Day Long]

NOMINATION - Ryota Nakatsu vs. Ikuto Hidaka (BASARA, 1/21)

 

Loved the underdog story and nuances here. A respectful Ryota holding back with his early strikes and Hidaka encouraging the fire. Hidaka sunk his teeth into Ryota's leg and Ryota sold the desperation. I enjoyed the figure-four sequence and Ryota clinging to Hidaka to prevent the Shawn Capture. When Nakatsu finally put some heat behind his strikes, the match lit up. The roll-through Fujiwara armbar was a nice spot and that finishing stretch was believable and spirited. Can't wait to see a rematch between these two in a couple months. I really enjoyed this. 

[GOTNW]

Isami Kodaka vs. Konosuke Takeshita (DDT 1/3)-YES
Really enjoyed it, doubt it will a serious MOTYC by the end of the year or anything like that and the opening matwork and strike exchanges could've been better but once they went went into a higher gear it become loads of fun. I found the addition of RINGS and Battlarts tribute spots to the indy style highly amusing.

Ryota Nakatsu vs. Ikuto Hidaka (BASARA 1/21)-NO
Firstly-credit where credit is due-the commentator said Nakatsu's style is Data Pro Wrestling which was an amazing Prince Of Tennis reference. I like Ikuto Hidaka but he isn't one for rookie punishment matches. I enjoyed this when they started doing Battlarts Junior wrestling but the first half was inconsequential, uninspiring and unnecessary.
 

[Superkicks All Day Long]

Nominating: Minoru Suzuki vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH, 2/24)

 

Easy MOTYC. Awesome performances from both men. Tons of drama, tons of arm brutality, Minoru being the best heel in the world, and Nakajima fighting and suffering to get the feel good moment of the year.

[GOTNW]

Minoru Suzuki vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH, 2/24)-YES

 

LOVED THIS. So much great stuff in this one. Early on MiSu goes for a fake clean break and just as he is about to chest slap Nakajima he reverses the position and clean breaks Suzuki. That really set the tone for this match of Nakajima being too old for Suzuki's shit. Suzuki selling Nakajima as a threat by recuperating fit perfectly into this and him fixing his hair was awesome. I've come to really dislike Suzuki's Rope Hung Armbar because of its contrived set up but luckily here the set up was modified and it came off much better. Nakajima continuing to hit Suzuki with his injured arm even when it was obvious it was causing almost no damage and actually hurting him more than Suzuki is the kind of thing that may seem idiotic it first but worked and really added to the match for me because it is exactly the kind of mentality I'd expect to see from a japanese fighter/superhero/wrestler/whatever, and to his credit Nakajima sold really well.

[maciej]

Minoru Suzuki vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (NOAH, 2/24) - YES

There was something about the finish that seemed a little out of nowhere (and not in a great way), but I still loved this a lot and agree that it was the perfect way to use those rope submissions. Love love love Suzuki here, and Nakajima more than held up his end of the bargain.

 

I'm also going to nominate Isami Kodaka vs. Masa Tanahashi from DDT, 1/31. Kodaka, not the largest wrestler in the world, is wrestling in the mode of "get off of me you little shit! Stop trying to climb on to me! I said let go!" for large parts of this match and I found it really fun to watch. Tanahashi is eminently likable, and there's a decent amount of struggle for a lot of the stuff they do here, which I always like to see.

[Superkicks All Day Long]

Isami Kodaka vs. Masa Tanahashi (DDT, 1/31/16) - NO

 

Match felt really clunky and long-winded. The leg vs. neck work was decent for the most part, and Isami was good here. I liked the failed German suplex hold. But the match dragged from a few awkward and slow set-ups with not a lot of payoff. Masa is good at selling vocally but doesn't really follow through physically. Wasn't bad or anything. Just not great. 

[GOTNW]

Nominating:

HARASHIMA vs Shigehiro Irie (DDT 2/28)

Neat match that was really made by the surprisingly good selling. Irie has some good power spots, and him punching through HARASHIMA's guard and annihilating him with THE POUNCE sounds great in a vacuum but the way HARASHIMA just throws himself with crazy bumps really adds to them. They do some crowd brawling early on but they throw good strikes and it is more them slamming each other into the barricade and the apron then one wrestler "dragging" the other halfway across the arena to get him back into the ring which looks more like they're holding hands than actual dragging. HARASHIMA responds to Irie's power offence wih vicious knee strikes and stomps. Finishing stretch is a little too nearfall heavy but it was very exciting and fun. HARASHIMA slipping through Irie's attempted Fire Thunder Driver was an amazing spot and they executed "will he or will he not fall down" selling about as good as they could've.

[Charlie M.]

Does Wrestle-1 stuff go in here?

Nominating:

Minoru Tanaka vs. Yuji Hino (Wrestle-1 2/10)

This match had some amazing storytelling with Hino being pushed as the new dominant monster champion against the much smaller veteran challenger. Minoru scrapped a lot of his trademark offense and spots in favor of getting the hell chopped out of him by Hino. In return, Minoru really lays in his kicks and attacks Hino's leg as his one way to beat this monster. There's one of my favorite spots of the year where Hino swats away some of Tanaka's kicks and kills him dead with a lariat.

Yuji Hino vs. KAI (Wrestle-1 5/4)

This might be a little bit of a stretch but I knew the result going in and I didn't like it so I was prepared to not like the match. And yet I had a blast watching it. They had some great psychology leading to Hino hitting his first big chop of the match. From there they worked it like a big title match that it was. They really suckered me into the drama at the end.

[maciej]

Nominating:

HARASHIMA vs. Kazusada Higuchi (DDT, 4/24)

This is probably a top 10 Japan match for me so far this year and my fav Harashima match so far (though I don't like it as much as the first two Kodaka defenses), so why not. There are a few things here that fall just on the right side of the line between annoying no-selling and getting Higuchi over as a big guy that's gonna be hard for HARASHIMA to hurt. I especially liked the spots built around the fight for the Canadian Backbreaker, especially the one that ends with the power bomb. 

[Fatjohnny]

Yes to Go Shiozaki vs Takasi Sugiura from NOAH 5/28/2016. This match is so stiff and the heat between the two wrestlers come through the screen. Great high spots and I felt like they had the crowd on the edge of there seats the whole match.

[Superkicks All Day Long]

Nominating:

Shuji Ishikawa vs. Shigehiro Irie (DDT, 6/26)

Exactly what I wanted from an Ishikawa/Irie encounter. The build to the katahajime and the story that follows after Irie finally gets it locked in is great. Fun midsection work from Ishikawa supported by some great facials and selling from Irie. At one point, Ishikawa just lifts him up by his leg and boots him int he gut. And they hit each other hard. This match would feel right at home in BJW. The exhaustion of the finishing stretch played out so well. Easily one of my favorite DDT matches of the year.

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Yuko Miyamoto (DDT, 7/3)

Takeshita's strongest performance of the year. Although you don't have a strong sense Miyamoto is winning this thing, he sure gives Takeshita hell, smartly working the leg in a crisp and effective manner. I especially loved his elbow drop to the back of the knee. Takeshita did a good job of keeping the submission work relevant. His offense looked really impressive, and I thought the final elbow battle was a lot of fun, where he half mad dogs/half collapses into Miyamoto's strikes before letting loose with a barrage of angry elbows. Good stuff!