Didn't see a thread and I was wondering if anyone was watching it? Might be the best promotion in Japan right now

DEAN is always posting NOAH matches in the 2020 thread. I'll watch if something catches my eye (especially anything involving Fujita who seems to have gained a second life as a total cock of a heel) but I tend to skip ahead because of the opening matwork that never goes anywhere. 

I just posted about watching N-1 Victory in the general thread.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's better than New Japan, but it's great!

For the last few years, as with most people I assume, the only Japanese promotion I've watched regularly was NJPW, every other promotion I've only checked out sporadically with a show here and there. But if NOAH is always as good as this, I definitely will follow regularly again. I even want to check out that super-long Fujita/Shiozaki match, that people have been plugging.

They became more interesting again increasingly in ring and booking and roster wise these last two years. 
 

If anybody ends up with links to new Sugiura-gun matches (that is the name of the stable, right? With the corgi shirt?) could you post them here or in the 2020 matches thread please? Thanks. Also anything with Nakajima being a dick to people.

Edited September 27, 20206 yr by Curt McGirt

Whats left

Block A: Go Shiozaki vs. Kaito Kiyomiya
Block A: Masaaki Mochizuki  vs. Masa Kitamiya
Block A: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Manabu Soya

 Block B: Naomichi Marufuji vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima
 Block B: Takashi Sugiura vs. Kenoh
 Block B: Shuhei Taniguchi vs. Yoshiki Inamura

On 9/26/2020 at 8:27 PM, Curt McGirt said:

DEAN is always posting NOAH matches in the 2020 thread. I'll watch if something catches my eye (especially anything involving Fujita who seems to have gained a second life as a total cock of a heel) but I tend to skip ahead because of the opening matwork that never goes anywhere. 

Thanks for the heads up.

On 9/27/2020 at 10:30 PM, The Z said:

I just posted about watching N-1 Victory in the general thread.

 

 

On 9/28/2020 at 4:18 AM, Curt McGirt said:

 Also anything with Nakajima being a dick to people.

I had the opportunity to watch the afternoon show from the 23rd and I really enjoyed it a lot. In particular, I thought that Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Shuhei Taniguchi was a flat-out great pro wrestling match. Nakajima was such a nasty violent prick, but Taniguchi just kept gutting it out... it wasn't until the announcers said something about "Maybach" that I even realised who Tanaguchi is. Damn, that dude has come a long way since last I saw him!

I went back to look at Z's post, and was pleased to see that he recommended that match too.

I also got a huge kick out of seeing my old Osaka Pro buddies Harada and Kotoge in the six-man opener, though I'm not sure how I feel about Kotoge's new biker gimmick. 

I have to say, I didn't really notice a lot of "early mat work leading nowhere" on this show.

The worst thing about it, for me, was that I simply cannot buy into Kenoh as an unstoppable killing machine. There's a whole trend in Japanese pop culture of weenie and/or effeminate pretty boy being portrayed that way. It can work OK in pro wrestling (like, for example, with Ibushi right now). And I can easily buy into smaller or less powerful-looking guys beating big monsters if it's worked well... but ... I understand Kenoh is way above  Yoshiki Inamura in the pecking order, but the young guy easily has 50 or 60 pounds on him. Kenoh just laughing off Inamura's offense then knocking him unconscious absolutely did not work for me. 

I'm hoping I'll get the chance to watch more NOAH and AJPW this year... but I barely have time to keep up with New Japan and AEW...

 

Edited October 2, 20206 yr by gordi

I've enjoyed most of KENOH's work as a NOAH main eventer, but yeah he'd probably work best bullying and being the perpetual heel ace of a junior division--only NOAH hasn't ever had much strength or focus, there. (Since KENTA and Marafuji, anyway.) Of course, this is exemplary of a modern trend in wresting. Size and style aside, if a wrestler is good enough, people want to see them as a heavyweight, because heavyweight has become shorthand for uppercard.

Edited October 3, 20206 yr by Beech27

We will find out later what the final is. 

 

On 10/2/2020 at 8:16 AM, gordi said:

I had the opportunity to watch the afternoon show from the 23rd and I really enjoyed it a lot. In particular, I thought that Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Shuhei Taniguchi was a flat-out great pro wrestling match. Nakajima was such a nasty violent prick, but Taniguchi just kept gutting it out... it wasn't until the announcers said something about "Maybach" that I even realised who Tanaguchi is. Damn, that dude has come a long way since last I saw him!

I went back to look at Z's post, and was pleased to see that he recommended that match too.

That was honestly probably my favorite tournament match, but I thought I might be alone in this. Really glad you enjoyed it as well!

Day 5 (9/26) was probably the most skippable show of the tournament so far, with only the main event (Shiozaki/Kitamiya) really worth watching.

All the big three matches in today's final tournament show (KENOH/Sugiura, Nakajima/Marufuji and Shiozaki/Kiyomiya) were really good again, but once again I would go with the Nakajima match as my favorite of the day.

Spoiler

Very happy Nakajima made it to the finals, I hope he takes the whole thing.

Can I also just say that I really enjoy this smaller tournament format with only six competitors per block. I love the G1 Climax, have watched all the shows so far and plan to watch all the remaining shows, but 19 tournament shows can be "a bit" overwhelming. If this one was 19 days as well, I don't think I would have checked it out at all.

Soon

 

Nakajima won the N1 Victory finals. So him vs Go on Nov 22 for the GHC.

Muto vs Maybach on Nov 22 too.

Wonder if we get Muto vs Go or Nakajima after for the GHC.

Edited October 11, 20205 yr by D.Z

New NOAH rookie Yasutaka Yano will debut. He seems to be around 5 foot 5, so he will obv be a junior. Marufuji said NOAH will eventually get a new tall rookie.

Edited October 12, 20205 yr by D.Z

N-1 Victory from 9/23/20 will be on Fight Network next Thursday, the 29th.

Moving this stuff over here. Don't want to clutter up the not from the now thread anymore with more NOAH.

Misawa vs Taue, GHC. 2007.

Misawa vs Marufuji, GHC. 2007.

 

Edited October 26, 20205 yr by D.Z

Misawa vs Samoa Joe GHC 2007.

Misawa vs Kenta in ROH 2007 GHC

 

Edited October 26, 20205 yr by D.Z

Misawa vs Morishima 2008 for the GHC. Noticed so far the GHC matches after the Kobashi reigin aren't so head droppy. Plus some of Misawa's finishes from later on aren't in some video games.

 

Morishima vs Rikio Ghc 2008.  Short with lots of strikes. 

 

I liked Morishima as champion, shame where he is at now. 

I thought Go Shiozaki's first reign had poor timing but I have always enjoyed his matches. 

Morishima vs Kensuke Sasaki for the GHC, 2008

Can't find the rest of the defenses Kensuke did but anyway :

Kensuke Sasaki vs Jun Akiyama GHC 2009

 

Edited October 27, 20205 yr by D.Z

Kaito vs Kenoh for the GHC national title. Inamura left Kongoh and is with Kaito now.

Several other big matches have been announced and Fujita is coming back again soon.

Actually really good line up. I'm thinking Nakajima is winning, Go has beaten most contenders and Nakajima is a great prick champion. Thinking Kenoh is losing to Kiyamiya but Sugiuria-Gun and Harada/Kotoge retain. 

Muto defeated Shuhei.

Kenoh is still GHC national champ and will face Sakuraba next.

Go Shiozaki defeated Nakajima (42 mins match ) and will face Sugiura next.
 

Green line around the ring