2010: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Go Shiozaki
Wrestle Kingdom IV (attendance: 41,500 / 20,000)
http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00174_1_8
Wrestle Kingdom IV continues the theme of working together. As you can see on the poster, New Japan are NOAH are featured prominently on this event. Both the IWGP and GHC titles are on the line (IWGP – Shinsuke Nakamura vs Yoshihiro Takayama, GHC – Takashi Sugiura vs Hirooki Goto). There are also guests from CMLL (Averno & Ultimo Guerrero), TNA (Brother Ray & Brother Devon, aka the Dudley Boyz) and Zero1 (Masato Tanaka). In addition Riki Choshu, Terry Funk and Abdullah the Butcher make an appearance in the undercard.
The match we’re going to look at today is between NJPW ace Hiroshi Tanahashi and one of the biggest names to come out of the NOAH dojo Go Shiozaki.
Last we saw Tanahashi his second IWGP Heavyweight title reign was ended by Nakamura in 2008. Nakamura lost the belt to Keiji Mutoh in April and Tanahashi would begin his third reign at the 2009 Wrestle Kingdom event. (We covered Nakamura & Hirooki Goto against Takashi Sugiura & Mitsuharu Misawa). In May 2009 Tanahashi was defeated by Manabu Nakanishi and lose the belt, only to regain it in Nakanishi’s first defence. The fourth reign of Tanahashi was ended in August by a fractured eye socket.
Go Shiozaki is a new face to this series. He debuted in Pro Wrestling NOAH in July 2004 after training at their dojo. He was the only man to graduate from his class and began teaming with Kenta Kobashi. In 2006 he went on excursion wrestling for Ring of Honor, Full Impact Pro and Harley Race’s World League Wrestling. He won the top title of both FIP and WLW. Shiozaki also had a WWE tryout. Upon his return to Japan in 2009 he began teaming with Misawa and would win the Global Tag League. Unfortunately, the resulting title match was Misawa’s last. GHC Heavyweight champion Jun Akiyama was forced to vacate due to injury and it was Shiozaki that claimed his first GHC title by defeating Takeshi Rikio to fill the void. He lost the title to Sugiura in December 2009.
Wrestle Kingdom IV – NJPW vs NOAH. Tanahashi vs Shiozaki!
Go Shiozaki waits in the ring as we join the action, his entrance taken by musical copyright it seems. Tanahashi is played in by High Energy and makes his way onto the elaborately constructed stage.
The bell rings and both men circle with Tanahashi rallying the crowd. Collar and elbow and Shiozaki pushes back to the ropes. Clean(ish) break with a head rub. Back to it and Shiozaki takes control with some chain wrestling. A cool little arm drag exchange. Tanahashi pushes Shiozaki back to the ropes to force a break. They lock up again and Shiozaki takes control with a side headlock. Tanahashi eventually forces an out. Both men exchange arm drags and are sitting even at this point.
They lock up and after Shiozaki puts the pressure on, Tanahashi wins it with a throw. Big chop from Shiozaki! Tanahashi fires back with some forearms, but is chopped to the outside. Shiozaki follows. DDT on the floor. Shiozaki catapaults Tanahashi into the corner post. Drapes him across the apron and comes in with a knee. Tanahashi now draped across the second rope and catches the incoming boot of Shiozaki. Dragon screw attempt but fought off. Low dropkick from Tanahashi. Back in the ring and he has better luck with the dragon screw and that opens up the leg for Tanahashi to attack.
Tanahashi stays on it with a legsweep takedown and then cinches in a leglock. Shiozaki fairly close to the ropes, but instead opts to kick Tanahashi in the back to break. Tanahashi goes back to the leg by cornering Shiozaki and hanging it over the second rope. A low dropkick and then a toe hold variation. Red Shoes admonishes him. Rushes in and gets dumped across the top turnbuckle. Shiozaki fires in off the ropes with a shoulder block. Follows it up with some chops, but Tanahashi catches, strikes the leg and hits the ropes. Cut off some clotheslines, a superkick and dropped with a fisherman buster. 2 count.
Shiozaki sends him into the ropes and rushes in with a chop. Does it again and Tanahashi comes back with some elbows. More chops by the once-protégé of Kenta Kobashi ends that. Tanahashi seated in the corner and Shiozaki delivers a devastating knee. Tanahashi down, Shiozaki up on the second rope. Jumping knee drop but Tanashi moves. Not smart for someone with a sore leg. Tanahashi with a striking combination, shot off the ropes but gets a flying forearm. Cover for 2. Tanahashi with a waistlock, German suplex attempt perhaps as Shiozaki fights it off with back elbows. Tanahashi drops down and grounds Shiozaki with a chop block. Off the ropes but met with a chop. Third time he ducks it and comes back in with a Slingblade attempt that Shiozaki sidesteps and catches for a German suplex. Chops and a superkick from Shiozaki and Tanahashi gets the Slingblade this time. He’s taking this moment to get some breath rather than cover.
Both men rise and they’re squaring off with strikes. Shiozaki daring him to come. Elbow combinations send the NOAH representative down. Tiger driver set up by Tanahashi but Shiozaki fights it. Butterfly suplex hits and then another Slingblade. And another. Tanahashi feeling the energy now. Heads up top for a High Fly Flow and meets Shiozaki’s knees on the way down.
They make their way to the feet, Shiozaki in the unfortunate position of the corner but creates some space with a chop. Ascends the turnbuckles and despite his best efforts to fight him off, Tanahashi joins him. So he eats a super swinging side slam. Kobashi-esque chopes for good measure and a cover… for 2 only! Picks him back up and takes him back down with a lariat. Scoop slam towards the corner and Shiozaki signals it’s time to Go home. Impressive moonsault for a count of 2.
Shiozaki trying once again to end up from a brainbuster setup but Tanashi fights him off. They trade strikes before Tanahashi ducks a clothesline and grabs a full nelson. Dragon suplex imminent, but locks the arms for a Miyahara-esque Shut Down German suplex. Nearly 3! They’re back up and back to the forearm exchange. European uppercuts from Tanahashi now and chops from Shiozaki. Shiozaki fires up with a flurry but Tanahashi ducks the final chop. Only to be caught with a spinning back chop that knocks him off his feet. Big wind up and a devastating lariat from Shiozaki. Red Shoes counts the 1, 2, no! What more will it take? Brainbuster setup but Tanahashi rolls through with a small package! Shiozaki holds on and takes him up, Tanahashi slips it though and comes down behind him. Dragon suplex! 1! 2! Kickout!
Tanahashi off the ropes with a Slingblade. Low dropkick and a Michinoku driver for 2. He races to the top. High Fly Flow! Back up for another one and connects! 1! 2! 3! It’s over in 19 and 4.
Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrates as High Energy plays in the background. Here’s a link to it just to keep with the ritual we’ve built here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqlTSQ57S54
Shiozaki comes in to have words with Tanahashi and leaves, acknowledging that tonight at least, he was the better man.
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