NOAH IWTV Workrate Report
What Worked
PAS: Tamon Honda and Momota works the worlds oldest AJW sprint. This is pair of elderly guys working a ton of nifty fast counters. I especially liked all the different counters Momota would work out of Honda's headlock. Only goes 6 minutes or so, but would win match of the week if it was on Veloicty
TKG: Damn this was a lot better than I expected. And I had high expectations. this is worked alot like the recent Taue vs. Kobashi match, with Momota as shortest Taue, and Honda as Kobashi if Kobashi knew how to sell. Momota starts all fired up DDTng Honda on apron, going for a axe handleish thing off apron, chops a plenty, rope assisted moves, etc. Honda is all about the throws and grounding the spry Momota. I wouldn't have minded another twenty minutes but I wouldn't have wanted Momota to kick out of that Olympic hell.
PAS: Kikcuhi v. IZU was pretty disappointing as a match, but as a spectacle of head thunking it was pretty top shelf. There were sections of this match that sounding like someone hitting a bowling ball with a rubber mallet. This went a little long, and they threw some weaker headbutts leading up to the finish. First ten minutes or so were really bad, but the last five were just awesome. Kikuchi was a guy who was supposed to be too punch drunk to remember spots 8 years ago, now he has added the nastiest unprotected headbutt in wrestling as a signature comedy spots. People think Necro Butcher is crazy.
TKG: Rhodes comes in wearing his cowboy hat and sweet robe, Sano comes in wearing fringe...and you really expect too guys dressed like that to work a bullrope match not a rounds match. This was really great. Been watching Trevor Rhodes since about 1999 and he really deserves a long NWA title run or something. First round is worked on the mat, UWF vs. Muga style with Rhodes getting saved by the bell. Second fall was worked as a strike/brawl section and was just balls out. Rhodes takes the rail ride really well and both guys paste each other with Sano saved by the bell. Third fall is all of Sano controling with his big moves with Rhodes just taking stuff great and getting in hope spots. Rhodes does a real fun twist and sell post German. I also really enjoyed Rhodes' schtick as guy sitting on stool getting back his breath between rounds.
PAS: This was really fucking awesome. The first round match section was really nifty, worked way more prostyle then shootstyle. Rhodes has really nice ground strikes to get into holds, shots to the belly and elbows. Rhodes really looks like the better guy, and I am a long time Sano fan. Sano has some really nice big offense and Rhodes takes it like a champ, there was a top rope double stomp, where Sano just floats in the air, before crushing his belly.
PAS: Taue, Misawa and Ogawa work a really amusing comedy match. For the first section of the match, Misawa just wanders around reversing figure fours and kicking guys off the ropes. I really enjoyed Misawa mailing it in, makes me want to get the Pro Wrestling Iron DVD's.
TKG: So Taue/Sano are challenging for Misawa/Ogawa's tag belts...you'd think they'd run this as a handicap match setting up that. BUT no...they decide instead to rehearse for their future comedy matches. Not as good as the best Family Gundan matches but you got the sense that in five years these three will have really funny old man opening comedy match ups. Not sure about his mic work but Misawa is gonna be a real fun Rusher. I'm not sure if Taue has forgotten how to run the ropes or if he was selling the leg. Who does bodypart selling in an old man comedy match? That's going to be a neat addition to the genre.
What Didn't Work
PAS: I have seen some shitty indy four way scramble juniors matches in my time, and this was as bad as any of them. Ian Rotten wouldn't even come out and put this turd over. A couple of nice comedy spots, and a nifty finish, but the rest of this was just meandering and shitty. KENTA and Ricky Marvin decide to mix things up and blow the spots usually reserved for blowing by the other two.
TKG: This was awful. This needed one of their smarter juniors like Aoyagi or something. Not just a 4-way but a 4-way with a dull AJW ring tour section. It made me reflect on the positive things Pitbull II was able to bring to 4- ways. When your watching a match and you keep thinking, "maybe if they replaced Kenta with II or Cheetah Master this might be less stinky". Marvin takes a giant bump off apron which seemed really silly in this kind of throw away match.
TKG: Izu does the Gypsy Joe no sell of the chairshots too head spot. Are they running the new TNA PPVs from Florida or still in Nashville. I bet a long Gypsy Joe vs. Inoue match would be best heavyweight match in TNA's history. I don't remember Lyger vs. Jimmy Garvin (somebody send me the tape. please) so can't say if battle of headbutts better or worse than battle of DDTS. but this wasn't very good. Picked up, right at point that Izu started selling but didn't pick up enough for me to put it topside. The headbutts were really nasty and visceral..hurt me to watch at points.