KENTA vs. Ricky Marvin (NOAH, 10/15/09)

This has to be the best sub-3:00 match, right? I mean, they managed to pack a 25:00+ minute main event into two minutes and some change. Ricky “Livin’ La Vida Loca Extreme” Marvin, really wants to win this, hitting the John Woo dropkick, the powerbomb, the thrust kick, before KENTA no sells it all to obliterate Marvin with a rolling lariat. For the most part, Marvin has answers to KENTA’s big offense, countering the first Go 2 Sleep attempt with the rana, but the second attempt connects and KENTA blasts him with the punt kick to win.

KENTA vs. SUWA (NOAH, 9/18/05)

When you think of the “great” junior heavyweights of Pro-Wrestling NOAH, SUWA’s name is often left out of that list in favor of someone flashier like Marufuji or Ishimori, or everybody’s favorite angsty junior, KENTA. But SUWA, putting in the bad dude performance of a lifetime, managed to bring perhaps the very best out of KENTA, as he dragged his boot heel across the line in the sand. The lost art of being heel. He wants in and out of this match pronto, so he attacks KENTA with the timekeeper’s bell and an equipment case, cheering himself on as he thinks he’s somehow done it but the match is ruled a no contest and restarted as he’s heading up the rampway. Pissed with this decision, SUWA gets in Joe Higuchi’s old man face but Higuchi ain’t no stooge and he’s ready to fight, stripping off the sports coat. Back in the ring, he chokes KENTA with tape, smacks the referee with the turnbuckle pad before hucking it at Higuchi – love Higuchi point at him like “watch it, punk!”. As KENTA starts building momentum, SUWA deliberately shoves the ref into the ropes as KENTA attempts to springboard off the ropes, causing him to crash and burn. Awesome. They fire on all cylinders heading into the back half of the match, flip-flopping on offense, with KENTA taking out some that brimming aggression in the corner with his stomps. They dive, throw bombs, KENTA counters the FFF with the Go 2 Sleep, and then he just annihilates SUWA with back-to-back-to-back head kicks and high kicks and the running knee to finish him off.

Katsuyori Shibata & KENTA vs. Akira Taue & Go Shiozaki (NOAH, 9/9/06)

The pairing of Shibata with KENTA works on so many different levels. It’s a shame we only got three tag matches out of them. When Shibata teamed with KUSHIDA for a few matches earlier this year, it reminded me of the Takeover as they complement each other well. But they’re not the same disrespectful little pricks. Hot opening as Big Taue chicken-steps around the ring and Shibata tries to bully the vet with elbows and boots. Taue slaps him silly and gives him a coconut crush to the entertainment of the fans. They eat up Taue’s dive tease. Shibata really brings out the best in the veterans, which is probably why his series with the New Japan Dads was so enjoyable to me. He gives zero fucks. Shiozaki makes for a good whipping boy, especially against a pissed off Shibata. They have great chemistry together. But when Go and KENTA are in their, the match cools off a little. It feels like they’re just going through the motions. KENTA pestering Taue on the apron was awesome though.

Shibata mocks Taue with a couple of coconut crushes over his knee to Shiozaki and oh boy, Taue is pissed, shaking the ropes. Shibata puts Taue in the octopus hold and when Go comes in and breaks it up, Shibata pedigrees him! They try to set Taue up for the Doomsday Device but he chops his way out. He catches KENTA with a great chokeslam counter to the springboard before chokeslamming Shibata and hitting a sit-out powerbomb for a huge false finish. KENTA and Shiozaki bring things to a close, cooling the crowd down again as they trade two counts off suplex holds. After Shibata takes down Taue with the sleeper hold > PK combo, they finish off Go with the brutal springboard Doomsday Device for the win. Probably the best Takeover match of the three and a hot crowd for the Shibata/Taue exchanges.

KENTA & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Mitsuharu Misawa & Go Shiozaki (NOAH, 12/4/05)

I guess this is where the “heat” between Shibata and Shiozaki took root. Shibata kicks the crap out of Shiozaki to open this match and calls out Misawa like a badass. Hell of a way to start the match. Similar to the previous KENTA & Shibata tag match, this was pandering at times but felt more consistent from bell to bell. Misawa took some major bumps (Jesus, that springboard Doomsday Device) and the interactions between he and Shibata felt unique but it’s a lot of Shiozaki getting dominated – those alternating kicks against the kicks looked painful.  Shiozaki doesn’t look bad in there and he’s always been a good seller. Love Misawa snapping on KENTA when he comes at him with those disrespectful shit kicks in the corner. The story here is Shibata REALLY wants to put Misawa to sleep and defeat him. He dangerously backdrops Misawa on his head after a sleeper hold and slaps it right back on, tiring him out for the PK. Shiozaki breaks it up and immediately pays for it. Misawa/Shiozaki rally back with a tiger driver into the German suplex combo and there’s a great moment where Shibata is fighting against a German but Shiozaki delivers it anyway. That KENTA save from across the ring after the moonsault was awesome. In the end, Shiozaki survives the PK but not a few brutal kicks to the head. Another good to great tag match with plenty of fun moments. 

KENTA & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Takeshi Morishima & Mohammed Yone (NOAH, 11/5/05)

This was like a greatest hits match, with a lot of cool spots and moments, but no real cohesion. Mohammed Yone was the lame duck and the match lost a bit of its steam when he was controlling on offense.  KENTA and Shibata were a fun pairing, and pissed off Baby Huey Morishima was awesome, especially in his interactions with KENTA. After KENTA hits the tag-in springboard dropkick, his shitty little face kicks only aggravate Morishima, which leads to a beat down and Morishima tossing him out of the ring. Shibata/KENTA looked great on offense against the cut off Yone, using plenty of hard strikes and some fun fake-out double teams. But Yone’s selling wasn’t good at all. Morishima’s volatility, however, was the best thing about this match, in my opinion. When KENTA goes to fuck with him on the apron, Morishima yanks him out of the ring and throws him over the barricade! Things slow down when Morishima/Yone are on offense, though I loved the smaller KENTA throwing himself at both guys in an attempt to fight them off. Shibata worked in some good strikes and arm control on Morishima. I loved him coming in and booting Morishima over the ropes to the outside to set up the big springboard Doomsday Device. The final stretch was a mess but the finish between KENTA and Morishima was brutal. Not a great match by any means but plenty of great moments.