Pro Wrestling NOAH 8/11/2023 N-1 Victory 2023 Day 4

Pro Wrestling NOAH 8/11/2023 N-1 Victory 2023 Day 4

Day 3 is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/pro-wrestling-noah-8102023-n-1-victory.html

Kai Fujimura vs Yu Owada

Yu grabs the arm then headflips out of Kai's armlock. Kai takes him down then fireman's carries him. Kai shoulders him over then Yu counters his headlock with a hammerlock. Yu dropkicks him then Kai slams him. Kai kind of does a lion tamer and Yu ropebreaks. Kai chest forearms him then Yu hits some back.  Yu dropkicks him then Kai dropkicks him back. Kai does a high boston crab and wins it.

It was your usual young lions match and wasn't particularly interesting or special.

N-1 Victory 2023 Block A - Timothy Thatcher vs Jack Morris

TT = Timothy Thatcher

 

They lock up and TT cravates him. Jack cravates him and stomps him. TT hits euros and blocks Jack's chop with a euro. TT suplexes him. Jack wristlocks him then throws him out. TT throws him out then TT is kicked when trying to get back in the ring. Jack plancha's him and is caught with a euro.

TT is sent into the rails then dropkicked. Jack top rope frogsplashes TT's back then back elbows him. TT rams Jack's shoulder into the buckle then single arm ddt's him. Jack hits forearms then TT belly to belly suplexes him. TT stomps his arm into the mat.

They trade strikes and Jack flying lariats him. Jack spinebusters him for 2 then falcon arrows him for 2. TT arm wringers him into the mat and Jack dropkicks him. TT hiptosses him and puts him in an armbar. Jack taps out.

It didn't look like a good one on paper and wasn't. It was passable but slow as expected with little excitement.

N-1 Victory 2023 Block B - Katsuhiko Nakajima vs Daiki Inaba

KN = Katsuhiko Nakajima

KN hits facekicks and Inaba lariats him. Inaba hits an even stiffer lariat and throws KN out. Inaba stomps KN outside. Inaba is thrown into the rails but bounces off and shoulders him. Inaba backs his head off the apron and throws him into the rails.

Inaba corner lariats him then suplexes him. Inaba hits some knees on him and they trade shots. Inana drops him with a forearm. KN dropkicks him in the knee then step up enzugiri's him. KN trips him into the middle buckle and kicks the buckle.

They trade forearms and KN chest kicks him. They trade forearms for chest kicks. KN superkicks him then Inaba release germans him. KN no sells it and PK's him then Inaba drops him with a slap. Inaba blue thunders him then KN hits kicks while he's seated. KN PK's him then Inaba puts him in an octopus. Inaba enzugiri's him then hits a delayed tiger suplex for 2.

Inaba hits headbutts then forearms him. KN drops him with a high kick on his spinning forearm attempt. KN then brainbusters him and wins it.

It was a very fun match with them really pushing that Inaba might get the upset here. It was done really well and they honestly should have given Inaba the upset. Lots of stiff shots and spirit here for this one. This was one of the best matches of the tournament so far.

N-1 Victory 2023 Block A - Yoshiki Inamura vs Masa Kitamiya

Ina = Inamura

They lock up and Masa shoulders him over. Ina gets back up then shoulders him over. Ina splashes him in the corner then is splashed back. Masa bangs Ina's head off the mat then sentons him. Masa toe holds him and yanks his leg.

Ina hits forearms and Masa back elbows him. Masa misses a corner charge and spears the post. Ina slams him then suplexes him. Ina splashes him for 2 and hits a stiff forearm. Masa starts to hulk up and they shoulder battle. Ina shoulders him over for 2.

Ina runs the ropes and shoulders him over for 2. Ina comes off the top but is side stepped and bounces off the mat. Masa prison locks him. They ram shoulders hard and Ina hits a big powerslam. Ina running pushes him into the buckles then takes a spear for 2. Masa hits a saito suplex for 2. Masa hits sentons then does a top rope senton to win it.

I found this to be a difficult match to rate. It made sense but the guys didn't bump that much for each other and they really didn't do anything super special. It was just not what it could have been and it didn't feel like their best efforts were on display here.

N-1 Victory 2023 Block B - Manabu Soya vs Saxon Huxley

Sax = Saxon Huxley

Sax says he's the destroyer and they butt heads. Sax bangs his head off the buckles then Soya shakes the ropes. Sax then shakes the ropes.

Sax shoulders him over then Soya shoulders him and they pose and scream at each other. Sax throws him out and throws him into the rail. Soya is sent into the post then goes face first into the apron. Sax slams and elbow drops him. Sax puts him in the claw then knees him in the gut.

Soya shoulders him then flying lariats him. Soya bulldogs him  then hits chops. Sax blocks his chop and bites his hand. Sax then reverse ddt's him for 2. Sax tells the ref, "I'll bite" when he gets yelled at. Soya bites Sax then suplexes him.

Soya hits a big spear then is lariated. Sax hits an air raid crash for 2. Soya hits headbutts then takes corner lariats. Sax corner splashes him. Soya lariats him in the back of the head then sliding lariats him. Soya hits a big lariat and jumping ddt's him to win it.

Look, I've tried explaining Saxon and giving him the benefit of the doubt for a long time now. There were no excuses here. He was in this with a good worker and he had the time. If there was any match to show that he is something better than what he shows, this was it. And he didn't. The match fine and maybe even somewhat good, but he didn't bring much to the table here. You could have put anyone in this tournament up against Soya and the match would have been the same or better. There is no secret with Saxon Huxley. What you see in his matches is the best he can do and it's below average.

N-1 Victory 2023 Block A - Kenoh vs Yuki Yoshioka

They trade holds on the mat and stand off. Ken shoulders him over and Yuki dropkicks him. Ken hits a boot on the apron and germans Yuki on the floor. Ken running double stomps him. Ken holds up Yuki at Naomichi Marufuji and Marufuji tries to put his headset on Ken. Yuki hits chest chops and takes leg kicks.

Ken kicks his leg and leglocks him. Ken wraps his leg around the rope and pulls on it. Yuki drops him with a chop then has his leg kicked out from under him. Yuki top rope dropkicks him and Ken rolls out of the ring. Yuki then hits a tope con hilo on him.

Ken is thrown into the rails then takes a running back elbow.  Yuki knee drops him for 2 then Ken leg sweeps him into a double stomp on the back. Ken knees him in the back of the neck. Ken hits chest kicks then Yuki backdrops him. Ken no sells it and germans and facekicks him. Yuki no sells it an suplexes him.

Both are down and get back up. Yuki hits forarms then Ken spin kicks and does a suplex for 2. Ken PK's him and rolls, grabbing an ankle lock. Ken like kicks him in the nuts a few times then is dropkicked. They fight up top and Ken gets knocked down then takes a top rope crossbody. Yuki lariats him and goes for a top rope splash but Ken gets his knees up. Ken kicks him in the body and ankle locks him.

Ken's PK is blocked and he spin kicks him in the body and in the head. Yuki forearms him and has to dive into Ken's bicycle kick. Yuki suplexes him and lariats him. Both are down and Yuki 2nd rope codebreakers him for 2. Yuki flying lariats him for 2. Yuki comes off the top and takes a kick then Ken crossfaces him. Ken wins via tap out.

I didn't think this was good. There was too much no selling. Yuki's not that good or charismatic and the two were just not a great match for each other. I also didn't like half the match being about leg kicks then Ken winning with a completely different submission in the crossface. 

N-1 Victory 2023 Block B - El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr. vs Go Shiozaki

Doc = El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr.

They lock up and Go headscissors him on the mat. Doc bow and arrows him but Go rolls through it. Go leapfrogs, Doc flips over him then headiscissors him out. Doc jumps off the apron on him and gets chopped. Doc is thrown into the rails and goes over them. Go drops him throat first on the rail in the seats. Go then knees him as his head hangs off the apron.

Go top rope chops him then chinlocks him. Go back elbows him and they each hit chops. Doc step up enzugiri's him. Doc lariats him out and then topes him into the rails. Doc chops him in the crowd in front of Marufuji. Go is thrown into the rails. Doc hits a la magistral for 2 then leglocks him with a kimura. Doc superkicks him then hits a step up knee. Go flapjacks him onto the top buckle.

Go flying shoulders him and backdrops him. Go hits machine gun chops then hits a fisherman buster. Doc headbutts him then they botch a springboard armdrag. They trade chest chops and forearms. Doc ducks a lariat then Go hits one with the other arm. They trade chops and Go hits a hard lariat.

Go hits another lariat after Doc ducks it then Go hits a Go flasher for 2. Doc rolls him up and hits his own lariat for 2. Doc hits a michinoku driver for 2 then hits a triple jump moonsault for the win.

It ended up being a fun match with Doc getting the surprise win, but I wouldn't call it a classic or something super great. It was pretty by the numbers for the most part but Doc's win helped it out. I wasn't too sure how they would match up but they somehow made it work. It went a little longer than it needed to.

Overall thoughts: It was a good show with some fun matches. Nakajima/Inaba was the best thing on here.