All japan vs. new japan 2001 (read and rate)

[Guest JBcool]

Hey, this is my first rant in a long time. I used to do rants for Phantasia (or whatever it was) a long time but it's sinced closed down. I also did a few reviews for Justin Baisden's site (which I'll repost here, although they are a bit Keithish like).

 

For my next review I'll probably do something american and short because this tape was over 3 hrs and puro is hard to review and takes a long time. But anyway to the rant.

 

AJ vs. NJ 2001

 

This is my first tape review in a while. I used to do reviews for Phantasia.net or whatever (can't even remeber the name now). I also wrote a few reviews for Justin Baisdens Rolling Germans. Since then I've gotten rid of most of my tape collection and am wanting to get back into Puro but not as heavily. I got this show a while ago and am finally sitting down to watch it all.

 

This tape is set between April 2001 - June 8th 2001. This is the AJ version of their feud with All Japan featuring matches that happened on their home turf that wasn't released on NJ compilations.

 

It starts off with the begaining of NJ vs. AJ on August 11 2000, with Masa Fuchi coming out to the NJ crowd and then footage of him losing to Masa Chono. More clips of matches between AJ vs. NJ people leading up to the 2001 shows. To the Opening Video! And we officially begin!

 

From 4/14

 

Steve Williams/George Hines vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan/Satoshi Kojima

 

Steve Willaims is of course the broken down old gaijin of AJ. George Hines is one of the decent gaijin there. The NJ team of TenKoji are (were) one of the best teams in a long long time. Kojima is now in AJ full time with Keiji Muto and Kendo Ka Shin. Tenkoji just ooze confidence walking down to the ring. TenKoji are of course the IWGP Tag Team Champions here but the titles aren't on the line.

 

TenKoji jumps the bell as the flyers go into the ring.They double team Dr. Death with Williams doing his old man selling act. He comes back with a double clothesline and goes for an early backdrop driver. It's stop but he knocks TenKoji out the ring and celebrates. TenKoji being the cool and confident heels just walk it off and threaten to leave. Back into the ring they go and George Hines and Kojima start it off for real.

 

They run the ropes awhich ends in a Hines dropkick. Chinbreaker and then a Senton done by Kojima and they have a staredown. Williams is tagged in as well as Tenzan. Mongolian CHOP! by Tenzan, ANOTHER! Dr. Death comes back with a shoulderblock out hte corner and locks on a choke. Hines back in the they head outside hte ring. TenKoji control Hines on the outside while taunting Dr. Death on the inside. Kojima is tagged in and they nail headbutt/elbow combo with Hines on the ground, nifty.Kojima with a suplex for a 2. Kojima and Tenzan contorl Hines for a bit. Hines tries for fight back with elbows but his effort is ended by Kojima knocking him back down. Hines manages to make the tag after reversing a Tenzan suplex. Press slam on Tenzan and Kojima by Willaims. Poor TenKoji, Williams look lik he almost killed them. Splash in the corner and a sloppy belly to belly by Williams for a 2 on Tenzan, saved by Kojima. Doctor Bomb on Tenzan for a 2, saved by Kojima. Hines comes in and dropkicks Kojima out the ring, but gets mountain bombed by Tenzan for his efforts.

 

Kojima in, and he nails a diving elbow on Hines for a 2. Rock Bottom by Hines for a 2! Williams in, sidekick by Hines into a Williams Sloppy Spinebuster, and then a top rope splash for a near fall on Kojima! Williams "nails" Tenzan with a few punches. Poweslam by Hines gets another 2 on Kojima. Williams is sent out the ring and they nail a 3D on Hines for a 2.5! Williams in for a SLOOOPY save (GOD) and tries for a back drop driver on Kojima saved by Tenzan. WIlliams is out again and Kojima nails a running lariat!! on Hines (ouch, right on the back on his neck) for the 3! TenKoji and Hines tried somewhat hard to make this match good. But just any part at all with Williams was soo sloppy. He couldn't even make a pinfall save without screwing it up. It was a decent match, carried decently by the very good TenKoji

 

Winners: TenKoji

Time of Match: 14:50

Rating: **

 

Also from 4/14

 

Keiji Muto vs. Toshiaki Kawada

 

This match was at first hyped up big time when it first happened but then was hyped down after many people saw it. This is my first time seeing so lets see how good this is.

 

The crowd is pretty pumped up. They feel each other up and do the obligary fan clapping. Muto takes it to the mat and begins working on the leg of Kawada. Kawada fights back of it and gets an applause. Back to the mat as Muto hooks onto the arm for a while. Kawada fights out of it and Muto takes a breather. Back in the ring Kawada lays in the chops in the corner but Muto fights back with some of his own. Muto nails the crazy elbow and then a chinlock. Kawada fights out of the chinlock and is then put into a headlock. Kawada fights out of it with a sloppy belly to belly suplex. Kawada hits a few kicks and a kneedrop on the back of Muto's head. Kawada works him over on the outside with Muto streched on the ropes and comes back in and locks in a leglock on Muto's head. Kawada lays in a few kicks on locks on a sleeper. Muto makes the ropes. The whip each other to the guardrail on the outside then come back in. Kawada tries to destroy Muto's already terrible legs with some nice kicks to the back of them. Kawada lays in the kicks to Muto in the corner and nails a big boot that knocks both of them down. Muto gets bakc up and the trade elbows. Bodyslam and a kick to the back of the head ends Muto's comeback. Kawada tries for his powerbomb but Muto fights back and gets back body drop. Kawada counters with a lariat and a big boot in the corner right to Muto's jaw. Ouch. Kawada tries and is sucessful with the powerbomb this time getting a 2 and the fans on their feet. Kawada tries for his enzugurito to the face but Muto blocks it and nails a dropkick to the knee's. Muto back up, dropkick to the arm! Muto back up again, Kawada up, Muto the to 2nd rope, MUTOISSLE Dropkick! Kawada back up, Dragon Leg Screw by Muto! He goes for it again but this time Kawada is ready and hits a enzuguri. Muto gets another dropkick to the leg and locks on a figure four! Kawada reverses! Muto reverses it back! Kawada starts slapping Muto so Muto juts applies the pressure, Kawada manages to reverse it again and this time they both just roll to the ropes. Muto holds onto it though! Muto with another dropkick to the knee. Another dragron screw by Muto but Kawada's had enough and no-sells it and nails a HUGE big boot. Muto back up, Enzuguri for a 2! Stretch Plum by Kawada on Muto! He covers Muto for a 2. He tries for a kneedrop but Muto just sits up and scratches himself. He dropkicks the arm and goes to the 2nd rope again and hits another missle dropkick to the arm. He locks on a corss amrbreaker! Kawada struggles in it but Muto won't let go. He finally makes it to the ropes as the fans sigh relief. Muto nails a few more dropkicks and goes for the crossarmbreaker again but Kawada's too fast for him and Kawada grabs Muto in a cross armbreaker of his own! Lariat on Muto. Another one and this time he makes the cover, nearfall 2 count. He tires for the lariat again but Muto blocks, he goes for the running big boot but Muto grabs it and hits a dragon leg screw! Kawada gets up on one knee and Muto debuts the Shining Wizard! Sloppy of course. It gets a very close 2 count. Kawada tries to get up but falls back on the ground, Muto covers for another close 2. Kawada fights back but Muto nails two more crappy looking Shining Wizards for the 3. It took 3 debutting Shining Wizards to down Kawada. That is not a good way to show off a new finisher. Now while this match wasn't the MOTY it was originally supposed to be. It wasn't as crappy as some people made it out to be. A slow start that lead into some hot sequences and a not so great finish. One thing that bug me about this match though is the ammount of dropkicks Muto did during the match. Overall a great match but not MOTYC worthy.

 

Winner: Keiji Muto

Time of Match: 24:20

Rating: ***3/4

 

Now onto 6/8/01

 

Steve Williams/Mike Rotunda vs. Hiro Saito/Satoshi Kojima.

 

Oh..joy. If full TenKoji can't carry a Williams team to a good match, this match is already hopeless. The reason why it wasn't full TenKoji is due to the fact that Kawada was facing Tenzan later in the night. The faces run in and the match starts off right away. The faces dominate and throws the heel outside to the floor. They run out to the heels but hte heels run back inside. They double team Rotunda for a bit. Kojima nails a senton on Rotunda. Rotunda comes back with a running clothesline. Kojima hits a Dragon Screw but Rotunda counters with one of his own as well. Williams is tagged in as well as Saito. They punches around for a bit and have a test of strength. Williams of course controls it. Kojima is finally tagged in. Williams knocks Kojima down with a decent looking big punch to the face. Rotunda is back in and he goes to work on the leg. Kojima fights back and he and Saito begin to work on Rotunda's leg. Williams in and he goes for the chinlock. Saito isn't very tired I guess as he hits a chinbreaker. That tires Williams out as he tags Rotunda back in. The Big Bossman slam on Saito for a 2 count. Kojima in and he nails a spinebuster bomb on Rotunda for a 2. Kojima knocks Rotunda down and gets a elbow drop for a 2. Koji-Kutter! He goes for the lariat but Rotunda counters with a leg to the arm and then a Samoan Drop for a 2. Williams in and hits a lariat but on the 2nd one Kojima goes behind and hits a german suplex. Saito is tagged in and nails not one but 2 Sentons on Williams for a 2. He goes to the 2nd rope but misses the senton. Rotunda and Williams nail a mini doomsday device for a 2 on Saito. Saito fights back with chinbreakers but is thrawted again. Spinebuster and then a legdrop for a 2, saved by Kojima. Williams goes for the bakcdrop driver, blocked into a doctor bomb! Kojima saves again. Saito gets a quick rollup on Dr. Death for a 2. Backdrop Driver by Williams finishes the match for Saito. This match, was almost like the other match, but not quite as good. Instead of Kojima having Tenzan to help carry it, he had senton man. Rotunda was pretty good, but both Williams and Saito blew.

 

Winners: Mike Rotunda and Steve Williams

Time of Match: 11:40

Rating: * 1/2

 

Yuji Nagata/Shinya Makabe vs. Masahito Kakihara/Mitsuya Nagai

 

This should be a good little shootfest with a young lion thrown in (Makabe).

 

Makabe and Nagai start. Makabe starts out out-wrestling Nagai but Nagai decideds thats enough and controls Shinya on the mat. Nagai nails some stiff knee's and tags in Kakihara. He shoves Makabe into his own corner and says he wants Yugi. Yugi comes in and tries for a side suplex but Kakihara falls on top of Nagata and nails some strikes to the face. Nagata rolls to the outside to recoop. Nagata comes back in and shows off with a belly to belly and a sitff kick to the back of hte head. They trade kicks but Nagata reverses one of Kakihara's kicks into an ankle lock. Makabe back in as he gets the NJ Young Lion Dreaded Half Crab (The finish to almost every single young lion match) but Kakihara makes it to the roeps and tags Nagai back in. Nagai destroys Makabe with a knee to the gut and puts on a headlock. They double-team Makabe with kicks in the corner. Kakihara goes for a sharpshooter, but Makabe makes it to the ropes. Nagai back in and he goes to work on Makabe's arm. He locks in a armbar but Makabe makes the ropes. Another big knee to the gut by Nagai. He goes back to work on the arm. Makabe comes back with a spear on Kakihara and tags in Nagata! Nagata comes in and nails several kicks to Kakihara knocking him down. He goes for an exploder but Nagai tries to save, Nagata kicks him down but gets hit by Kakihara. Kakihara runs to the ropes for a lariat but gets caught and Nagata hits him with an exploder for a 2! Nagata Lock! Makabe gets Nagai down in a crossface! Kakihara makes it to the ropes. Nagata goes for a german suplex but Kakihara counters with a achilles tendon hold, Nagai comes in and knocks Makabe down and locks on a leglock! Nagata finally makes it to the ropes though. Nagai and Nagata trade kicks but Nagata trips Nagai down. Nagata with a big kick to the face in the corner..SPEAR by Makabe, Northern Lights Suplex by Makabe for a nearfall! Nice sequence there. Nagai comes back with a NECKBREAKING german suplex on Makabe but is too tired to cover. Nagata comes in and distracts Nagai allowing Makabe to come up behind him and hit a rolling german suplex for a 2! Nagata can't believe it. Kakihara comes in and they double team Makabe. Kakihara and Nagai hit a double muscle buster from the top rope for a 2, saved by Nagata! Springbraod Knee to the face by Nagai on Makabe finishes it! This match was a really good match. High impact but impeded with little things of psychology like Nagata and Makabe being reluctant of Nagai's kicks and the double team submissions were a really nice touch.

 

Winners: Masahito Kakihara and Mitsuya Nagai

Time of Match: 12:40

Rating: ***1/2

 

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Toshiaki Kawada

 

On the NJ 6/6 PPV Kawada took on Tenzan's partner Satoshi Kojima (who tagged with Hiro Saito on this show), and won so now he takes on the other half of TenKoji.

 

The fans are up for this, chanting Kawada loudly. They have a feeling out process that ends when Kawada starts kicking Tenzan. He kicks him multiple times but Tenzan won't go down. Tenzan comes back with chops and headbuts. Kawada tries to headbutt Tenzan but Tenzan says screw you and headbutts Kawada, and Kawada falls. Tenzan takes control of the match. He goes to work on Kawada's arm with a armbar. Tenzan hits some chops and headbutts in the corner on Kawada. Kawada fights back with kicks to the face. Tenzan takes the control back with a armlock. It shows Tenzan's partner, Kojima on the outside watchingthe match. Tenzan with a clothesline in the corner and into a bulldog on Kawada for a 2. Kawada fights back with some big boots, but is stopped by a headbutt to the stomach. Tenzan misses once but hits the second diving headbutt for a 2. Tenzan places Kawada on the top rope, and hits a moutain bomb off the top for a short 2. Tenzan locks on the buffalo sleeper. Kawada kicks out of it. Tenzan goes to the top rope but Kawada kicks him in the gut for a 2. Kawada nails a running big boot in the corner and locks on the stretch plum for a 2. Big kick to the head by Kawada and he goes for his powerbomb. Tenzan fights of course and backbody drops out of it. Kawada comes back with some boots to the face, but Tenzan reverses a lariat with one of his own and locks on the Buffalo sleeper again. Tenzan lets go, Kawada fights back with kicks but Tenzan blocks the jumping kick to the face. Tenzan hits a spinning heel kick for a 2. Tenzan Tombstone Driver! Tenzan goes to the top, moonsault! He covers for the 2! Kawada comes back with a jumping kick to the face, but Tenzan no-sells! Backdrop Driver! Tenzan landed right on his neck but he pops up again! Lariat, but Tenzan stand again. 2 kicks to the face by Kawada and Tenzan still manages to get back up. Another big kick to the face and Kawada covers for a nearfall. Kawada goes for a backdrop driver again and after a struggle hits a nasty looking one for the pin! Another really good match. Tenzan controlled most of the match which is why I can understand the no-selling at the end, he simply wasn't as worn out as Kawada was. These 2 could definately do better IMO though.

 

Winner: Toshiaki Kawada

Time of Match: 15:10

Rating: ***3/4

 

Manabu Nakanishi/Yutaka Yoshi vs. Johnny Smith/Taiyo Kea

 

This match is going to be ugly. Nakanishi is now decent to good but back in June of last year he was at the very very begaining stages of getting even decent, only having good matches with Nagata and maybe Tenzan. Amazingly my tape goes out at the very entrances and comes in at about the 15 minute mark. Yoshi has a camel clutch on Kea and Manabu has a torture rack on Smith.Yoshi goes for a powerbomb but Kea drops out of it and kicks Yoshi, Yoshi catches Kea's leg and sitdown powerbombs him for 2. Yoshi then hits a german suplex on Kea for another 2. Kea comes back with a huricanrana on Yoshi for a 2. Enzuguri on Yoshi and a dropkick for Manabu by Kea. Kea hits the Hawian Smasher (TKO) for the win. This actually gave this match 18 minutes. Even the closing strech was slow and boring. I can imagine how the rest of this match was.

 

Winners: Taiyo Kea and Johnny Smith

Time of Match: 18:24

Rating: (For the 3 minutes I saw of it) *

 

Keiji Muto vs. Genichiro Tenryu

 

This is for the Triple Crown. 2 days earlier on 6/6 at the NJ PPV, Muto went 40 minutes with AJ member and Japan politician Hiroshi Hase. He now has to face AJ's main star, Tenryu in a huge match for himself. Some real nice entrances to start things out, giving a real big feel to the match.

 

Muto starts with a dropkick to Tenryu, he goes for the dragon-leg screw but Tenryu fights out of it but he bends his knee while doing it and gets a mouthful of the shining wizard! Backbreaker by Muto but Tenryu smarly rolls out of the way of the moonsault before Muto can make it to the top. After that hot opening it cools down a bit as Tenryu stalls. They fight over an armbar, with Tenryu controlling. Muto tries for a low dropkick but Tenryu sidesteps. Muto hits a snapmare and hits his crazy elbow. Into the headlock we ago. Tenryu fights out of it with a backdrop. Muto rolls out of the lariat and hits a dropkick. Muto tries for his handspring elbow but Tenryu lifts a boot in the corner. Enzurguri by Tenryu for a 1 count. Powerbomb by Tenryu for a 2. Tenryu chops Muto but Muto hits a rolling kick to Tenryu knocking him to the floor. Muto decides to go lucha and hits a Plancha! Nice for a man who's knee's are like rubber. Tenryu gets on the apron but Muto dropkicks him twice on the apron. They battle for a suplex on the apron with Tenryu winning, sending Muto out to the floor. Tenryu decides to show Muto a lesson about going lucha and hits a running tope suicida! Nice! Tenryu manages to get back on the apron but Muto decides to make the match even more crazier by nailing a dragon-screw legwhip with Tenryu on the apron to the floor! OUCH! Muto dropkicks Tenryu's knee from the apron to the floor. OMG this match is painful looking. There both in their 40's and 50's btw.Back in the ring, Muto climbs to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick! Muto tries to dropkick Tenryu's leg, but he moves out of the way, so Muto says fine and hits a dragon-screw legwhip instead. To punish the leg some more Muto puts on his Figure Four legleck in the middle of the ring. Like Muto and Kawada plus every singe other Muto match with a figure four in it, the battle over it until they make it to the ropes. Muto comes back with another dropkick to Tenryu's knee. He goes for another leg-screw but Tenryu just starts punching him in the face, and he dropkicks Muto! Muto says thats not right and dropkicks Tenryu's knee again. Tenryu no-sells though and runs at Muto, Muto just nochelantly trips Tenryu. Tenryu gets back up and grabs Muto's knee and hits one of the sloppiests dragon-screw legwhips ever. The though was there though. Tenryu locks on his own figure four as they battle over it some more. Muto makes the ropes, tries for the knee dropkick again, but Tenryu jumps out of the way and dropkicks Muto's knee. Tenryu then applies the texas cloverleaf on Muto! Muto makes the ropes but Tenryu just starts punching Muto. He puts Muto on the top rope back to the ring and hits a TOP ROPE GERMAN SUPLEX! WoW. He then drops back with an elbow drop, but that only gets 2! Muto comes back with a frankensteiner on Tenryu. Tenryu blocks the shining wizard and hits a brainbuster for a nearfall! The fans are on their feet! Tenryu punches, chops and kicks Muto in the corner and places him on the top rope again. He climbs up there with him and hits a SUPERRANA from the top! He covers for the 2 only! Tenryu goes for hte Nothern Lights Bomb, but Muto kicks Tenryu in the head knocking him down. Both are on their feet trading punches, Muto hits the backflip kick! Shining Wizard! 2 Count! Neither cna believe that this match hasn't ended yet. Shining Wizard again! Another 2 count! Finally Muto htis the backbreaker, he heads up top and hits the Moonsault! He covers for the pinfall!!

 

What a match. Muto and Tenryu wrestled like they were 20 years younger, trying to kill themselves.  They both put on a match that many call a MOTY and I think I agree with them. If it's not a MOTY then it's definately a top MOTYC for 2001. Get this tape just for the fact that it has this match in full.

 

Winner: (New Triple Crown Champion) Keiji Muto

Time of Match: 24:21

Rating: ****1/2

 

This tape was a really great tape. It showed why the AJ vs. NJ was good. Also get the NJ 6/6 PPV for another example. This tape had multiple *** matches with only 1 bad match. It also had one of the top matches of 2001 on it. I definately recomend you buy this tape.

[Guest areacode212]

This was a pretty good rant (I skipped over reading the Mutoh/Tenryu recap because I have it on a comp tape, but haven't watched it yet & don't want to be spoiled), but may I suggest explaining some of the feuds & background of the wrestlers? You do it a little bit, but since much of the readership here is familiar mostly with American wrestling, it might help if you make things a little more newbie-friendly. The "who ARE these guys?" factor is one of the things that keep me from fully enjoying puro tapes when I get them. Also, if you explained what some of the rarely-seen-in-America moves are, such as the Shining Wizard (I know what it is, but many others won't), that would be great.

 

You also do a pretty good job of describing the psychology & pacing of the matches, instead of dryly listing off moves. Oh, break up the paragraphs a bit more so it's easier to read.

[Guest JBcool]

thanks for the advice. From now on when I review puro I will do a Who's Who and How of the match explain who the wrestlers are and why they are facing their opponents if there's a reason.

 

Yea I got a bit lazy after the first match about breaking up the match reviews into paragraphs.

 

your advice is appreciated

[Guest Mark4steamboat]

Im  glad someone is reviewing puro cause im starting to get into puro and i would like to know people opinions of puro.

Great job.

[Guest Black Tiger]

Consider yourself lucky that you didn't see Kea/Smith vs Nakanishi/Yoshie. The match was patheticly slow and the NJ guys no sold way too much.

 

I can't imagine how it would have been without Kea in there.