I dig New Japan, I think their main events are among the finest things in wrestling, I think Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada are neck-and-neck for the greatest active wrestler in the world. But this undercard is DIRE.
1. Tomoaki Honma & Henare vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
You forget these guys are there sometimes. And honestly, I’m fine with it. The Honma bloom has fallen off, while Yujiro and Chase are two of the more nondescript guys collecting paychecks from New Japan. I like the idea of Henare, but I’m still waitng. This was a very… OK match. Nothing was bad, but they just kinda did some moves that had even Korakuen quiet. *1/4
2. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Title: Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Taichi Ishimori [c] vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Ryusuke Taguchi
Between Yano and Taguchi’s hijinks and Ishimori doing some stuff, this had the odd highlight or two but otherwise was bogged down by the nWo B-Team. The Guerillas of Destiny are the WOOOOOORST, and Jado, Yujiro and Chase getting involved didn’t help. This is just incompetent sports entertainment. **
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jay White, Bad Luck Fale & Gedo
I listened to Jay White on Talk is Jericho and he seemed cool so he is good now. Also, Okada appears to have emerged from his midlife crisis and is once again prepared to be THE ACE…
…aaaaaaand they’re brawling. And they’re basing the match around the returning YOSHI-HASHI, which God bless them Korakuen is into. But seriously, what’s the deal here? I’m trying to think of a comparable guy to YOSHI-HASHI in WWE or anywhere else really, a guy that the company keeps trying with despite it not really working… but he’s also in the midcard and they never ACTUALLY push him. I can’t think of it. He’s like an X-Pac who will smack himself in the face with nunchucks.
This match has a lot going for it considering Okada and Tanahashi are here, but damn if it isn’t hurt by all this black t-shirt business. T-shirt-wearing Fale is the least credible big fat guy wrestler in history, while an immobile Gedo in a black t-shirt and black jeans working over YOSHI-HASHI is not my idea of a fun night.
Okada’s hot tag run was fun and YOSHI even had a few moments, but the eventual Tanahashi/White showdown got zero heat. White’s performed admirably but still feels like a lightweight at the top of the card, and just does not feel like the right guy to be front and center when this company needs a serious kick in the ass.
I’m grumpy, man. There’s not much of an excuse for this post-Dome show to be so light. Yikes. **3/4
