TAKA Michinoku had his first pro wrestling match 30 years ago in September after training with Great Sasuke and Gran Hamada. Taichi Ishikari had his 20 years ago this month after training with Toshiaki Kawada and Hiroshi Hase. Put it together and you get 50 years of experience continuing an incredible lineage of wrestling styles; plus this clever, cute, just adorable little gag of a show title.
The TAKATaichi 2 Gether 50th Anniversary Show aired from Korakuen Hall as a PPV on New Japan World. TAKA and Taichi each had a singles match in the double main event, while their colleagues and friends from NJPW, AJPW, AEW, DDT, Freedoms, Prominence and other sources of wrestling curiosity rounded out the undercard.
1. Yoshitatsu, Ryuuya Takekura, Ibuki & Genta Yubari vs. Ren Ayabe, Eagle Mask, Fire Katsumi & Jumonji Akira
Everyone in this match was a 20-something JTO/TAKA trainee except for Yoshitatsu, who 20 years ago had just started wrestling in New Japan and sort of still wrestles in All Japan. Ayabe wrestles there sometimes too; he’s a tall guy who reminded me of Akira Taue (as if I don’t think about Akira Taue every day). Here they were throwing boots and chops and a Black hole slam – with spirit. Eagle flew with a headscissors early then an Orihara moonsault later, while Katsumi impressed with a big springboard plancha. Ibuki attempted some kind of Superman Overhand Chop and bless him for trying, too. He survived a couple crab holds before Katsumi pulled his arms back too and got the win. ***
2. Yuu Yamagata, Sumika Yamagata & Misa Kagura vs. Aoi, rhythm & HisokA
This was a match of JTO rookies like the opener, with the exception of Yuu Yamagata who has been around since the Kaientai Dojo (I’m not getting into it here). The wrestling action was breezy; it also didn’t fall victim every couple minutes to something sloppy like a similar offer at the previous JTO PPV). Maybe HisokA’s elbows were a little tentative; her Lucha armdrag and headscissors were all confidence. Nice series of moves and near falls for the finish too, highlighted by a nasty Codebreaker and a… crossbody backslide? ***
3. Tomoka Inaba vs. Suzu Suzuki
Suzuki got her start in Ice Ribbon and Inaba is another TAKA trainee, currently reigning as Queen of JTO Champion. Both are just 20-years old and in the last year delivered some standout freelance work in Stardom, the big dog in women’s pro wrestling. What was good on paper delivered in the ring too, each with something to prove beyond their youth and maintaining a commitment to getting that across bell-to-bell. Kicks, body shots, mounted punches, and running knees were all provided; it took just a minute for the intensity to kick and once it did they refused to let it waiver, only… intensify. ***3/4
4. Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI vs. Jun Kasai & Tomoaki Honma
Kasai and Honma have an interesting history, gaining cult status in the late-90s when tape trading became easier and many impressionable Western eyes were opened to Big Japan’s young guns: Kasai, Honma, Ryuji Yamakawa, even Abdullah Kobayashi… these were the names doing the unthinkable and having death matches that didn’t just rely on brawling and the shock value of violence; they were dramatic and intelligently paced and sometimes – usually Honma and Yamakawa – they felt like they could’ve blown the roof off Budokan Hall. Kasai’s stuck and embraced legend status in the Death Match Scene while Honma managed to make a comfortable lifestyle for himself on the New Japan undercard.
Suzuki split up Suzuki-gun at last week’s New Japan show but is still hanging with DOUKI and still motivated to perform: he sold for Honma like an equal, for Kasai like a legend; he was bleeding 60 seconds in and terrorized Milano Collection AT into a high-pitched scream on commentary… I don’t know if it was the fresh environment or audible crowd but MiSu came to perform.
After getting stabbed with a fork in the forehead he took a breather on the ropes, tongue out and chuckling. After Honma threw the wrong strike, bloody Suzuki rose and stared him down before throwing elbows. After he was disrespected with a Tower of Doom spot and double pinfall, Suzuki (still bloody) roared back with chops and elbows and headbutts. And after tried an Emerald Flowsion on the floor, Suzuki headbutted him into a bloody heap and choked him out to win. This was great wrestling just on imagery alone. ***3/4
5. No DQ Match: Lance Archer & El Desperado vs. Daisuke Sasaki & MJ Paul
This was wrestlers from what used to be Suzuki-Gun vs. wrestlers from DDT, and while it lacked the drama or visuals of the last two matches it was still pretty fun. Sasaki and Paul gave Desperado a beatdown I can only describe as ugly, but in an affectionate way. The crowd rallied behind Desperado by chanting his name, which used to be a normal thing in wrestling but after a couple years of pandemic quiet sounded just extraordinary. Desperado and Sasaki tore it up for the finish too, and while it was weird that Sasaki lost a No DQ Match via DQ his method of doing so – fighting off the stretch muffler and tearing off Desperado’s mask – set up a neat return match for a future show. ***1/4
Song and dance were provided for the intermission. It was a revelation.
6. Hiromu Roll 1 Million Yen Bounty Match: Hiromu Takahashi vs. TAKA Michinoku
The stipulation was simple enough, as long as you accept the rules of pro wrestling in your life: the match is best 2 of 3 falls, and countering or kicking out of the Hiromu’s “Nameless Hiromu Roll” or TAKA’s Michinoku Driver during it either claims or takes back 1-million yen in prize money.
They used handshakes, an eye poke, schoolboy cradle and backslide to kill a couple minutes minutes before the first Hiromu Roll kickout (which gave TAKA the money) then first Hiromu Roll pin (which gave Hiromu the first fall). The remaining 10 minutes was a display of TAKA Michinoku still having “it” 30 years in — like not completely “it,” but approaching close enough to “it” that it’s genuinely impressive — not more impressive than when he actually had “it” in the 90s, but still… impressive.
They kept the hold-trading fun before Hiromu kicked out of Michinoku Driver for both a big near fall and to regain the 1-million yen. TAKA kicked out of another Hiromu Roll to get the money back, though Hiromu caught him with a superkick and the TIME BOMB II to win the match — and maybe the money. I’m not sure actually. I guess the stipulation wasn’t simple enough. Match was fun though. ***1/2
7. Takagi-Style Last Man Standing Lumberjack Death Match – KOPW 2022: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Taichi
I’m no expert but I believe Takagi-style means a Death Match, Lumberjack Match, Last Man Standing Match and Texas Death Match all-in-one, which kept the standard lulls of a long New Japan main event interesting even if Shingo and Taichi are two of New Japan’s better guys at pacing those. Ultimately, Shingo and Taichi earnestly beat the shit out of each other for 30 minutes and it was awesome.
They brought the sass and shoulder tackles, threw strikes and made charges and sometimes Taichi used Sumo. Shingo got a fall off a rollup pretty early, and though it didn’t necessarily put Taichi at a disadvantage it was that moment and Shingo’s general ability to just dominate that turned Taichi mega-babyface. I guess the crowd was into Shingo too though; maybe they just like good wrestlers wrestling each other.
Shingo tried to put Taichi down with the Last of the Dragon and his punch combo but Taichi fired back with an elbow, Kawada kicks, an Axe Bomber and Black Mephisto attempt that turned into a folding powerbomb for a fall that evened them up. The extended closing sequence delivered on both great near falls and moments of pure wrestling joy, with their movesets devolving late in the match to grabbing a throat or throwing a headbutt.
I can’t name one good thing New Japan’s King of Pro Wrestling trophy gimmick delivered until this awesome, wild and crazy match right here. ****1/4
Happy Thoughts: Fun checking in with the Japanese indie scene, fun seeing Hiromu feature in a singles match, fun seeing Taichi and Shingo earnestly beat the shit out of each other for 30 minutes. Fun! The wrestling was fun!! 4.0 / 5.0
