Sorry folks this is just the 2nd half of the show, but let's review it hard anyways
1) Yujiro & Naito v. El Terrible & El Texano jr - 4
I was digging CMLL's import team, Terrible looked like an illegitimate Manson kid, always screaming and throwing dropkicks like I drink milk- a lot! Also dug all their double teams, felt really natural, but they didn't work a lucha style at all, felt more akin to a slowed down ROH tag. Naito had this blank expression on his face for much of this bout unfortunately and the end was a no-no; blantantly cheating in front of the ref, I know this isn't 80's Mid South but at least show some sembelance of the rules.
2) Masato Tanaka v. Hirooki Goto (Hardcore Rules)- 7
So this was run by Tanaka, felt very similar to his stuff with Mike Awesome years back. Even saw some of the same spots, but in that regards, this worked as Goto is much more fun to watch and has killer lariats. Speaking of, Tanaka eats a lariat like Osama Bin Laden eats a bullet- beautifully. They started out fast, chairs and tables alike but nothing really felt recycled, just painful. Love a good superplex, almost as much as a good breaded mushroom and this one was done on a bed of chairs- Delight. Really fun Outsiders type ending where Tanaka slips a metal pipe in his elbow pad for the sliding D, like something Darry might do fighting in a gang war withe Socs.
3) Hiroshi Tanahashi v. Toru Yano- 5
This didn't go long but I think it was better for it. Yano always has this evil Japanese careless prick villain vibe about him, like an evil government operative that approved vile chemical tests on unsuspecting lizards to create a new Godzilla rival. He does well with that role here, Tanahashi didn't pull this in extra innings like he's prone to do either. His bladejob felt like something Hardcore Holly would have done on Smackdown back in the day, you could mistake it for an angry 6th grader throwing Tropical Punch Kool-Aid in his face.
4) Shinsuke Nakamura v. Manabu Nakanishi- 6
think this finished up Nakanishi's main event run during this time, which actually i really enjoyed. Most of the first section is about going after a limb, working over it, and then trying to fight back without using that limb, which is a Nakamura speciality. Knees, knees, knees, did Leonard Cohen write that song? I bet anytime Rich Franklin sees a Nakamura match, he instantly passes out. Honestly, Nakanishi has always been in the bottom of people I like to watch in New Japan over the years, as Nakamura is one of my favorites in the world, but I won't hand over to personal preferences (even if Nakanishi does ape Kobashi's 100 hand slap poorly) as our wrestling writing colleagues do on Segunda Caida to most Japanese stuff and Shawn Michaels. I know their personal loathing comes from the millions of dollars he's made and trashy women he's boned and having better athleticism at twice their age, but a little professionalism guys. Anyways, Nakamura's face when his Bom Ya knee was countered resonated with me as much as the film The Social Network, which is to say if there ever was a movie made for this generation and comment on how our life has evolved yet we remain the same flawed individuals, yeah both of those things nailed that. Lot of people cite Danielson as a guy they never get tired of watching, for me it's Nakamura, from his violent knees, to his strange behavior in the ring, to his pitch perfect selling, i'm glued. I hate saying even Luger gives more emphasis to his Torture Rack but it's true; Nakanishi doesn't even bend his opponent's back down, but I love his face after he takes a nasty knee to the face, pausing, staring down at the ground, as if thinking "does my brain still work?" Very fun main event.
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