I Went From Wreckage To World Class

Gedo/Jado (c) VS Masaaki Mochizuki/Don Fuji (c) - NJPW IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship VS WAR International Junior Tag Team Championship 1/7/2007

CJD:  Double titles on the line here so high stakes. Unlike your match the Dragon Gate duo are the invaders but this is Korouken and they love them some underdogs. The main thing that held my interest in this match is that it's stiffer than the hot dog bun you forgot in the back of the fridge last summer. For this style of wrestling at least. Jado & Gedo join the illustrious company of the Usos and Santo/Casas as tag team MDTSOCWWKD Champions. Which is ironic because I've never loved them as a team. But I do respect the career they've had and this is a noteworthy night in that career. Fundamental tag team goodness right here. I wish there was a rematch.

JJZ: Jado and Gedo looking yoked as fuck in this match. Love that both titles are on the line because I feel like that really doesn't mean one way or the other for who is going to win. You know I love me some Don Fuji. I really miss watching him and this match hit the spot for that. I forgot so many of his moves. When I was watching Dragon Gate on the regular his style always brought such a nice change of pace that the show needed. Mochizuki has some the best kicks in wrestling and it makes so much sense that he had a hand in training Nakajima. I feel like you can see the influence while you're watching this match. I'll agree with you about Jado and Gedo, I was never over the moon about them but you can't agrue the success and how over they were. The crowd in this match really built fantastically. They got louder with every big move in the second half of the match. Basic but good psychology that built to well executed highspots is always a winner in my book. Nice pick baby cakes.

I Called Him Yoshinibu Kanemura For Years

Disobey (Kotaro Suzuki/Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (c) VS Gedo/Jado - NOAH GHC Jr Tag Championship 10/3/2009

JJZ: Every time a NOAH match from the this era is in front of me I assume I've seen it. But I'm pretty damn sure I've never seen this before. I've always love the NJPW VS NOAH stuff. The crowd is always extra energized and you can feel the heat through the screen. The bloodshed in this match is the vein of the story. It's a basic storyline line played to perfection. The heels slowed the match down and drained the babyfaces' will. While the home team brought spirit and excitement with everything they did. The comeback from Kanemaru was edge of your seat viewing. Jedo and Gado really made me hate them. I honestly wanted Suzuki to spike the fuck out of either one of them. I really liked the finishing stretch and hope you do as well.

CJD: This match took place 4 months after Misawa died and in some ways the shadow of that tragedy feels more important to the match than anything else that happens in it. I guess that's how NOAH was in general for a long time afterward, but something about this match with the combo of Suzuki and Kanemaru, a dream team of their junior division, Kotaro one of Misawa's top students, going up against the evil invading heat machines in a bloody proving ground type match. This felt like a catharsis for the crowd in a time they badly needed any sort of diversion. And I think Gedo and Jado milked every last drop out of that situation. To the point that watching it now and expecting something more in the vein of the early 2000s NJPW VS NOAH feud, I did feel like this was a little too deliberate. But for the crowd that night, on a tour called Misawa Always In Our Hearts, it was probably just right. Suzuki was a great hot tag here bringing that fire. Kanemaru probably loved the chance to play face in peril after watching Kikuchi make an art out of it for years and years on the apron. And man did he get some color. I bit on a few nearfalls too, this match definitely took me on a ride. It didn't blow me away but not every match needs to. Fun watch.