KENTA/Akiyama vs. Kawada/Taue (NOAH - 10/3/2009)

The Misawa tribute match. Wrestling touches on a lot of human emotions. Joy, anger, fear, pride and envy to name a few. The biggest emotion it often misses is sadness and its cousins depression and grief. The early emotions are red, passionate, intense emotions and make for energetic experience. It has trouble with blue emotions and I hope that we see more of this in pro wrestling as it evolves to really progress. This is perhaps the best sad match ever. It is a somber mood. Misawa is dead and Kobashi is so injured he can't pay tribute to his friend. They use that sadness to weave an excellent story.

Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue vs Jun Akiyama & KENTA - NOAH 10/03/09



The Holy Demon Army reunites to pay tribute to their great rival and compatriot, Mitsuharu Misawa. Unfortunately, Kenta Kobashi is unable to compete and KENTA has been selected to take his place as Akiyama's partner. Unlike the emotion of the Kobashi return match in 2007, the mood is very somber and it is hard to fist pump at the action like in that match. Still, it is very enjoyable to see Kawada and Taue return face off against Akiyama and KENTA. The match is wrestled closer to the classic All Japan tag style with KENTA in the asshole heel role and playing it perfectly. Kawada/KENTA would have actually been a great match they could built to in 2010 and actually would have been a nice retirement feud for him.



KENTA throws out any notion this may face vs face when he slaps Kawada in the ropes and pulls his head down to hit Kawada Kicks on the man who made them famous. This draws Oooooooooooos from the crowd and wild, stiff slaps from Kawada. KENTA is not going to shy from the moment and Kawada is not going to let him away with such a slight. A really good opening. I thought the Akiyama strike exchange that they lost a little bit.



Taue gets a deep, deep ab stretch and I love how Kawada follows that by grabbing KENTA's leg while he is in the ab stretch to apply his signature single half crab. There was no way he was going to let KENTA slip through his fingers. My major hang up in this match is that KENTA was sort of treated like he was Kobashi. He was shooting Taue in the ropes, deadweighting him on a powerbomb and backdropping out of it. Respect size differences and be creative and work around them, Akiyama hits an exploder on Taue and this turns the match in favor of Akiyama & KENTA.



I love this sequence and it is just so All Japan. Kawada breaks up a pretty snug chinlock by Akiyama on Taue. In a normal tag match, no harm, no foul. KENTA comes in and his misdirection big boot right in Kawada's face. He blasts him off the apron and then keeps attacking him. KENTA returns and figure-4s Taue head. Now Kawada is hot and kneedrops KENTA in the face. I love the perpetuation of violence. Kawada tagged in and KENTA goes to cut him off at the pass and Kawada just overwhelms him with wicked chops and kicks even Kawada Kicks! STRETCH PLUM!!! Akiyama senses end might be near and hits Kawada with an exploder and Kawada is double teamed. He hits a couple knee lifts and collapses into a Taue tag.



I like how KENTA uses his high flying offense to keep Taue off balance and set up his quick big boots. It was a creative, credible way to get Taue vulnerable and leverage KENTA's fast paced offense in logical fashion. KENTA hits his exploding knee to get a nearfall on Taue. Kawada comes in to block a Go 2 Sleep and he wipes him out with a wicked jumping head kick. It was awesome. NODOWA~! to Akiyama. KENTA is left for the pickings. Taue hits a Tiger Driver in honor of Misawa and just like MIsawa he only gets a two count. Kawada/Taue Backdrop Driver/Nodowa on KENTA gets a nearfall and then Taue hits the backdrop driver Nodowa solo version for the win,



This is a really great tribute match to the All Japan 90s style where there is great struggle between teams for the victory. KENTA really made this something special with his energy and being a prick. Unfortunately, I felt like Akiyama was just there to hit Exploders to cause turning points. Taue was a fun feel good wrestler, whose Nodowa was the counterpoint to Akiyama's exploder. It was Kawada that really took the match to the next level because he was going to kick this punk kid's ass and teach him some respect. That is at the cornerstone of so many early 90s All Japan tags. It is a fun sprint feel and especially with the great compact finish run. It is a MOTYC for 2009, but just the next rung down. ****1/4