Great Voyage 2015 in Yokohama, Pro Wrestling NOAH. though I would more be interested in your thoughts on the Suzuki Vs Marufuji match than getting a full review of the 2hourish show.
Great Voyage 2015 In Yokohama
Date: May 10, 2015
Location: Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium, Yokohama, Japan
Attendance: 3,500
GHC Heavyweight Title: Minoru Suzuki vs. Naomichi Marufuji
Suzuki is defending in a rematch after winning the title in March. This is part of an invasion angle as Suzuki is from New Japan but has led his Suzuki Gun stable into Noah to go after Marufuji's title. Suzuki is an older guy and wrestles an MMA style, which is a lot more common in Japan. They start slow with Suzuki taking him up against the ropes and slapping his chest like a condescending jerk.
It's off to the arm battle with both guys using some overly flipping counters to take over. Suzuki has to go to the ropes to escape so Marufuji slaps him in the face for showing him up. He's nailing the heel role if nothing else. Marufuji busts out a nice dropkick and rips off some chops in the corner. We hit the headlock on the mat because the already slow pace isn't slow enough yet. Back up and the champ nails a big boot and headbutt before they head outside. Marufuji comes back with a hard whip into the barricade and a running boot to knock him off the apron.
Back to the apron but this time Minoru grabs the leg and wraps it around the ropes. Now they head into the crowd with Suzuki throwing him into some chairs and cranking on Marufuji's arm. They get back to the ring for a standing cross armbreaker over the top rope, with Suzuki actually working on the right arm for a change. Suzuki gets caught with a foreign object (I'd recommend watching some more Memphis tapes) so he drives Marufuji down by the arm again.
We hit the seated armbar ala Yuji Nagata for a bit before Marufuji fights up and nails a dropkick. Suzuki misses a running boot in the corner and eats a nice curving superkick to the jaw. Something like a running reverse curb stomp to a seated Suzuki gets two but he does a freaky slither across the mat to crawl over and grab Marufuji's leg. Another running boot to the face gets two for the champ but he eats a Stunner across the top rope.
Marufuji tries a sunset bomb over the top rope, only to have Suzuki step to the side and grab another cross armbreaker. Back to the kicks followed by an old school sleeper. Thankfully that lasts all of three seconds before Suzuki can't hit a cradle piledriver. A series of strikes (some of which actually connect) put Minoru down and they chop it out again.
They run the ropes and keep missing each other until Marufuji nails a big kick to the head to put both guys down. Cue four more guys that I don't recognize because I don't watch this show, as the camera keeps cutting to a guy who looks like an accountant at ringside. Suzuki gets kicked in the head but he counters a Dudley Dog into another cross armbreaker. Everyone at ringside is gone as Marufuji gets to the ropes.
A big clothesline drops the champ for a bit before they trade big strikes. Marufuji hits what feels like his sixth superkick of the match but Suzuki knees the young buck in the face and puts on his sleeper (with a lot of shouting). It knocks Marufuji out, so Suzuki hits a cradle piledriver for good measure and the pin.
Rating: B. This had enough moments to make it work but there was a lot of stuff I wasn't feeling. To begin with, the arm work went nowhere after Suzuki spent most of the match setting it up. I know it's a common trait but it still gets on my nerves. Combine that with his inability to pick a finisher (armbreaker, sleeper and piledriver) and it was hard to get into the match. I liked the story of the condescending heel who knows how to pick someone apart vs. the young athletic guy who kept swinging away and it made up for the wrestling not being my taste. As usual, I enjoyed the match but not enough to keep watching this style.
