Ring Crew Reviews: Puro Comp #3

• IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c). 02/12/2012 NJPW. We start with arguably the biggest shake up in puro in recent years. Crowd loves Tanahashi. They go face to face for the staredown. Lockup goes into the corner for the clean break. Okada says fuck that and tries to sneak a show but HT avoids and hits some forearms. Okada comes back with one and grabs a headlock. HT sends him off but Okada plows through him with a shoulderblock to mild boos. Okada tries a headlock TO but HT counters and takes him down with one instead. Okada tries sending him on but HT hangs on for the Bret Hart Dickensian headlock. Okada tries sending him off again but still HT hangs on. Okada finally sends him off and tries to trip him up but Tanahashi jumps BACK on the headlock! Nice. HT torques it. He gets sent into the corner but gets the elbow up and comes back with a crossbody. Tanahashi poses and then dodges a charging Okada and reapplies the headlock. HA! Okada sends him off and hits a dropkick to come back. Okada goes to the GnP. Okada wants a Tombstone but HT slides out and slams him down. HT heads up top but Okada meets him up and dropkicks him off the top and to the floor. Announcers go apeshit for that. Okada on the floor sends HT into the ringpost. Okada now puts him in the guardrail to choke him for a bit. Back in, Okada with a couple of week elbows and goes to a chinlock. Okada with a neckbreaker for 2. Crowd starts chanting for HT. Okada with a ribbreaker and tries a senton but comes up dry. Off a whip reversal, HT tries a dropkick but whiffs. Okada with a basement dropkick for 2. Okada with another elbow and poses. He boots him down and sees way too pleased with this weak shit. This guy is like a NJPW Mike Mondo and I do NOT mean that in a good way. Okada with a flapjack and the announcers declare Tanahashi done for good. Are they for real? This guy wins every match and Van Hammer’s finisher is going to put him away for good? Okada goes to a crucifix sumbission but Tanahashi gets the ropes. Okada keeps the hold on to boos. Okada with more forearms in the corner but HT Hulks up only to get stomped down. Okada tries a charge but HT comes back with overhand chops. Tanahashi with a burrito. They slug it out with Euro uppercuts. Okada tries to shitcan him but HT skins the cat back in. Tanahashi catches him in the deadly DRAGON SCREW LW!

• Okada takes a breather, so HT heads up top and hits a FROG SPLASH CROSSBODY TO THE FLOOR! Back in, Okada tries fighting him off but gets caught in another DSLW and THREE MORE! That’s it. Time to stop the match. Tanahashi now locks in a SWEET Texas Cloverleaf. He pulls Okada back to the middle of the ring and torques the hold. Okada finally makes the ropes. Somewhere in there, Tanahashi lost one of his damn front teeth. He gets a head of steam but Okada catches him in a tilt-a-whirl Tombstone. Nice. Okada goes for a submission (some kind of front facelock, Tequila sunrise). Tanahashi is tied up in knots but makes the ropes with his feet. Okada again won’t release the hold. Crowd boos appropriately. HT finally up and clips the knee with a basement dropkick. He boots Okada to the floor. Tanahashi tries the flip splash off the apron but Okada MOVES AND TANAHASHI EATS FLOOR! Okada now yakuza kicks him over the guardrail and into the crowd. Okada now gives him a TOMBSTONE ON THE CONCRETE! Okada admires his handiwork and finally carries HT’s carcass back to the ring. Okada slams him down and heads up top and hits a top rope elbow drop. Okada preps a German suplex but HT gets a second wind and comes back with the Sling Blade for 2. Tanahashi Hulks up again and gets the arm capture German suplex. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.7! Tanahashi now with the Ki Krusher 99 and heads up top. He hits the Frog Splash and heads up for another. He tries one more but Okada gets the knees up! Okada nicely sells the knees because of the DSLWs from earlier. Okada with a yakuza kick and an Island Driver neckbreaker. Okada with a DDT and covers for the 1, 2, 2.9! Okada gets him up and hits an FU. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Crowd is into the nearfalls. HT counters a waistlock to the DRAGON SUPLEX! Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! They each ducks LARIATOs before Okada dismantles him with the short arm LARIATO (Rainmaker) and covers for 1, 2, 3! New IWGP Champ at 23:12. Smooth as silk finish. Took me a while to get into it (other than the headlock), mainly because Okada’s initial heat was boring as hell, but once he started busting out some gnarly submissions the match kicked into another gear. It’s almost like they disguised the first half as a typical Tanahashi one-sided, broomstick match and then let Okada throw out EVERYTHING including a damn Tombstone on the floor and Tanahashi manning up and taking a back bump from the apron. Spot of the match: Tanahashi whiffing on the flip splash and then getting Tombstoned on the floor. ****

• GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Atsushi Aoki vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima (c). NOAH 01/29/2012. Aoki’s music is some sped up remix of The Eagles’ “Hotel California.” Some suits read off the rules and the contract pre-match to give it that official look. Ref asks them if they want to shake and both keep their distance. Crowd has a mild chant for Aoki going at the bell. Aoki is very patient going in for a lockup. They finally tie up but it takes them into the ropes. Clean break. Aoki grabs a wristlock but NJ quickly switches. Aoki rolls through. They go through that a couple times before NJ gets a headscissors and Aoki kips out and it’s the ECW STANDOFF. NJ catches him off guard with a quick superkick and a BEAUTIFUL BRIDGED GERMAN FOR A NARROW 2! NJ tosses him and puts the boots to him and sends him into the guardrail. He does it again and then yakuza kicks him into the crowd. Sweet. They lead each other around the crowd sweating before NJ gives him a vertical suplex on the cold floor. NJ makes it back to the ring and the crowd is getting antsy because Aoki may not beat the count back. He BARELY makes it back at 19 but NJ goes in for the kill with another yakuza kick and a Backdrop Driver for 2. Sensing he may lose it, Aoki rolls to the floor to regroup. Aoki works the count to gather his bearings. NJ has other ideas as he follows him to the floor. Aoki counters to a hammerlock and sends him shoulder-first into the ringpost. Aoki now wraps it around the guardrail and BOOTS THE ARM! YEAH! NJ takes a lap to try and shake the feeling back into his arm. He slides in but eats a dropkick and NOW WE GET TO SCHOOL, NOAH DOJO-STYLE! Aoki with a TD and works the Americana. Aoki drives him into the mat for 2. Aoki now works an armbar but NJ is able to get the ropes. They fight over a whip and Aoki says fuck it and just torques the arm instead. Nice. NJ tries an elbow to come back but Aoki punches the arm and then hits an armbreaker. Aoki wraps it around the ropes a couple times to gain an advantage. NJ comes back with a snapmare and a DR FG to the back. They now slug it out with forearms before Aoki gets another armbreaker. Aoki now hammerlocks him in the ropes and breaks it across the ropes right in front of the ref blatantly exploiting the 5 count. Aoki now with a Northern Lights suplex for 2. Aoki tries an armbreaker off the second rope but NJ escapes and gives him a German suplex INTO THE TURNBUCKLE! They switch a reversal and NJ weakly sends him into the turnbuckle with a drop toe hold but makes up for it by kicking the shit out of him. NJ with a yakuza kick and a front chancery suplex. He follows it up with a missile dropkick for 2. He wants another suplex but Aoki blocks. NJ with a few elbows and tries again but Aoki blocks again. NJ tries another but THIS TIME Aoki avoids and catches him in the deadly DRAGON SCREW LW!

• NJ tries no selling so Aoki clips the knee with a dropkick. Aoki follows it up with one more DSLW. They trade standing reversals until Aoki suckers him in and dumps him with a dropkick. Aoki follows out with a suicide dive. Back in, Aoki with a missile dropkick that sends NJ into the corner. Aoki with a series of running forearms into the turnbuckle and a gamengiri for 2. They trade Backdrop Driver attempts for nothing. Aoki gets the elbow up in the corner and heads up top but NJ cuts him off with a SWEET spinwheel kick. NJ smacks the shit out of him and tries a superkick but Aoki ducks and folds him up with the Backdrop Driver. NJ no sells and hits the superkick anyway. Aoki no sells that and gives him a headbutt. NJ comes back with a kick but eats a LARIATO from Aoki. Aoki clips the knee again and hits a back suplex. He heads up top and hits the Frog Splash for a close 2. He DESTROYS NJ with a leaping back kick right to the face. Aoki with an ARM CAPTURE BRAINBUSTER! Cover gets 1, 2, 2 ½! Aoki wants a Regalplex but NJ fights him off. Aoki kicks the arm and tries the armbreaker but NJ counters and catches him with the DR FG RAMPAGE! Aoki no sells and gives him a headbutt. NJ gives him a karate combo and finishes off with a superkick. Cover gets 1, 2, 2 ¾! NJ with a brainbuster and ANOTHER DR FG. Cover for another nearfall. NJ with a German suplex but Aoki hangs on and floats over into the KIMURA! SWEET! NJ fights the pain so Aoki rolls through and hooks in the armbar! NJ stacks him up for the 1, 2, 2.9! Aoki ducks a DR FG enzuigiri but eats a regular one that ends it at 18:20. After all that, I would have liked a bit more emphatic ending rather than just an enzuigiri. Awesome story though with Aoki getting his ass handed to him early and being overmatched and trying to resort to breaking the arm and/or the leg to pull out a victory. Nakajima was all ready to avoid all of it and just barely and secure the KO. Love the false with the kimura and armbar so that gets spot of the match. ****1/2

• GHC Heavyweight Championship: Takeshi Morishima vs. Go Shiozaki (c). NOAH 01/22/2012. They come right out with the strikes and Morishima no sells a couple of STIFF forearms and LARIATOS Go into next week. Morishima with the running clothesline in the corner and a missile dropkick off the top. Morishima with another LARIATO. He tries the Backdrop Driver early but Go gets the ropes. Morishima tries it anyway but Go floats over into the cover. Morishima kicks out EMPHATICALLY and Go rolls to the floor to regroup. AWESOME! Go tries getting back in the ring and Morishima lets him know that WU TANG CLAN AINT NOTHIN’ TO FUCK WITH and clubs him back off the apron to the floor. Morishima sends him into the guardrail and sets up a chair for the RUNAWAY SAMOAN SEMI INTO THE GUARDRAIL! Go slides in and Morishima does the Andre spot of standing on his chest. Morishima chokes away in the corner and hits ANOTHER Samoan Semi. Go is trashed. ONE MORE SAMOAN SEMI! The ref wants to stop the match! Go tries to shake it loose and comes back with chops. Morishima clubs him a few times and does the standing choke in the corner. Morishima boxes him in the ears to be a dick and then hits the HANDSPRING STINGER SPLASH! Morishima wants a suplex but Go blocks and gives him a brainbuster. Morishima tries no selling so Go takes him down with a LARIATO. Morishima up and they slug it out and for those unaware, Go has some of the manliest chops in the business (just don’t ask Sasaki about that because he damn near killed Go last time they chopped it out). Morishima has had enough of that and dropkicks him to the floor. Morishima wants to follow out with the suicide dive but Go cuts him off with a haymaker and then he sends Morishima into the guardrail. Go now gets a chair like earlier and sets up Morishima for the running CHOP HOMICIDA! TWO OF THEM! Go now puts him on the apron and gives him a running high knee into the head. Go now goes to the deadly THROAT CHOPS! Go with another brainbuster for Morishima. He covers for 1, 2, 2.5! Morishima rolls to the floor to regroup now. Go preps a fucking PILEDRIVER ON THE FLOOR AND DRIVES HIM INTO THE MAT! Go rolls in to work the count and is all, “Where the hell is Morishima? I thought we were men here. Get your ass in the ring.” Go decides to be a gentlemen and help him get to the apron by choking him. Go with a Bluechipper dropkick and a kneedrop for 2. Go goes to a standing guillotine and a DDT for 2. Go now with a chinlock. Morishima tries to power out but Go locks the hold back on. Morishima manages to get the ropes. They now slug it out again. Go with the deadly chops and tells Morishima to BRING IT ON, MOTHERFUCKER!

• Morishima with another weak forearm and Go chops him into next week and tells him that won’t get the job done. Go goes to the sleeper and wants the uranage. Instead, Morishima blocks so Go turns it into an arm triagnle. Morishima staggers and everyone from the announcer to the ref thinks it’s over. Go releases the hold and covers for the academic 1, 2, 3—2.9! Back to the arm triangle, but Morishima has had enough of that shit and decides to throw Go down with ease. Go with a superkick but runs into a LARIATO! Morishima with a slam and heads up top but Go cuts him off. Go gives him a superplex but Morishima no sells. Go avoids the Morishima Juggernaut by giving him a bridged German suplex for another 2 count. Go with another throat chop and a LARIATO to the seated Morishima. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Go with a CHOP HOMICIDA but Morishima no sells and clubs him around and boxes the ears. Go ducks a LARIATO and hits one of his own. Cover for another nearfall. Go says it’s over and heads up top. Morishima up first and folds him up with a German suplex. Go no sells that and hits another LARIATO. Now both sell. They both stagger to their feet to slug it out. Morishima with a shoulderblock and Go with a dropkick. They both go for LARIATOS and both no sell. Go with a German suplex. Morishima with a uranage. Both no sell. Another LARIATO collision. Morishima no sells a superkick and clubs him down emphatically. Morishima with a dropkick and a body slam. Morishima heads up top and hits a top rope elbow drop. He covers for a very close 2. Morishima hits the Backdrop Driver! Cover gets 1, 2, 2.99! He wants another but Go counters with elbows and headbutts. Morishima fights back and Go gives him the BRAIN CHOP! Morishima goes down in a heap. Go now like a sociopath continues pounding the head. He goes to the MMA elbows and hits a brutal THROAT CHOP! Morishima kicks out at 2. Go with a DDT for 2. Go says that’s it. LARIATO! Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Go preps another brainbuster but Morishima blocks and gets the ropes. Go smacks the shit out of him and pulls him back to the middle and hits the Go Flasher! Cover gets 2.9 again. Go wants an arm capture Backdrop Driver but Morishima gets the ropes again. Go puts him up top and instead gives him a BACKDROP DRIVER OFF THE TOP! MORISHIMA FLOATS OVER! Both took the brunt of that one. Another slug it out sequence of forearms and chops. Crowd is counting along. Go with a LARIATO but Morishima no sells. Morishima with one and now Go no sells. Go with another and Morishima with another. Go smacks him into next week and gets a head of steam. He ducks 3 Morishima lines only to run into a LARIATO and the LARIATO HOMICIDA and another. Cover gets 1, 2, 2.999! Morishima with the Backdrop Driver again! Cover gets 1, 2, 3 to crown a new champ at 23:31. This is all a matter of how you prefer your carnage: chaotic or ordered. The JR title match has more psychology and comes off tighter. This match has more mutually assured destruction and alternating sections of no selling and badassery. It’s a compliment to the match that I couldn’t tell who was going to win and completely changed my mind three times. Phenomenal war that I might rate a tad too high but I’m a big fan of both guys. ****1/2

• Hardcore Match for for the DDT Extreme Championship: El Generico vs. Isami Kodaka (c). UNION 09/19/2011. They circle to start as Generico mouths off to the crowd who gets behind the champ. Kodaka goes in for a lockup but Generico avoids to talk smack to the crowd again. Kodaka works the arm. Generico tries to roll through but Kodaka hangs on and switches to a hammerlock. Generico puts himself in a headlock because he’s a nice guy like that. Generico grabs the arm for a wristlock and Kodaka switches to an armwringer. They trade headlock takeovers and headscissors counters before it’s the requisite ECW STANDOFF! Crowd still with the champ and Generico points to himself emphatically. Kodaka with a single leg but Generico with a leap frog and lands on his feet off the Arabian press fakeout. Generico with an armdrag and another and his floatover armdrag. Always an easy go-to spot. Kodaka takes a breather and trips up Generico on the apron and flies out with a TOPE SUICIDA! We clip to back in the ring with Kodaka pounding down Generico. They slug it out and Kodaka wins that one but runs into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Generico gets a chair and blasts Kodaka with it. Generico with a roll up for 2. Generico now puts the chair on his back and gives him another chairshot but to the chair this time. Cover gets another 2. Kodaka blocks another chairshot and punches the chair back into Generico and comes back with a dropkick. At Kodaka’s size (MAYBE 150 lbs), punching a chair is completely ridiculous. Kodaka for whatever reason lays around and Generico up first with a double ax handle. Kodaka reverses a whip and hits a DR FG ENZUIGIRI in the corner. Generico up by eats a crossbody for 2. Kodaka under the ring and gets a table. Wow, this is one of those Memphis tables from like 30 years ago when Macho piledrove Ricky Morton through one of them. Generico goes for the yakuza kick but Kodaka avoids. He tries to whip Generico into the table but Generico avoids and catches him in the EXPLODER TAZ-PLEX THROUGH THE TABLE! Kodaka rolls to the floor. Never one to waste furniture, Generico pulls the slightly broken table out of the ring and sets it up on the floor to make sure it gets good and broken. Generico puts Kodaka on the table and heads up top. He tries a splash off the top rope to the floor but Kodaka GETS THE FEET UP! BRUTAL! Generico now re-sets up the table parallel to the apron and hits some forearms and now gets Kodaka a MICHINOKU DRIVER OFF THE APRON THROUGH THE TABLE! Generico rolls him in and covers for the 1, 2, 2.7! Generico can’t believe it. Generico stacks up some chairs in the middle of the ring and preps another suplex. Kodaka counters with some back elbows. He runs off the ropes but Generico cuts him off and SPIKES HIM THE FUCK DOWN WITH THE MICHINOKU DRIVER ON THE CHAIRS! HE COVERS FOR THE 1, 2, 2.9! That should have been the finish or they should have waited to pull that out. Crowd starts chanting for the champ. Generico now stands up a couple of chairs in the middle of the ring. Generico lays Kodaka on them and heads up top. Kodaka no sells and cuts him off. After a couple of failed attempts, Kodaka with the TOP ROPE RANA! He covers for the 1, 2, 2.8! He gets a chair and heads up top. Generico up but Kodaka chairs him down. He tries a chair-assisted knee drop off the top but Generico moves and Kodaka eats chair. Generico with the yakuza kicks and the BRAINBUSTAAAAAAA… attempt. Kodaka slides out and hits a superkick for 2. Kodaka heads up top with the chair again and now HITS the chair knee drop off the top. Cover for the 1, 2, 2.9! He gives Generico a standing enzuigiri and goes for another superkick but Generico catches and counters to the HALF NELSON SUPLEX ON THE CHAIR! Cover gets ANOTHER close 2. Generico with another pair of yakuza kicks and now the REAL BRAINBUSTAAAAAAAAAA! COVER GETS 1, 2, 3 for a new champ at 15:09 of aired footage. More of a hardcore highlight reel than a match even if those are some hella brutal spots. Maybe if the clipped portion was inserted back in it’d be a bit higher. Still think you can’t one up a Michinoku Driver on some chairs but the BRAINBUSTAA is close. ***1/2

• TLC Match for the DDT Extreme Championship: Isami Kodaka vs. El Generico (c). UNION 01/03/12. Return match from above. Generico with a go behind and Kodaka grabs a wristlock. They repeat the spot where he pulls Generico back done and switches to the hammerlock. They go straight the headscissors spot to cut it short and it’s standoff time. Generico grabs a headlock but gets sent off. He takes down Kodaka with a shoulderblock. Kodaka runs into some armdrags and the floatover armdrag. Another repeat. Generico with a chop and now Kodaka goes through his stuff and dropkicks Generico to the floor and follows out with a suicide dive. Exact same match so far with VERY little differences. Kodaka gets several chairs and a ladder. He waffles Generico a couple of times to the gut with a chair. He tries a whip but Generico counters and sends him reeling into the rows of empty chairs. Now, Kodaka returns the favor and whips Generico into some chairs and sets up another Memphis table. Kodaka brings him to the apron but Generico blocks and instead gives him the Michinoku Driver through the table. Is this the same match? Generico brings him in and covers for 2. Generico chops him around and covers for another 2. Generico with a backbreaker and heads up top for the split leg moonsault for 2. Generico gives him a chairshot but Kodaka no sells and tells him to bring it on. Kodaka does it again and wants more to the back. Generico obliges but instead outsmarts him and blasts him in the head with one and KODAKA SELLS THAT ONE! Pretty sweet.

• Cover gets a nearfall. Generico with a Sabu laddershot for 2. Generico getting frustrated. Generico leans the table against the ropes. They trade clothesline attempts before Generico eats a backdrop on the ladder. Kodaka sends him into the corner but gets backdropped to the apron. Generico gets the ladder only for Kodaka to pull a chair out of nowhere and blast the ladder into Generico. Awesome. Kodaka now gets a gimmick that can best be described as a giant prop hammer. I’m sure it makes sense if you watch more DDT. Anyway, he hammers the ladder onto Generico a couple of times. Kodaka covers for a close 2. Kodaka gets the giant hammer again but Generico avoids and gives him the Blue Thunder Bomb for 2. Generico now steals the hammer and swings. Kodaka avoids but Generico swings again and waffles him RIGHT IN THE FACE! Generico goes for the GIANT HAMMER SPIKE but Kodaka avoids and boots Generico. Generico comes back with the MICHINOKU DRIVER ON THE CHAIRS! Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Crowd chants for Kodaka. They slug it out and Generico looks to win only to try the yakuza kick but Kodaka gets up the chair! Kodaka now tries a forearm but Generico gets up the chair and Kodaka eats chair as well! Nice transitions and counters with the chair! Kowada tries a CHAIR SHOT HOMICIDA but Generico ducks. YAKUZA KICK! HALF NELSON SUPLEX! KODAKA NO SELLS AND COMES BACK WITH A SUPERKICK! Double KO spot. They both are up and go for forearms and collide. Kodaka lays him out with a STIFF forearm. Kodaka sets up a pair of chairs and a ladder between them like a bridge. He sets Generico on them and heads up top. He goes for the flying knee drop but Generico moves and he eats ladder. Generico wants the half nelson suplex on the ladder and HITS IT! Generico covers for the 1, 2, 2.9! Generico now puts him up top but Kodaka has a chair and Generico doesn’t see it. Kodaka waffles him of the top and hits the chair assisted knee drop off the top for 2. Kodaka puts the ladder on top of Generico and heads up with the chair. Generico up and waffles him with the ladder to cut off. Generico sets the ladder up in the opposite corner. Generico with a yakuza kick and wants the BRAINBUSTAAA but Kodaka counters to a SNAKE EYES! BEAUTIFUL! Kodaka with a couple of stiff superkicks and a third. He covers for the 1, 2, 2.99! Crowd chants for Kodaka. Kodaka with a head of steam but Generico catches him the HALF NELSON TAZZ PLEX ON THE LADDER! Kodaka no sells and comes back with a Wheelbarrow Code Red for the 3 to win it at 19:11.

• This is a much better match than the first one but man I sure wish they had switched finishes. I’m not sure if that counter-rotated Code Red is his finisher (and if it is, that no sell to set it up is normal) but it doesn’t work for me in that match. I thought once they got past the verbatim first 5 minutes they REALLY starting clicking with the weapons and transitions and counters, even the damn Looney Tunes hammer worked for me, but how can you no sell a half nelson suplex on a ladder? And when I say switched finishes I don’t mean that Generico needed to win with the BRAINBUSTAAA; I just mean that it’s a much more satisfying conclusion to the chaos of what came before than Kodaka’s move. ****1/4

• Shinjiro Ohtani & Wild Pegasus vs. Great Sasuke & Black Tiger II. 10/16/94. SG Jr. Tag League ’94. Finals This, my friends, is one of my favorite matches of all time. Pegasus is Benoit and Black Tiger is the late great Eddie Guerrero. The heels (Tiger and Sasuke) are rocking capes. Eddie takes off his with a twirl and THROWS IT AT BENOIT! IT’S ON MOTHERFUCKER! One of my favorite all time openings. Benoit takes him down with a lefty LARIATO for payback and they brawl to the floor. Ohtani and Sasuke go at it in the ring as Eddie gets the advantage on Benoit and sends him into the first row and blasts him with a chair. Sasuke now shitcans Ohtani as Eddie slides in Benoit. Eddie now with some chairshots on Ohtani. By the way, for those wondering, the chairshots aren’t DQ because they were before the bell rang. Eddie slides him as the heels hit the combo suplex/crossbody for 2. Eddie and Sasuke are clearly in a hurry to take his home as Eddie now gets Ohtani on his shoulders for an Electric Chair Drop/crossbody combo with Sasauke. Cover gets another nearfall. Sasuke and Eddie now hit a pair of slingshot sentons and Sasuke puts him in a half crab. Ohtani gets the ropes but Eddie boots him away and tags in for a sweet brainbuster. Cove gets another 2 count. Eddie with a Sharpshooter and Benoit comes in to break that up. Ohtani comes back with a shoulderblock but runs into a LARIATO from Eddie. Eddie postures for the crowd and they let him hear it. Ohtani comes back with a couple of spinwheel kicks and Eddie powders out. Rather than go for a tag, Ohtani with a springboard plancha. Back in, Benoit in with a clothesline and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for 2. He tries a German suplex but Eddie cuts him off with a low blow and tags in Sasuke. Sasuke goes for an armbar but Benoit gets the ropes. Sasuke pulls him back to the middle and tries it again. Benoit nicely rolls him over into a surfboard. Eddie repeating Benoit’s breaking up of the Sharpshooter, walks right in the ring and gives him a BLATANTEYEPOKE! I LOVE IT! Benoit with a back elbow on Sasuke and tags in Ohtani. Ohtani with a shoulderblock. Sasuke with a leap frog. Ohtani tries a LARIATO but Sasuke ducks and tries the bridging O’Connor roll for a 2 count. Ohtani with a standing rana for 2 as they now go through the requisite roll up sequence that was THEN amazing stuff. Ohtani with a dropkick and tags in Benoit. This is just LIGHTNING quick all through here. Hard to keep up with recapping wise. Benoit with a BEAUTIFUL German suplex for a 2 but Eddie breaks that up. Benoit with a Northern Lights and Eddie breaks that up too. Benoit with the WILD BOMB! He covers for the 1, 2,–Eddie breaks it up. Benoit has had ENOUGH with Eddie. He chases him back to the corner and waffles him off the apron. Benoit tags in Ohtani and now they hit a Doomsday dropkick for 2. Ohtani with a German suplex for 2 but Eddie breaks that up. Ohtani puts the boots to Eddie but that allows Sasuke to hit a spinkick and a DR FR enzuigiri. Sasuke wants the armbar. Ohtani reverses and goes to his own armbar. Sasuke stacks him up for 2. In retaliation, Sasuke torques the hold and Eddie breaks that up too. Benoit in for the LEATHERY chops on Sasuke. Benoit goes for a kimura on Sasuke and again Eddie is aghast at his stupidity for trying this shit in a tag match. Eddie casually boots him in the face and walks away. Sasuke tries a Boston Crab but Ohtani tags in. He got some kicks for Sasuke. He tries a half crab and is VERY reluctant to release even though Sasuke has the ropes.

• AHA! Ohtani sees Eddie coming this time and now they go face to face. Ohtani tries a cheap shot kick but Eddie CATCHES IT! Not appearing attention to the legal man costs as Ohtani as Sasuke waffles him from behind with a roundhouse. Eddie now in with the Frog Splash for 2. Not yet a finisher. Eddie with a BRIDGING SNAP AB SUPLEX! Cover gets 2. Eddie brings him up top for the TOP ROPE FRANKENSTEINER! Benoit breaks up the cover now. Ohtani is DONE and Eddie mocks him. Eddie now puts him in the GORY SPECIAL! Sasuke tags in and hits the SASUKE HAMMER OFF THE TOP! Eddie before going to the apron tells Benoit to shove it. This is getting good. Sasuke now with an Indian Deathlock. Ohtani gets the ropes. Now they fight over a leg grapevine and Ohtani wins with the heel hook. He’s too near the ropes though and you know what that means. Eddie strolls down the apron and POKES HIM IN THE EYE! Benoit tags in and this a top rope superplex. He covers but Eddie breaks it up at 2. Benoit with Dragon suplex for another 2. Benoit avoids a backdrop but eats a superkick and a dropkick. Crowd senses a dive coming as Benoit bails. Sasuke gets a head of steam but Benoit moves. Sasuke now up the turnbuckle to recalibrate the dive and how hits the massive plancha off the top. Both tag partners come over to check on their guys. Sasuke recovers and slides Benoit in. He heads up top for a moonsault but Benoit moves. Benoit now with another Wild Bomb but Sasuke still kicks out at 2. Benoit wants a top rope back suplex but Sasuke floats over. He covers for the 1, 2, 2.9! Benoit kicks out as Ohtani was a split second away from breaking it up. Crowd really into that nearfall. Eddie in and now with the lock up that allows him to springboard off the ropes into a rana. Just beautiful. Eddie spikes him down with a brainbuster but Ohtani breaks up the cover. Benoit counters to a Dragon suplex for 2. Ohtani in and he wants another Dragon Suplex but Eddie rolls through for a 2 count. Eddie with a TIGER BOMB! COVER GETS 2! Sensing the end is near, Eddie calls for the HIGH CROSS TIGER BOMB! COVER GETS 1, 2, – Benoit breaks it up. Sasuke in and Benoit just suplexes him off the top and just fucking DROPS HIM! Eddie with a tornado DDT on Ohtani but Benoit breaks that up. Now the ref is pissed. Sasuke in to assist and now HE’S PISSED! He boots Benoit to the floor and tries a quebrada but Benoit moves and SASUKE EATS FLOOR! Eddie and Ohtani head up top but Benoit breaks it up. They try an Electric Chair where Ohtani leaps and catches Eddie off Benoit’s shoulders into a rana but, in the match’s only flaw, it doesn’t go as planned and Eddie and Ohtani get folded up a tad. Ohtani up and decides to cover with a Dragon Suplex and THAT’S the end now at around 25:00. Just all out warfare with suplexes galore and seething tension between the two teams, but the match is made for me by Eddie being a better heel under a mask with no dialogue, than most wrestlers ever could manage while using promos, weapons, managers, etc. ****3/4

• SMASH Championship: Tajiri vs. Dave “Fit” Finlay (c). SMASH 02/19/2012. There’s an air of solemnity to the proceedings because news had already been announced that SMASH, Tajiri’s promotion, would have to close their doors in March. Finlay is using his WWE “I like to fight music.” Guess the WWE gave them permission for that. We get both national anthems before the match. Pretty cool.

• Lockup goes into the corner where they jockey for position. More feeling out process before Finlay throws some snot on him. Finlay tries a Crossface Chickenwing but Tajiri blocks so they go into the ropes. Finlay gets a single and an inside trip. Finlay now wants a Boston Crab and uses the ropes for leverage kind of like cage-walking. This is a bit slowed down to work a more realistic, MMA style. Ref demands a rope break and Finlay reluctantly gives in. Finlay drops down for the drop toe hold and goes back to the arm and a crossface. Finlay with a hard elbow and covers for 1. Tajiri rolls through and now he wants the single. He’s got a bit of side control and works a bit of an anklelock before hooking in an Indian Deathlock and floating into an STF. NICE! Finlay blocks to release so Tajiri goes to an RNC. Finlay drives him into the corner for another rope break. Tajiri wants a front facelock but Finlay counters with a hammerlock takedown. Tajiri goes back to the leg and torques it an then switches to the Nagata Lock. Finlay gets the ropes and Tajiri releases. Tajiri now starts in with the kicks and he hits a few before Finlay slides out of the way with the drop toe hold and JUMPS on the single leg crab and now an STF. SWEET! They work the hold for a bit but Tajiri gets the ropes. Tajiri rolls out to take a breather. Tajiri’s entourage in his corner keeps Finlay at bay in the ring. They slug it out with forearms in the ring now and Finlay wins that. He goes for a charge in the corner but Tajiri dodges and goes for the Tarantula TO A POP! Finlay avoids with the headbutts and hits an Island Driver for 2. Finlay with a couple Euro uppercuts but Tajiri ducks a third and hits a superkick. Finlay bails and ties Tajiri up in the apron on his baseball slide attempt. Finlay drives him into the apron. Finlay gives him a flapjack on the chairs in the front row. Finlay teases a dive to the floor but Tajiri slides in instead so Finlay gives him another flapjack. Tajiri is selling his throat like he broke his trachea.

• Finlay drops an elbow and goes to the sleeper. The ref checks the hold to Finlay’s chagrin (“IT’S FINE!”). Tajiri tries to elbow out but Finlay takes him down by the hair and then poses. Finlay with more Euro uppercuts but Tajiri comes back with a desperation kick. That seemed to piss Finlay off more than anything. Finlay pounces on Tajiri and starts choking the shit out of him and just generally sonning him with elbows to the face. Finlay brings him into the corner for overhand chops and a throat thrust. Finlay heads up top but Tajiri kicks him off with a leaping enzuigiri. On the floor, Finlay comes back and rams Tajiri into the ringpost and then goes back to the BLATANTCHOKE. The ref and one of Tajiri’s cornermen try to pull him away. Finlay tosses him into the ring and that allows Tajiri to come back with the handspring back elbow to a pop. Tajiri chops him down with kicks to the leg and clips the knee. Tajiri goes to the half crab. Finlay reaches for the ropes on the STF attempt and makes it. Tajiri tries to target the leg but Finlay manages to shove him down and try to shake some feeling back in it. Finlay with the Finlay Roll for 2. Finlay tries another but Tajiri counters to a crucifix roll up for 2. Tajiri with a BEATIFUL roundhouse and now the BRUTAL DR FG ENZUIGIRI! Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Crowd is chanting for Tajiri. He goes for another but Finlay ducks and gives him the diving headbutt to the gut. Finlay with a short arm LARIATO for 2. Finlay drives a Tombstone but Tajiri rolls through and gives him another stiff enzuigiri. He wants one more but Finlay counters to a spinebuster. Ref checks Tajiri to make sure he’s still in the match. Finlay now gets the shillelagh. He dumps the ref away. Tajiri tries another enzuigiri but Finlay blocks it WITH THE SHILLELAGH! ANOTHER SHOT TAKES DOWN TAJIRI! Cover gets 1, 2, 2.9! Not sure why the ref counted but I don’t know the rules of the promotion about DQs. Finlay tries the Tombstone again but Tajiri tries to use his weight to counterbalance. Finlay finally says FUCK THIS and SPIKES HIM DOWN! Cover gets 1, 2, 3 to retain at 22:27. Post-match, Finlay says because the promotion is done and out of respect to everyone, he’s leaving the title in the ring. Also, he helps Tajiri to his feet and then leaves him with a parting message: “KEEP WRESTLING CLASSIC!”

• Another good match if nothing earth-shattering. While I’m not overly familiar with the promotion, I imagine this is a nice, fitting ode to its work style and wrestling. It has that realistic matwrestling sense in the first few minutes and then it gets into a NOAH-type strike-heavy psychology (though not as stiff) with still some submission stuff worked in. Again, I wasn’t blown away but I still enjoyed it and (since I haven’t seen hardly any of his Japanese stuff) it’s probably the best Tajiri match I’ve ever seen along with some of his ECW matches against Super Crazy. Spot of the match: Tajiri’s roundhouse, enzuigiri combo. ****

The 411: Some very good matches with the majority of them being from 2012 and outshining even the best US matches of this year so far by a good amount. I wouldn't forget either Aoki/Nakajima or Go/Morishima when it comes award time at the end of the year.
Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]