My vote is on the blog, but for those who missed it, it's Yone/Morishima Vs. Shibata/KENTA, from NOAH's 11/04/05 show. Hurt bad, that one.
I don't get this. I really don't. I mean maybe you were disappointed, but *worst of the year*? It wasn't even close to being awful. They had a lot of intensity and some cool spots. Morishima looked awesome and I thought KENTA was solid, even if it was in the lower half of Shibata's performances of the year just because he was so good. And Yone didn't get in the way. And the crowd liked it. Your blog entry doesn't make sense as to why you hated it either.
I've never had a match feel laborious to watch. Even in a lot of the worst matches I've seen, I had some little joke to keep me watching. This match felt like work.
First, and most importantly, the match never really got going. The crowd got up for the finish, yeah, but there was no threat from Shibata and KENTA at all. Their near falls weren't convincing, and KENTA was just demolished almost each time he was in the ring. I know it's realistic, but it's repetitive.
And when KENTA was on offense, my god, I felt like hitting myself. I put most of the blame of this match being the gigantic turd it is on KENTA. I've seen some embarrassing shit in pro wrestling. Hell, the first RAW my best friend watched was when Eugene debuted. But I've never been privately embarrassed. This was a first in that respect. The over drawn slap tag team move, KENTA slowing down in every aspect...It's good for his career, but it's bad for his matches, even when the coolest spots on paper (Shibata doing Busaiku, KENTA doing PK) are thrown out.
By the way, why does no one get if it's not Shibata doing the PK, no one cares?
I love KENTA, but this team with Shibata isn't working. He's trying way too hard to show that he's as tough as Shibata. Both times out, KENTA's just been embarrassing; as cited, he acts like Shibata's little brother, showing off for his big brother's friends. People are laughing, little KENTA. Oh yes.
This match also had a lot to do with Shibata. He's got two speeds, I find: psychotic, awesome brawler, and Resthold Fu. This was the latter. He was trying to work a more sound match, and I give him credit for that, but man, that's not what gets him his bookings. He did so many holds, but they were all meaningless. His match against Misawa and Shiosaki was the debut match he should have had in NOAH; he's demonstrated there as being arrogant, relentless, and possessing either an iron chin or a good supply of PCP.
That's the other thing. This was Shibata's debut match in NOAH. And it was short the Shockmaster as being the most embarrassing debut that I, personally, have ever seen. It was painful to watch.
Yone and Morishima have less blame in this. Morishima is good, and did everything humanly possible to save this match. Yone is a good accessory to a crime, and a good fit with Morishima, as his worked shoot toughness fits in with Morishima's "I'm goddamn huge, motherf**ker" toughness. But Yone mailed it in this time around. He did his spots, he got in, he got out. Morishima was all "Hey! What the f**k are you guys doing?! This is for the GHC Titles, bitches!" But no one listened, and few people helped.
By the way, it's worth noting that I judge worst match differently from most. When I see, say, a tag with the Elders of NOAH (I popped in the September Great Voyage from 2002, and saw Eigen/Kawabata Vs. Momota/Aoyagi), I know it's going to be bad. I have no expectations. This match had high expectations.
It was supposed to be another awesome KENTA match, with the potential of him being ready to break through. It was supposed to be a debut of a heavyweight star that'd create intrigue in a division needing new blood. It was supposed to be the first tag title defense of a team that was on fire and had one of my favorite tag matches of the last few years (even considering how much I hate Minoru Suzuki and Naomichi Marufuji).
And it sucked.
It sucked hard, and it sucked relentlessly.
There are probably worsely worked matches out there. But if you order the fish and chips and you dont like it, you're fine with that. It's fish and chips. If you order the sturgeon fillet, and you don't like it, it'll stand out way more.
In short: This match is why they take the menu away from you before your food arrives. It looks nothing like what it should.
EDIT: It's worth noting that my original choice for worst this year was Shelley/Spanky Vs. Hidaka/Fujita, and that I have been accused of not being human.
