I'd be interested in hearing you guys take on NOAH stuff. The level of quality isn't as consistently high, but that's offset by there being a wider variety of guys in the mix. Would be cool to hear your thoughts on guys like Honda, Takayama, main eventer Ogawa, heel Akiyama as champion, etc...

I think Parv would find a lot of enjoyment in early NOAH. I would like to hear his thoughts on 2000-2005 NOAH. Of course, he could always do a Toryumon retrocast with me. That's what the people really want.

Yeah, early NOAH has a lot of fun stuff (I should know since I'm working my way through it right now), but way less superlative stuff. A lot of the fun for me is seeing the All Japan guys transported out of that ultra-dry environment and into something with more flash and more creative, less Pure Sports-style booking. It's pretty jarring at first to see, for example, Akiyama playing a much more classic pro wrestling heel than you would've ever seen in 90s All Japan.

Takayama should be right up Parv's alley.

Ratings:

 

 

12/06/96 - Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama vs Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue

Parv: *****
Steven: *****

01/20/97 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

Parv: *****
Steven: *****

06/06/97 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs Toshiaki Kawada

Parv: ***
Steven: **1/2

10/21/97 - Mitsuharu Misawa vs Kenta Kobashi

Parv: ****1/2
Steven: ****