Big Japan: 2nd January 2009

And I finally move into 2009. The consensus appears to be that these next few months of Big Japan shows are packed with loads of quality matches, especially with the tag league, so I'm excited. I've never seen a promotion put so much into getting new guys over quickly as BJW has with its recent additions, which can only be good because lots of 2008 suffered from a feeling of stagnation.

From now on, my policy is to ignore Men's Club matches for the purpose of review unless particularly prompted to discuss them by something extraordinary, because it's just pointless. I end up saying the same things over and over. We also get a few minutes from the rookies, which made me want to see Okabayashi vs. Hoshino soon, and a slapstick hardcore match with all the usual guys that wasn't any good at all, but seemed to make the crowd laugh.

There are two really worthwhile tag matches on the show. The match between Mammoth and Sekimoto and Yoshihiro Sasaki and Shinya Ishikawa started out and developed a lot like most of the formers recent title defences. I thought Ishikawa was fine taking offence - he's not the most dramatic seller but it got the job done, and he shows plenty of intensity when fighting back against two guys he's physically outmatched by. Sasaki's hot tag section last only a couple of minutes before being cut-off again, and it looks like a standard finish where the weaker team member, although showing a lot of fight, is finally overcome and his partner can't save him.

However, the surprising thing here is that, partially by opportunity, the momentum shifts back towards Ishikawa and Sasaki - Ishikawa delivers two great dropkicks, the first squarely in Mammoth's chest, knocking him down, and the second off the apron to the outside in the spot of the match (the speed of the dive and Mammoth bumping his head to the concrete made it). This leaves Sekimoto and Sasaki alone, and Sasaki crushes him with a top rope DVD and two big lariats for the win. And I'll tell you something - I bemoan Sekimoto not being able to sell anything, but he looked shaken and dazed five minutes after the pinfall, really putting over the finish. This was an underdog victory that caused a audible reaction of surprise from me - I loved the shock and delight when Sasaki realises he's won. I don't want to overstate the performances here, which were pretty typical - the emphasis being on the aggression on attack rather than the selling on defence, which is only half the job. But the layout of this, especially with the unexpected finish, and the natural progression in the momentum elevated this above all the other Mammoth/Sekimoto matches since last July.

The main event lighttube tag match between Miyamoto and Sasaki and Ito and Shuji Ishikawa was terrific (although I acknowledge that so far no-one agree with me). This match has two stories being played out. Firstly, it's about Shuji Ishikawa developing as a deathmatch wrestler. Watch his early tentativeness with the lighttube, and the way he charges with it but manages to stop before hitting the turnbuckle when Sasaki moves (thus showing he's not fully committed to the attack). The match really kicks off at that point - the opening brawling was just preliminary as both teams test each other. Ishikawa takes a ton of lighttube shots, the second headkick one from Sasaki making him bleed hugely for the ear. He sells it all like he's in shock, which I love given the story. Also, he comes back at the end with the spot of the match - a huge running lighttube-assisted knee-strike.

The second story is about Miyamoto struggling to take his rightful place as new champion. Sasaki looks dominant here, driving the offence and saving his partner when needed. Miyamoto is frequently the guy Ito and Ishikawa are able to turn the tables on. Ito catches Miyamoto with a kick to a lighttube as Miyamoto sets up for his moonsault. At the end, it is Miyamoto who takes the loss for his team, further establishing the story that I would expect to feature in the coming months. Overall, a very positive start to the year, and the emphasis stays with the new guys and Miyamoto, I'm likely to enjoy this promotion a great deal.