NOAH
Korakuen Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
Originally scheduled to be TMDK versus Okabayashi and Daisuke Sekimoto, Sekimoto’s knee injury forced Ishikawa into emergency pinch-hitting duties. The match probably suffered as a result but was still an enjoyable, high-octane tag team match with Okabayashi and both TMDK members delivering strong performances.
TMDK has come a long way in less than a year. When they first locked up with Iizuki and Yano for the GHC World Heavyweight Tag Team Championships last spring, they felt like a foreign tag team that was still trying to find their place in Japan. They felt like a team with promise who were still trying to put it together. In this match, they feel like the champions – the best team in the promotion – and their ring work echoes it. They are very much a power pop type tag team with a combination of speed, flying and power, that sort of recalls the Can-Am Express in All Japan two decades ago. They are a fun team who still carry obvious upside.
Okabayashi carried the load for his team and looked good as usual, bumping TMDK around and taking some well-timed punishment himself. Hopefully the Sekimoto/Okabayashi vs. TMDK match will still occur when Sekimoto is back healthy, but this was a decent appetizer in the meantime.
Diagnostics
Sprint Tag | Watchable | Quality
