Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・264 ~ Christmas Eve (12/24/2016)

1. Kaori Yoneyama & Hikaru Sato vs. Hikaru Shida & Madoka

Very fun match, ultimate battle of Hikarus; Sato was perving it up and Shida tried to avoid hip attacking him. Also, Shida did a very unique submission hold that involved hip attacks. Even with the comedy stuff, the work was great.

***1/2

3. Gatoh Move vs. REINA - 3 out of 5 Falls Match: Emi Sakura, Aasa Maika & Mitsuru Konno vs. Makoto, Hirori & Mari Sakamoto

This was a great inter-promotional skirmish. They kept the action exciting and moving, everyone looked good and had their moment to shine (except for Hirori maybe, but she was a cute face-in-peril).

***3/4

5. Asia Dream Tag Team Championship: Happy Makers 2 (Aoi Kizuki & Sayaka Obihiro) (c) vs. Riho &「Kotori」

Spectacular match. The action moved fast and momentum shifts happened in an instant. Obihiro was doing a hell of a sell job, and Riho's counterwork was excellent -- loved everything about their closing segment together.「Kotori」's execution was rough, but she's got an energy that makes up for it. Aoi-chan's in-ring genius shined as always. Brilliant stuff all around.

****1/2

Tokyo Gurentai - Tokyo Carnival 2017 (7/19/2017)

5. Tokyo World Heavyweight Championship: Masaaki Mochizuki (c) vs. Yuko Miyamoto

This was not a good match. The ending was weak, and what lead up to it didn't really hold up either. I've seen Yuko's work in Big Japan's strong division, and he's definitely a tag/deathmatch specialist first.

**

6. Eight Man Tag Team Mexico-Style Elimination Match: Over Generation (CIMA, Eita, Kaito Ishida & Takehiro Yamamura) vs. Tokyo Gurentai (FUJITA, KIKUZAWA, MAZADA & NOSAWA Rongai)

This was packed with action, and fast-paced, with all sorts of nifty team moves, but it felt like it went on for centuries. Could have used some trimming; still a great match, though. Probably the best Tokyo Gurentai match ever.

****

Hikaru Sato & Hiroshi Yamato vs. Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa (DDT, 7/31/2012)

DDT - Beer Garden Fight 2012 ~ KENNY OMEGA PRODUCE DAY (7/31/2012)

Hikaru Sato & Hiroshi Yamato vs. Kenny Omega & Michael Nakazawa

Michael Nakazawa is the one DDT guy I have never understood. I know he's well-respected, but he's not a good wrestler, he has a boring look and he's not funny. Anyway, this was a fun match... ? Lots of homoerotic stuff involving oily muscular bodies, and oil being spit-balled, and decent wrestling somewhere in between.

***

Atsushi Onita & Masanobu Fuchi vs. Evolution (Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato) (AJPW, 6/20/2017)

AJPW - 2017 Dynamite Series (6/20/2017)

All Asia Tag Team Championship: Atsushi Onita & Masanobu Fuchi (c) vs. Evolution (Atsushi Aoki & Hikaru Sato)

This was fun. Fuchi gets his arm worked over as the FIP. Onita has his goons with him and he does his garbage wrestling spots. Aoki looked like such a doofus in this match, getting schooled by these old men. It was ridiculous, but at least he picks up the win.

***1/4

HARASHIMA vs. Hikaru Sato (DDT, 11/14/2010)

DDT - Osaka Bay Blues Special (11/14/2010)

KO-D Openweight Championship: HARASHIMA (c) vs. Hikaru Sato

The dueling limbwork with HARASHIMA working the leg and Sato targeting the arm was sold brilliantly, and the slap exchanges were some of the best I have ever seen. HARASHIMA gives Sato a horrible beating, and Sato more than earns his comeback. There were also cruel shoot-style moments that gave the match a sense of danger. What an epic battle!

*****

AJPW - Super Power! 2017 Super Power Series (5/21/2017)

4. GAORA TV Championship: Jun Akiyama (c) vs. Mitsuya Nagai

Nagai beats up Akiyama with a camera, a steel chain and chairs. He's the orc of Dark Nightmare, and he manhandles Nikkan Lee! What an asshole! The old man fighting spirit sequence was gold.

**

5. World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hikaru Sato (c) vs. Black Tiger VII

Sato's entrance theme fucking rules! Dragon screw followed by a Shining Wizard from Black Tiger right out the gate, so NOSAWA is still wrestling like NOSAWA in this gimmick. I guess putting him in a mask and a full body suit makes him more aesthetically-pleasing for All Japan viewers.

**1/2

6. AJPW World Tag Team Championship: The Big Guns (The Bodyguard & Zeus) (c) vs. KAI & Kengo Mashimo

Sprint semi-main with Big Guns tossing motherfuckers left and right. KAI & Mashimo are an odd couple tag team who can't get on the same page. KAI did the heavy lifting. Mashimo looked like a doofus, but at least he gets the fall!

***

7. Triple Crown Championship: Kento Miyahara (c) vs. Shuji Ishikawa

This was a great match, worked at a 'brisk' pace. Miyahara took every chance he could to strike with the blackout, and every single one of them looked awesome. Shuji was Shuji. Miyahara's selling of the backwork was practically nonexistent, but he had some great emotes and bumps, especially for the finish.

****

Keisuke Ishii vs. Hikaru Sato (AJPW, 4/28/2017)

AJPW - Champion Carnival 2017 (4/28/2017)

World Junior Heavyweight Championship: Keisuke Ishii (c) vs. Hikaru Sato

Armwork, neckwork, armwork, neckwork -- isn't that exciting!? Sato's goes after the arm with surgical kicks and arm bars. Ishii brought the explosive stuff with a neckbreaker on the apron and a DDT onto the turnbuckle. Ishii was giving it his all, but Sato was a semi-shoot machine. It was great to see Sato win the belt again, especially in his hometown of Okayama.

***1/2

Hikaru Sato vs. Takayuki Ueki (BJW, 11/29/2016)

BJW - D-RIZE vol.6 (11/29/2016)

Hikaru Sato vs. Takayuki Ueki

Ueki apparently has a background in taiho-jutsu, which is basically the art of arresting people, and he manages to out-grapple legit shooter Hikaru Sato a few times. They tumble around a bit before Sato starts throwing mount elbow strikes. They trade clunking headbutts. Ueki hits a big German, but Sato shifts into an armlock and Ueki submits with little struggle. It was fun to see Ueki work outside of his element, and Sato gives him a lot. Ueki is an idiot who likes to take hits to the head so the headbutts here are a doozy.

***1/2