BG Says Special Edition: Naomichi Marufuji and the GHC Heavyweight Championship

I’m going to try something a little new here, and idea that came to me as I was surfing around YouTube looking for ROH tag title defenses in Dragon Gate. Here’s what I came up with;

There are a lot of great strings of matches that we gush over. There’s the Flair/Steamboat series, the exploits of the Smackdown Six and to a lesser extent to American mainstream wrestling fans Misawa/Kawada matches, the Joe/Punk series and Bryan Danielson’s ROH World Championship reign. In the special editions of BG Says I’m going to take a look at stings of matches that catch my eye and that I think you will enjoy. I’ll also do my best to give a little background information to whet your appetites. At the end it’s going to take a little effort on your part to see all of the matches as this isn’t a single DVD review, but I’ll let you know where you can find everything. I’m going to try to make this a once a month thing, so keep an eye out.

Mixed Martial Arts has many weight classes. The UFC has five ranging from lightweight to heavyweight. In wrestling there are almost always only two weight classes (if that), and the competitors in each fight wrestlers in the other most of the time. In U.S. wrestling promotions weight classes don’t mean a whole lot. Matt Hardy won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship as a heavyweight and Rey Mysterio won the Heavyweight Championship as a cruiserweight. In Japan however this is a much rarer occurrence. However, in Pro Wrestling NOAH on September 9th, 2006 former GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Naomichi Marufuji put on a few extra pounds and challenged the GHC Heavyweight Champion Jun Akiyama.

Jun Akiyama VS. Naomichi Marufuji [GHC Heavyweight Championship Match – Shiny Navigation 2006]
Marufuji powers Akiyama to the ropes and gives a clean break to start. Akiyama grabs a headlock but gets knocked down after three lariats. He comes back with a knee kick but Marufuji hits a dragon screw and a pair of dropkicks to the knee. He stomps on Akiyama’s thighs and puts on a figure 4 leglock. Akiyama gets to the ropes. Marufuji wraps rams his leg against the post and dragon screws it into the post. He dropkicks the knee and then puts on a modified half crab. Akiyama gets to the ropes and backdrops Marufuji onto the ramp. He follows Marufuji out and bodyslams him from the ramp to the floor. Back in the ring he gets 2. He hits another bodyslam and puts on a bow and arrow lock. KENTA is shown watching from the back of the building as Akiyama slams Marufuji down. Marufuji dropkicks the knee, sending Akiyama to the floor. He follows him out and hits a superkick. He hits the Shiranui from one side of the guardrail to the other, ramming Akiyama’s back down onto it. Back in the ring Marufuji hits a German suplex for 2. He hits a chimera suplex for 2. He climbs the ropes and slugs Akiyama down when he tries to cut him off. He hits a superkick and a clothesline. He dropkicks the knee but walks into a dropkick from Akiyama. Akiyama hits a top rope hurricanrana for 2. He hits a powerbomb for 2 and goes right into the Samoan crab. Marufuji gets to the ropes. Marufuji hits a clothesline and dropkicks Akiyama from the apron to the floor. He catches him with the springboard dropkick as he’s climbing back into the ring. He hits a powerbomb for 2. He hits a superkick and a roundhouse kick. He hits another superkick for 2. He hits the Shiranui for 2. He sets Akiyama up top and goes for the super Shiranui but has to settle for a superkick when Akiyama tosses him away. Akiyama hits an exploder into the turnbuckle and a knee kick, knocking Marufuji to the ramp. He runs from the top of the ramp to hit a running knee. Marufuji gets back into the ring at 19. Akiyama hits a running knee to the back for 2. He puts on a guillotine and hits an exploder for 2. He hits Sternness Dust Gamma for 2. He sets Marufuji up top but gets caught with the super Shiranui. Marufuji hits a superkick and blocks an exploder to get the Perfect Inside Cradle for the win and the title. Marufuji fought harder throughout the match, so he really earned the win here. Akiyama only pulled out one of his big guns and eventually Marufuji’s neckbreakers and superkicks caught up to him. Most of the match was very good but somewhat repetitive and nothing to go insane over. Marufuji’s first defense of the title was a better match than his title win.
Rating: ***¾

Marufuji became the first former junior champion to hold the GHC Heavyweight title. He would pull off another first by giving that title its first defense in the United States. It happened in ROH, against a rising star in the company.

Naomichi Marufuji VS. Nigel McGuinness [GHC Heavyweight Championship Match – Glory by Honor V Night 2]
The GHC title announcement gets its own entrance music. ROH should rip that off. Morishima, Takashi Suguira and Mohammad Yone accompany Marufuji to the ring. Marufuji is looking a good deal thicker than when he last appeared in ROH. They lock up and Nigel powers Marufuji to the corner. Marufuji does the same and then puts on a wristlock. Nigel comes back with the head scissors but Marufuji escapes. They trade forearms and Marufuji hits a back heel kick. He hits a dragon screw between the middle and top ropes and keeps pressure on the leg. He slams Nigel onto his neck and kicks at his leg. He wraps the leg around the post and then dragon screws it onto the apron. He puts on a figure 4 leglock and they trade slaps. Nigel gets to the ropes. Marufuji dropkicks the leg but Nigel is able to send him shoulder-first into the post. He follows Marufuji to the floor and rams his shoulder into the barricade. He headbutts the shoulder and rolls him back into the ring. He puts on an arm submission and then suplexes Marufuji by his arm for 2. He slams Marufuji’s arm to the mat for 2. He hits a hammerlock DDT for 2. He puts on a unique arm submission and kicks Marufuji’s face. He puts on a cobra clutch and then hits a lariat for 2. He puts the cobra clutch back on but a second lariat misses. Marufuji hits a clothesline and dropkicks the leg. He hits another clothesline for 2. He hits an elbow in the corner and another clothesline for 2. Nigel hits a chinbreaker and a short-arm clothesline for 2. He hits the handstand kick for 2. He crotches Marufuji on the top rope but the second rope lariat misses. He snaps the top rope into Marufuji’s face but walks into a superkick on the apron. Marufuji hits the Shiranui from the apron to the floor and to finally wake the crowd up. Marufuji gets back in the ring at 5 and Nigel gets back in at 17. Marufuji pins him for 2. He sets Nigel up top but Nigel crotches him on the top rope and hits the second rope lariat for 2. He hits the Tower of London but Marufuji pops up and hits the Shiranui. Both men collapse to the mat. Back on their feet they trade slaps. Nigel hits a back elbow and a running European uppercut. He hits the rebound lariat for 2. He sets Marufuji up top and hits the Tower of London on the apron. Back in the ring he gets 2. They trade slaps and Marufuji hits a superkick. Nigel comes back with a superkick but Marufuji hits a roundhouse kick and another superkick for 2. Nigel goes for another handstand kick but Marufuji stops it with another superkick. He sets Nigel in the Tree of Woe and hits a Van Terminator. He sets Nigel on the second rope and hits the Shiranui from there for the win at 23:44. The leg and arm work of the early going was pretty much forgotten by the end, but Marufuji showed more fire here than he did in his first singles match in ROH. The final six or seven minutes of the match are really what made it, and they packed a lot into them.
Rating: ***¾

Marufuji would return to NOAH and defend the belt against the man that he debuted in Ring of Honor with, KENTA. These two had fought over KENTA’s GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship earlier in the year, but now it was time for them to square off for the companies top prize.

Naomichi Marufuji VS. KENTA [GHC Heavyweight Championship Match – Autumn Navigation 2006]
The fact that neither of these guys is really a heavyweight is a curious point of interest. They fight over a waistlock to start. They dodge each other’s offense until KENTA hits a big boot in midair. They trade wristlocks and Marufuji goes to the leg. They trade slaps and Marufuji hits a clothesline. He slingshots himself into a DDT on the apron and rolls back into the ring. KENTA gets back in at 5. Marufuji catapults him into the bottom rope for 2. He puts on a chinlock but KENTA gets to the ropes. He beats KENTA down on the floor and hits a dropkick from the apron. He rams KENTA into the post and rolls him back into the ring for 2. He puts on a cobra clutch and then floats into a crossface chicken wing. KENTA gets to the ropes. He comes back with kicks to the gut, and puts Marufuji down with one. He hits a knee to the gut and a kneedrop for 2. Marufuji bails so KENTA follows him out and rams him into the barricade. Back in the ring he hangs Marufuji on the top rope and comes off the top turnbuckle with a kneedrop for 2. He puts on the body scissors but Marufuji gets to the ropes. They trade strikes in an exchange that KENTA wins. KENTA hits a second rope double stomp for 2. He goes back to the body scissors but Marufuji escapes, puts him on the apron and dropkicks him to the floor. He crotches KENTA on the barricade and kicks him into the crowd before nailing him with a springboard moonsault. He hit his neck on the barricade on the way down in a very scary moment. He gets back to his feet first so we know his larynx isn’t destroyed, and KENTA (w/ bloody face) gets back into the ring at 15.

Marufuji hits a capture suplex for 2. He hits a back elbow and climbs the ropes. KENTA cuts him off but Marufuji slips away and rams KENTA’s head into the top of the post. They dodge each other’s offense until KENTA connects with a kick. He hits a dropkick and a springboard clothesline for 2. He hits a fisherman suplex for 2. Marufuji hits a clothesline for 2. He hits an elbow in the corner and a powerbomb for 2. He hits a superkick but KENTA blocks the Shiranui by tossing him to the floor. He tries to German suplex Marufuji off the ramp to the floor but Marufuji lands on his feet and hits a superkick. KENTA blocks a floor attempt at the Shiranui. They fight to the apron where Marufuji goes for a German suplex. KENTA blocks and hits a falcon arrow from the apron to the floor. He gets back into the ring and hits a slingshot double stomp to the floor. Marufuji gets back into the ring at 14. KENTA hits a springboard dropkick and a butterfly suplex into the corner. He hits a tiger suplex for 2. He hits the Busaiku knee kick for 2. Marufuji hits Shiranui but can’t cover. Instead he climbs the ropes and knocks a charging KENTA down with a kick. He hits a back supelx and a backdrop driver. He hits a German suplex but KENTA comes back with one of his own. KENTA hits a clothesline but Marufuji responds with a superkick. He hits another superkick sending KENTA across the ring. He hits the Shiranui for 2. He sets KENTA up top and goes for the super Shiranui but KENTA blocks it and hits a tiger superplex for 2. He unloads with kicks for 2. He hits the Go 2 Sleep for 2 when Marufuji gets his foot in the ropes. Marufuji hits a superkick but KENTA returns fire with the Busaiku knee kick. Maufuji hits two superkicks and a buzzsaw kick for 2. They fight up top where Marufuji hits Shiranui Kai for 2. He gets all fired up and hits KENTA with the Pole Shift for the win at 35:34.

Matches that see KENTA focus on destroying a body part tend to be more fulfilling for me than ones that just see him kick. He tore Marufuji’s midsection apart here. Halfway through the psychology was abandoned but in its place was ass kickery the likes of which I’ve come to expect from main event matches in NOAH. There were a couple of iffy moments but overall it’s the best I’ve seen out of Marufuji.
Rating: ****¼

A problem that plagues many wrestling companies is when wrestlers are in management positions. We’ve seen power go to the heads of Triple H, Kevin Nash, Verne Gagne, Jeff Jarrett and a whole slew of others. This problem isn’t America-exclusive. In NOAH Mitsuharu Misawa is the head honcho. He was the first GHC Heavyweight Champion and the first man to hold the belt twice. He’s still over and he can still go in the ring for a guy his age, but critics claim he phones in his performances outside of big match settings. Honestly, in my opinion he’s a less obvious version of what Jeff Jarrett was in TNA, as he’s the first person to make many landmark moves with the belt in the company he runs but does allow others to have some as well (Kenta Kobashi is the longest reigning champion, holding the belt just over two years and as stated above Marufuji was the first to defend the title outside of Japan). When he challenged Marufuji for the title many felt the writing was on the wall. They were right.

Naomichi Marufuji VS. Mitsuharu Misawa [GHC Heavyweight Championship Match – Great Voyage 2006]
My memory isn’t what it used to be, but this may very well be the first Misawa match I’ve ever reviewed. They go through a fairly typical opening match chain wrestling exchange to start. They trade strikes and Marufuji hits a clothesline for 1. He puts on a chinlock and pins Misawa for 2. Misawa comes back with a spinning back elbow but Marufuji catches him with a dragon screw through the ropes. He stays on the leg by ramming it against the post and hitting it with a running dropkick on the apron. He unloads with leg kicks, keeping Misawa on his back. He hits a shinbreaker and stomps the knee against the mat. He puts on the STF and then shoves Misawa to the floor. There he wraps Misawa’s leg around the guardrail and hits it with a dropkick. Back in the ring he puts on the Sharpshooter. Misawa gets to the ropes. Marufuji ties the leg up in the corner and hits a back heel kick. He dropkicks the leg and hits another dragon screw. Misawa comes back with a monkey flip and a tiger driver for 2. He hits a back elbow and Marufuji bails. Misawa follows him out with a suicide dive. He gets up on the apron and hits Marufuji with a somersault dive. Back on the apron Misawa goes for a tiger driver but Marufuji counters to a superkick. Misawa goes for it again so Marufuji counters to a modified hurricanrana to the floor, but using his trapped arms for leverage instead of his legs. Misawa gets back into the ring at 16. Marufuji hits a pair of elbows in the corner but can’t get Misawa up for a powerbomb. He dropkicks the knee and the head. Misawa rolls out to the ramp where Marufuji catches him with a superkick and the Shiranui to the floor. Misawa gets back into the ring at 16 but Marufuji is ready for him with a dropkick from the top. He gets Misawa up and hits the powerbomb for 2. He hits a superkick but Misawa counters the Shiranui to a German suplex for 2. Marufuji counters the Emerald Frosion to a German suplex but Misawa blocks the Shiranui again. Marufuji rams Misawa’s head into the top of the post and climbs the ropes. Misawa cuts him off with a tiger superplex ’85 for 2. He climbs the ropes but Marufuji catches him with a superkick. He hits the Shiranui Kai for 2. He hits two superkicks but Misawa counters the Pole Shift to the Emerald Frosion for 2. The crowd is completely behind Misawa now. He hits the tiger driver ’91 for 2. Marufuji hits two superkicks but Misawa counters the Shiranui to the Avalanche Emerald Frosion for the win and the title at 25:32. The early legwork was actually pretty dull but lead to a nice shortcut for Marufuji later on in the match whenever he was in trouble. I can deal with things being a bit boring if they have a point. Misawa is no spring chicken and it shows, but he still busted his ass for the big win here. Marufuji looked like he was fighting from behind the whole time and eventually he lost his ability to keep up. Performance-wise this was all Marufuji, as he busted his ass like crazy leaving Misawa having to do nothing but keep from looking silly.
Rating: ****

The 411:  Marufuji’s reign ended in December, making him the third shortest reigning champion in the company’s short history. Still, the reign got a lot of press and produced only good matches and one great one against KENTA. My intention is to only look at things you should go out of your way for in BG Says Special Editions, and this first entry is no exception. Follow these links to find Shiny Navigation 2006, Glory by Honor V Night 2, Autumn Navigation 2006 and Great Voyage 2006. Yeah I’m shilling ROH’s store, but really it’s the only place where you can find all of these shows at once. Shoot me an e-mail and let me know what you think of this new format. If you like it maybe I'll show you a shortcut to finding these matchees.

Final Score:  9.0   [  Amazing ]