[2003-06-06-NOAH-Navigation With Breeze] Akira Taue vs Yuji Nagata

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Navigation With Breeze is the greatest tour title ever!

 

Yuji Nagata vs Akira Taue - NOAH Budokan 6/6/03

 

This is one of the best establish a challenger matches I have ever seen. You have New Japan badass, Yuji Nagata coming off breaking the IWGP Title Defense record looking to prove he is best wrestler in Japan by taking on Kobashi, but first he has to get through a Four Corner of Heaven, Akira Taue. This match is all about setting up the Kobashi match, which oddly is not as good as this match. Nagata repeatedly takes Taue's best shot and will not be denied. Early on, he takes three Nodowas including one on the floor (but not off the apron gotta protect the gimmick ), but Taue cant negotiate the pinfall. He is able to mount a mini-comeback by going after Taue's arm to setup his unbreakable NagataLock III, but Taue scores a DDT to turn the tide. Taue hits two big boots to set up the top rope Nodowa, a Nodowa and then a DYNAMIC BOMB~! Nagata still kicks out. You have established he can take a lickin', but keep on tickin'. From there, it is clear that Nagata is going to mow down Taue and showcase his offense, which means exploders, enziguiris and back drop drivers. Credit to Nagata as he starts the finish run with a kick to the bad arm and applying a Crippler Crossface. He works to get the vaunted Nagatalock III on, but has to hit his other moves first to weaken Taue to apply the hold. True to form, he secures the victory and earned the right to face Kobashi at the next Budokan with the Nagatalock III. In a tidy 16 minutes, this match accomplishes that Nagata can take the best shots of one of Kobashi's biggest rivals and that he will be targeting the arm (a huge source of Kobashi's offense) and Kobashi is in trouble if the Nagatalock III is applied. Mix in this is New Japan's hottest star versus NOAH's hottest star and you have yourself some serious box office. ****

[Ditch]

I had this #2 for 2003. So much Taue goodness, so much heat, and indeed, very "tidy". While the January tag showed that Taue could still go, this establishes him as still being capable of elite-level performances.

[dawho5]

This was the best Nagata match I've seen so far. Really well-worked, I had this feeling the rings of Saturn Nagatalock would be the finish when Taue fought it off the first time. Nagata was looking pretty not beat up in his post-match reaction to winning, despite taking a massive beating at the hands of Taue. I did think the match put over Nagata's toughness and counter wrestling, which seems to be the purpose of it.

[Steenalized]

Nagata takes an assbeating early on. Taue hits all those nodowas and lands some big knees while Nagata sinks in the corner. Somehow he weathers it all and keeps coming back. Nagata tries to rip Taue's arm off every time he can. Taue's big boot looks awesome given how lanky he is and how much shorter Nagata is. How much offense can Nagata survive? A lot, as this match set out to prove. Taue gets to put the bigger hurting on Nagata, but Nagata's offense is enough for the win to be credible. Star making performance seems like an overstatement, but Nagata gets a big build here. About ****.

[Graham Crackers]

This is Nagata's best match and it's because Taue showed up ready to dance. It's funny that Taue isn't known for his striking but his strikes completely outclass Nagata in this one. dawho5's right about Nagata's selling leaving something to be desired but when Taue wrestles a match like this he could be in the ring with a broomstick, or even Chono, and I'd probably still like it.

[El-P]

It's pretty easy to get caught in the Taue hype watching this match for two reasons : it was the Taue show, which mean he was the one who really got the shine the most as the story was all about Nagata taking everything one of NOAH's finest could throw to him and still come up victorious; it was also a great performance by Taue all around. It is not to say Nagata wasn't exactly up to the task, he was a terrific outsider, playing heelish toward the NOAH audience (something he learned in WCW) and being on point with everything (great kicks). They pretty much worked it as a sprint, with Taue getting the advantage early and delivering a barrage of bombs on NJPW's great savior of the cursed generation. Just relentless action with a terrific flow, this shows you can achieve greatness in a mere 15 mn.

[ohtani's jacket]

Holy shit, what an awesome match. This had the best start to a match I've seen in ages. The crowd was absolutely brilliant in the way they willed Taue on. To the seasoned viewer, it was obvious that Nagata was going to weather the storm and work his way back into the match, but it's been a long time since I've seen a heat segment like that. It had the same kind of heat that you'd find in a finishing stretch. Nagata's comeback wasn't spectacular, but it was well-built, and Taue sold his demise like an absolute champ. That was his All Japan pedigree rising to the top. I didn't know I love the Nagata locks so much. Maybe I don't. Maybe it was Taue's selling, but those were fantastic looking spots and Taue sold them beautifully. Taue worked so hard in this match only for it to all slip away, but what a cracking bout. One of the best Japanese matches of the decade thus far.