NOAH - The Great Voyage 2017 In Yokohama Vol. 2 (10/1/2017)

5. Hitoshi Kumano vs. Minoru Tanaka

***

7. Katsuhiko Nakajima & Masa Kitamiya vs. Moose & Yuji Okabayashi

***1/4

9. GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Daisuke Harada

Ishimori is an amazing wrestler, but man, this guy consistently has the weirdest looks. This was a very good match, action-packed, easy pacing; Harada was fucking up Ishimori with those knees and Germans.

****

10. GHC Tag Team Championship: Atsushi Kotoge & Go Shiozaki (c) vs. 50 Funky Powers (Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm)

Going to go out on a limb and say that this was Quiet Storm's peak. Both he and Yone put on a fantastic underdog performance; their final comeback was spectacular. Shiozaki is such an underrated seller, I liked the way he crumbled after taking Yone's high kick. Another really great GHC tag team clash; stellar work from everyone involved.

****1/2

11. GHC Heavyweight Championship: Eddie Edwards (c) vs. Naomichi Marufuji

I have no idea why Eddie Edwards was chosen to be in this position or where they are going with this, but here he is. The crowd seems to like him. This didn't have any type of heat, but the action was fast-paced and engaging. It was worked in a junior heavy-style rather than the slower-paced main events NOAH is known for and that made for a refreshing watch.

****

NOAH - The Great Voyage 2017 in Fukushima (6/25/2017)

1. Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Kenou

These guys were fucking each other up; lots of hard slaps to the face. Incredible match to open the show.

****

6. Go Shiozaki & Masa Kitamiya vs. Maybach Taniguchi & Naomichi Marufuji

Amazing tag match filled with action. Taniguchi's been looking revaltized lately, he's a totally different performer.

****

8. GHC Heavyweight Championship: Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) vs. Atsushi Kotoge

This was Kotoge's first shot at the Heavyweight Championship and he put forth a tremendous effort. There were lots of hard hits, including a sickening headbutt spot. Nakajima batters Kotoge with kicks to the chest and back during the finish that looked nasty. Incredible match.

****1/2

NOAH - Navigation with Breeze 2017 (5/27/2017)

1. Rionne Fujiwara vs. Takashi Sugiura

49-second Sugiura squash. This is how you book Rionne Fujiwara.

***

2. Hi69, Hitoshi Kumano, Mohammed Yone & Yoshinari Ogawa vs. RATEL'S (Tadasuke & YO-HEY), Akitoshi Saito & Masa Kitamiya

**

3. Atsushi Kotoge vs. Kaito Kiyomiya

I'm not feeling Kotoge's new tights, the early 2000s CZW trainee gear was better. Decent showcase for both of these guys.

***

4. Kenou vs. Taiji Ishimori

Kenou does a crazy diving stomp off of the 'entrance gate' and wins via countout before things get going.

*

5. Daisuke Harada vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima

 Harada was a little prick here, getting the sucker punch as Nakajima is making his entrance and using the Heavyweight Champion's own signature turnbuckle punt against him. This was a great, fast-paced clash with some heat thrown in.

***1/2

6. Maybach Taniguchi vs. Randy Reign

This was an entertaining big man match, they did some stuff on the apron and had a chaotic brawl on the outside. This card has a lot of singles matches and this one did a good job standing out.

**1/2

7. Cody Hall vs. Naomichi Marufuji

It's hard to take Cody Hall seriously as threat when he was the recipient of a thousand Rainmakers during his New Japan run. There wasn't much to this, but Cody does an amazing sell job of Marufuji's kicks and jumping knee strikes, perhaps too amazing for a 6'9 monster.

**

8. Brian Cage vs. Go Shiozaki

This match did its job in establishing who the debuting Brian Cage is as a wrestler, and he showed a range of moves that set him apart from the other gaijin brutes on this card. Shiozaki put on a decent showing, but you could sense that his heart wasn't in it. Probably isn't happy doing the job to gaijin of the month.

***1/2

9. GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hajime Ohara (c) vs. HAYATA

HAYATA was over in front of this Osaka crowd since he's an ex-Osaka Pro guy, and they were into his comebacks, but I couldn't help but feel that there was something missing. Ohara was playing the spoiler, aggressively working the back. This was fine; it never reached that next level.

***1/4

NOAH - Global Tag League 2017 (5/4/2017)

1. Kaito Kiyomiya vs. Takuya Nomura

Really awesome rookie opener. Bushiroad needs to get Takuya before he becomes another chest-chopping strong BJ zombie.

***3/4

2. Hajime Ohara & Rionne Fujiwara vs. RATEL'S (HAYATA & YO-HEY)

I thought Rionne Fujiwara fucked off for good when WRESTLE-1 got rid of him, but here he is in NOAH, ughh... Ohara was doing gnarly backwork, crushing these skinny pricks across his knee. HAYATA & YO-HEY are a pretty fun indie-riffic duo. 

***

5. Kenou & Takashi Sugiura vs. XX (Hi69 & Taiji Ishimori)

This was an awesome sprint, and these guys were hurling nukes. Kenou is supposed to be a big bad heavyweight bullying the crafty little guys alongside Sugiura, but he's still junior-sized himself. NOAH the Reborn, ya'll.

***1/2

6. Katsuhiko Nakajima & Masa Kitamiya vs. Akitoshi Saito & Mohammed Yone

Yone has this weird disco gimmick that he doesn't really commit to. He catches Katsuhiko with a big high kick and knocks him straight out! What an ending!

**1/4

7. Global Tag League 2017 Final: Atsushi Kotoge & Go Shiozaki vs. Maybach Taniguchi & Naomichi Marufuji

What a goddamn match! There was so much action I don't even know where to start. Maybach's new look is awesome and menacing, and he looks like a star. Marufuji and Shiozaki went back and forth with surly chop exchanges, Kotoge connected with his awesome kicks and counters -- everyone looked great and had their moment to shine, and the crowd was hot. This blew me away.

****1/2