Last year’s Summer Struggle took place during EVIL’s reign of terror and a pandemic, but this year the struggle persists. New Japan put so much emphasis on Switchblade and Ospreay that even when they are missing, it still feels like they’re around. Cherry pick the good stuff and there is fun to be had, but that “excitement” thing is still misisng.
Here we hit Sapporo on 7/10 and 7/11, Osaka on 7/22 and 7/23, Nagoya on 7/24, and Tokyo on 8/1 at Korakuen Hall.
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: El Desperado [c] vs. Taiji Ishimori (7/10/21)
Taiji Ishimori’s side ponytail is extra long and his collar-and-elbow tie-up is extra tight. The match? Just fine. There is creative limb work and neat counters and a few quality near falls, but it never escapes being a mid-range title match. Ishimori works the arm, Despy works the leg, and a Bloody Cross from Ishimori on the guardrail is especially cool. Despy sells like a pro and everything is rock solid but it is just that. ***
2. Shingo Takagi vs. Master Wato (7/11/21)
It really sucks how Just Fine this match is considering it was probably Wato’s best shot at a good match, but it’s fun seeing Shingo add little touches to flesh out a pretty basic karate master David vs match. The Champ absorbs some crisp though non-threatening kicks and chops throughout the match and takes great glee in knocking Wato down any time he finds momentum.
For some reason Wato tries a powerbomb towards the end, which does not end well — though he’s able to hit a TTD and the blue-haired wonder even kicks out of a Pumping Bomber before the inevitable. ***
3. IWGP Tag Team Title: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. [c] vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA (7/11/21)
This is a nearly 40-minute match and not once does it feel like it should be. There’s more value to it than a Guerillas of Destiny or Good Brothers match, but any flurry of quality takedowns or counters is complicated by the fact that they just stretch this out. All four of these guys can go big on a finish and they do, but someone really shoulda gone for a kill in the 30+ minutes before it. ***
4. SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (7/22/21)
SANADA and ZSJ are a pair that just gets each other. You might want more urgency here and there but they are confident in what they can do and it’s unlike anything in New Japan even if they’re just doing common stuff: wristlocks, takeovers, headcissors, armdrags… it all just hits different. The precision with which one thing leads to another as they grapple for control is genuinely impressive, like watching a soccer ball ping from player to player setting up a play.
The finish comes down to a standard cradle exchange but the combo used to end it is incredible, a move that freaks SANADA out so much he can’t help but inside cradle ZSJ after the bell in response. ***3/4
5. Tetsuya Naito vs. Taichi (7/22/21)
These are two guys who like to have fun! They are messing and fooling and brawling and kicking, then when it’s time to go home it is half epic and half ridiculous. Taichi does an effective job getting cockier as the match goes on while old man babyface Naito can sell, sell, sell. Plus there’s a tilt-a-whirl Canadian Destroyer in there somewhere. ***1/4
6. SANADA vs. Taichi (7/23/21)
The first five minutes of this match is a posedown by SANADA and Taichi and I’ve got to ask: is now the time for pec flexing, boys? In this economy? The genuine judging job on commentary by Yoshinobu Kanemaru and the crowd’s sincere applause makes me say: yeah, probably.
They eventually move from pecs to Paradise Locks, then start just launching strikes at each orher which feels like a much more distinguished use of time. ***1/2
7. Tetsuya Naito vs. Zack Sabre Jr. (7/23/21)
Naito and ZSJ is a pairing that might not seem like it would work but it has worked basically every time it has happened. Each guy uses their shtick to carry the usual build-up beyond the norm: Naito messes around and ZSJ gets pissed; ZSJ asks Naito who’s tranquilo while on offense and Naito says “Zack. Zack. Come on” while on his.
These two wrestle like they are actually trying to wear each other down, which creates the opportunity for Naito to do something different beyond the usual bunches of signature moves and insanity. After a few matches lacking urgency, they developed this into a situation where someone may have had to kill somebody to win. Very good match. ***3/4
8. Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL (7/24/21)
Long live Tomohiro Ishii, who uses all his Tomohiro Ishii-ness to have the best EVIL match in a good while. Eventually it winds up in a place where you are spending more time than you want with EVIL on the attack, but it’s still way cooler than the usual EVIL slog.
Ishii adapts to the game, attacking before the bell and using the guardrail which creates two awesome moments: EVIL’s Bret Hart chest bump into the rail and the crowd responding to Ishii chucking a loose rail at EVIL with their pandemic applause.
Ishii makes sure there are callbacks and twists here and there, even if it falls into the usual generic traps a New Japan match can sometimes (most times). All the stars for countering EVIL’s referee suplex spot by kicking the referee away though. ***1/4
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA (7/24/21)
The big deal here is the retired Katsuyori Shibata getting into the ring towards the end of the match to even the odds against… KENTA’s briefcase, I guess, and all the moment gets is the same pandemic applause Ishii dropping a guardrail piece on EVIL did.
There’s a good match in here, Tanahashi selling enough and pacing his comeback smartly. It just gets wacky and ends up just feeling like the moderately acceptable match you’d expect from these two dads during the summer. ***
10. Kazuchika Okada vs. Yuya Uemura (8/1/21)
This was Uemura’s farewell match before an excursion to somewhere or another, and it may not knock your socks off but it’s pretty good. Okada sells for him but mostly just looks bored, and I’m into it: Okada vs. young lions is now the best Okada. Uemura gets in his moments like a dropkick and over-confident slap to Okada’s chest, but he tries to do a half-hatch suplex one too many times and gets wrecked. **3/4
11. Tetsuya Naito vs. Yota Tsuji (8/1/21)
Like his fellow soon-to-travel pal Uemura, Tsuji shows all the balls early. He’s shoulder tackling, tossing Naito outside, dropkicking… giving it his all! Naito works the back and Tsuji eventually humbly accepts his elevated crab hold defeat. **1/2
12. NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Title: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI [c] vs. Minoru Suzuki, Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (8/1/21)
This isn’t much different than any others and Suzuki’s involvement is limited to the beginning and end, but Ishii does good work with everyone and Taichi brings an extra sauce to all the multi-guy exchanges. YOSHI doing a superkick to get Goto out of trouble has quietly become one of the best spots in wrestling and towards the end Goto headbutts Suzuki’s fist. That’s got to count for something. ***1/4
Happy Thoughts: This is good if you like Naito and SANADA, but it’s not really their best work either. New Japan’s weird summer rolls on. 2.5 / 5.0
