Puroresu Show Reviews

Big Japan Pro Wrestling's first show of 2006 from Korakuen Hall, featuring the big Daisuke Sekimoto VS Masato Tanaka match and another chapter in the Big Japan/Apache Pro interpromotional war.

1/02/2006 Pt.1
Katsumasa Inoue & Hiroyuki Kondo VS Shadow WX & Mammoth Sasaki
Great match with the Wakagumi next generation team taking on the super-heavyweight veteran team, and they pulled off a really entertaining match up.
Inoue & Kondo continue to impress as a tag team, pulling out some great double team moves like a double-bow & arrow submission as well as a double Wakagumi buster on WX. Once again Inoue showed the fighting spirit of a future star as he took some insane punishment, including a modified con-chair-to which busted his lip open.
WX & Sasaki pulled out some good teamwork themselves, albeit a little sloppy (like the double-enzuguiri they pulled). I thought it was interesting that the team that would be challenging for the tag titles later would let the next gen team get in as much offense as they did. The two of them also seem to be a lot more entertaining when doing fast sprint matches and don’t have to slow things down too much.
The first Big Japan match of 2006 was a good way to kick off the show and got the crowd psyched, as well as further establishing the Wakagumi team as future contenders getting the rub from the current tag title contenders.
Match Rating: **1/2

MEN’S Teioh & Onryo VS GENTARO & Shinobu
These two teams put on a really solid junior heavyweight tag match, with lots of fast paced none-stop action from start to finish, and easily rivaled the junior tag matches from the big league promotions. It was a good showing from 666 workers Onryo & Shinobu too, especially for Shinobu at the end when he pulled out multiple counters to Teioh’s Miracle Ecstasy finisher. I think the only small flaw would have been Teioh’s role as the no selling senior of the match, but it’s not really that big a deal and doesn’t detract from the overall match enjoyment.
Simply put, if you enjoy those TNA X-Division type tag matches, you’ll easily enjoy this one.
Match Rating: ***1/2

No Rope Barb-Wire Tornado 6-Man Tag: Abdullah Kobayashi, Ryuji Ito & Jaki Numazawa VS Takashi Sasaki, Kintaro Kanemura & Bad Boy Hido
The Team No Respect dance is always a ton more fun when more people are involved, so it was really fun watching the entire Apache Pro army come out to do the dance tonight.
I’m guessing the spot at the beginning of the match where the barb-wire ropes snapped when Kanemura was whipped into them and he crashed out to the floor wasn’t part of the original booking. But is seemed like they were able to cover it up with the six-man pile up outside the ring which of course lead to the big brawl into the audience.
While Sasaki & Numazawa were brawling up into the stands, Hido & Kanemura gave Kobayashi a double suplex off the ring apron through a table on the outside. After Sasaki hit a bit running kick on Numazawa, Ito threw a table at him before giving him a splash through the table off the balcony. While Kanemura was brawling with Kobayashi in the ring, Sasaki countered a double-suplex attempt by Ito & Numazawa into a double DDT.
All six men brawl back to the ring with the Apache Pro team in command. Kanemura wrapped Ito in barb-wire as Hido grinds a barb-wire bat into Numazawa’s head.
Ito & Numazawa then get a ladder placed on their head before Kanemura & Sasaki start wailing away on it with chairs. Kobayashi is bleeding like a pig as Hido whacks him with a barb-wire bat. Hido gives Numazawa a piledriver on the ladder as Ito reverses a whip and sends Kanemura into the barb-wire ropes, which almost snap again.
The Big Japan team takes control as Ito goes to work whacking everyone with part of a table. Ito hits a moonsault off a ladder for a near fall. Kobayashi with a German suplex on Sasaki for a near fall. Kobayashi hits a double elbow drop on Hido & Sasaki before Kanemura destroys what’s left of the table board by whacking him over the head with it and gives one stiff ass punch! Kanemura tries for a powerbomb, but it’s countered into a Koba-Driver!
Ito sets up the ladder and Kobayashi goes up and drops a big time elbow drop, but the cover is broken up Hido who goes to town on the Big Japan team with a barb-wire bat. Sasaki charges at Ito, but is dropped on the barb-wire with a stun gun! Ito slams Sasaki and hits him with a barb-wire bat before going up the ladder to try for a Dragon Splash, but gets cut off by Kanemura. Sasaki shoves the ladder down and Ito lands ribs first on the wire.
A pile of chairs are tossed in the center of the ring, and Hido & Kanemura give Kobayashi a double backdrop on them. They then give Ito a superbomb off the ladder onto the chair pile for a near fall. Numazawa blocks a head kick from Sasaki and gives him a death valley driver on the chairs. The Dark Angel goes up the ladder, but is cut off by Sasaki who proceeds to superplex him off the top of the ladder! Sasaki hits a hard lariat for a near fall followed by a buzz-saw head kick and an Emerald Frosion on a barb-wire bat to finally pick up the win!
Great solid match overall, though I wish they could have done more with Numazawa in this one.
Match Rating: ***

1/02/2006 Part 2
Daikokubo Benkei & Hyoma VS Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Yuichi Taniguchi
Match is joined in progress.
Benkei might have less mobility than a brick sitting on the sidewalk, but the big man actually can be entertaining when needed and at least he’s not in the main event picture. He gave a good showing here using his size and power, and the fans were in to him.
I’m still digging on Hyoma and I still want to see more of what this guy can do.
I’ve always loved Kuroda in FMW, and it was fun watching him in action here. He had some good exchanges with Benkei where he took down the big man with his lariat. I’d rather be seeing more of Kuroda in the main event scene over Hido any day of the week.
Taniguchi might be a comedy wrestler now, but I can’t wait to see what he can do when he finally gets serious. The fans are already really into the guy and his “corner running cross chop of doom” move. This kid definitely has a ton of potential and him scoring the win here is a sign of good things to come I hope. Heck, he teams regularly with Benkei, and I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing them challenge for the tag titles.
Match Rating: **

Baka Gaijin 3-Way Match: Mad Man Pondo VS MASADA VS Mad Dog
Pondo actually cuts a promo in Japanese before the match! He says he doesn’t speak Japanese, but he loves death matches!
As the ring announcer names the combatants, Mad Dog brings a huge board into the ring and all 3 men fill it with thumbtacks! This gets a HUGE Baka Gaijin chant from the crowd!
All 3 men do an excellent job at the beginning of avoiding getting dropped on the mini pit of tacks, which the crowd really get into. Pondo then moves the pit of tacks into a corner and sets up 3 chairs, leading to a 3-way Louisiana Bar Fight, shades of the Necro Butcher! Pondo is winning until MASADA & Mad Dog double team him and take him out before going to work on each other with some quick mat grappling. Mad Dog & MASADA move surprisingly well for their size, and Mad Dog does some things I wouldn’t expect from him, like a huge flipping senton off the top on Pondo to the outside!
MASADA & Mad Dog brawl on the outside, and Pondo gets back in the ring and uses the referee to do Undertaker’s Old School, only he flips out of the ring on Mad Dog & MASADA! Back in the ring and Pondo shoots MASADA in the groin with a staple gun! He than staples a piece of paper to MASADA’s forehead! Pondo’s rampage continues as he jabs Mad Dog in the head with a scissors and then carves his head with it! MASADA retaliates and jabs Pondo in the head several times with the scissors!
They than do the obligatory brawl out into the audience and Pondo tries to whack both of them with a fan’s umbrella, but is met with a double superkick instead. MASADA & Mad Dog start brawling as Pondo sets up 2 tables and some chairs at ringside. Mad Dog whacks MASADA with a chair and trades big punches with Pondo back in the ring. Pondo misses a big right hand and Mad Dog picks him up and drops with a death valley driver in the pit of thumbtacks! Mad Dog than sets him up face first in the tacks and drives his face in with a leg drop! Mad Dog tries to just slap Pondo’s face into the tacks, but the veteran moves and he gets a hand full of tacks!
MASADA back in and brawls with Pondo. They go up top and Pondo is looking to superplex MASADA out of the ring onto the tables & chairs he set up earlier. Mad Dog tries to intervene, but gets tossed onto the pit of thumbtacks! MASADA than gives Pondo a super frakensteiner off the top through the tables and chairs! Another big “Baka Gaijin” chant starts up! Mad Dog gives MASADA a big suplex back in the ring, but hurts himself since he still has thumbtacks in his back!
MASADA flips out of a backdrop and hits an inverted atomic drop on Mad Dog. He tries for a tombstone, but Mad Dog reverses it and gives MASADA a tombstone on the thumbtacks for a near fall! Pondo back in and whacks Mad Dog with the stop sign before giving MASADA a flipping senton off the top while MASADA is laying in the pit of tacks with the stop sign on his face! Pondo covers, but Mad Dog breaks the count. Mad Dog whacks Pondo with a chair and goes up top but is crotched by MASADA. MASADA tries to super frankensteiner MD off the top through some chairs, but Pondo whacks him with the stop sign and now both MD & MASADA are crotched on the top rope! Pondo hits MASADA upside down with a chair and sets up the pit of tacks on several chairs. This can’t be good. Pondo than piledrives Mad Dog off the top onto the makeshift platform, and it DOESN’T BREAK! Pondon pins him on the pit to take the win!
Damn, this was better than it had any right to be! And hats off to Australian worker Mad Dog for taking all those sick bumps, and he wasn’t even wearing a shirt!
Match Rating: ****

Daisuke Sekimoto VS Masato Tanaka
These two bulls go right at it, testing each other with big shoulder blocks and a stiff chop/elbow battle. Things heat up as they trade more furious elbow strikes, which Tanaka wins and tries for a lariat, but Sekimoto ducks it and gives Tanaka a hard lariat of his own! Tanaka takes a breather on the outside before getting back in at the 17 count. They lock horns again and put on a good showing of mat grappling which the crowd applauds.
They lock up in a test of strength which the more buff Sekimoto wins. Tanaka reverses an Irish whip into the corner and charges in with a hard elbow and a big release German suplex, now sending Sekimoto out for a breather. They brawl on the apron and Sekimoto gives Tanaka a big suplex on the apron! Tanaka rolls off to the floor and Sekimoto quickly back into the ring, but quickly rebounds the ropes and comes out with a big suicide dive sending Tanaka into the first 4 rows!
They brawl up to the stage and have a chair battle, which Tanaka wins. Tanaka sets up some chairs and suplexes Sekimoto on to them. He sets up more chairs and gives Sekimoto a swinging DDT off a standing chair onto a pile of chairs. They brawl through the audience back to the ring. Tanaka gives Sekimoto a drop toe-hold on a chair, followed by dropkicking the chair in his face! Tanaka gets a near fall and they start trading really hard chops again, which Tanaka again wins.
Tanaka now attacking Sekimoto’s legs. Sekimoto fights to a sitting position, which turns out to be a mistake as Tanaka puts him in a headlock while his legs are also still locked! Sekimoto manages to escape, and Tanaka continues to stomp and pound on him as the Zero-1 ring seconds place a table in the ring. Tanaka sets the table up in the corner and rams Sekimoto face first into it for a near fall. Tanaka tries to whip Sekimoto into the table again, but Sekimoto reverses it and Tanaka puts on the brakes. He charges at Sekimoto, but gets picked off his feet and speared into the table!
Sekimoto whips Tanaka into the corner and charges in, but eats a big elbow and a swinging DDT out of the corner, but to the surprise of everyone he pops right back up and gives Tanaka a big spear! Sekimoto gives Tanaka a big lariat in the corner followed by a big superplex off the top. Sekimoto goes back up top and hits a big frog splash for a near fall. They fight for a brainbuster, and Tanaka wins out dropping Sekimoto on his head. Tanaka hits a big running elbow before both men collide with hard lariats. Sekimoto than lifts up and drops Tanaka with a brainbuster!
Sekimoto off the ropes but runs into a big Dangan Lariat! Tanaka hits another brutal brainbuster but only gets a 2 count! Tanaka goes up top and hits the Superfly Splash, but only gets a ONE count! Sekimoto to his feet now and they trade elbow strikes. Tanaka tries for the roaring elbow, but Sekimoto almost takes his head off with a hard lariat for a near fall! Sekimoto with a beautiful German-suplex hold, but only gets a 2 count!
Sekimoto tries for a lariat, but eats a boot followed by the roaring elbow for a near fall! Sekimoto reverses an Irish whip into the corner, but runs right into a big boot. Tanaka immediately follows with the Diamond Dust to pick up the win!
Great match!
Match Rating: ****

Overall: A ton of fun from Big Japan’s first show of the year. The second half was surprisingly a lot better than the first, with the Baka Gaijin 3-way and Sekimoto/Tanaka being really impressive and a lot better than the actual main event of the show.

Labels: BJW