Pro Wrestling NOAH – Kenoh vs Go Shiozaki- January 13th
It is a real shame that NOAH’s most prominent exposure this month came from the ill-fated Kota Ibushi vs Naomichi Marufuji match, a major misstep that stained an otherwise pretty good month for the company, particularly for its world champion KENOH. Beginning January with an excellent defence against Manabu Soya at NOAH The New Year, which in hindsight should have main evented the show, KENOH set his sights immediately on Go Shiozaki. The two locked horns at Star Navigation, fighting over both the GHC Heavyweight Championship and the ownership of the catchphrase ‘I am NOAH’. Some will prefer the Soya matchup for its epic scale and rising tension, but to me Kenoh vs Shiozaki edges it for pure brutality. These two men hit each other with brute force from start to finish, and the match has a polish to it’s violence that to me felt a little missing from Kenoh/Soya. Some will scoff at two wrestlers fighting over a catchphrase, but that acts more as window dressing to a top tier world title match, and only adds an additional element of pride on the line for both men. Check out both of KENOH’s January defences if you can, as well as the great and heavily overlooked Tomohiro Ishii vs Masa Kitamiya, and try not to let Kota Ibushi’s shattered ankles define NOAH’s 2024.
CMLL – El Barbaro Cavernario vs Mascara Dorada- January 19th
With CMLL’s recent partnership with AEW beginning to play out on screen, the future looks bright for the Mexican promotion who in the past have paled in viewership and interest to rivals AAA. Beyond an announced partnership with TNA, it has been a very quiet month for AAA, whereas CMLL put out some very good matches this month that are certainly worthy of discussion. Even if the ⅔ fall stipulations and bizarre consistent appearances of a small red mascot alienate some fans from outside the Mexican borders, the level of athletic talent that occupies the CMLL roster is frankly extraordinary. The cream of the crop this month was an excellent title clash between champion Mascara Dorada (the former Gran Metalik) and challenger El Barbaro Cavernario, a savage fighter that contrasts nicely with the masked luchadores on the roster. Dorada is unrecognisable from his stint in WWE, proving that all you need to do to make a great wrestler a star is present them like it. The match finish is admittedly poor and does detract from an otherwise phenomenal wrestling match, but if you acknowledge the finish may be a slight let down going in and just try and appreciate the remarkable work these men are putting in, there is still much fun to be had here. The best lucha libre work I saw this month.
World Wrestling Council – Nic Nemeth vs Ray Gonzales- January 20th
A match included more for its novelty than its in-ring acumen, Nemeth’s first televised match outside of a WWE ring since leaving OVW in 2008 took place in front of a rabid Puerto Rican crowd at WWC Euphoria. The World Wrestling Council is much more heavily associated with its successes and major controversies in the 1980s but still runs regular shows in Puerto Rico, and while it is unlikely I will be discussing the company’s exploits very often, I couldn’t resist including it for the pure fun both the crowd and Nemeth have throughout it. The ring work is a solid dynamic of a local hero slugging it out with an international veteran, but it is elevated by the crowd’s consistent energy. Puerto Rico may just have the best wrestling fan base anywhere on earth, and matches like this is why. It won’t change your outlook on wrestling, but to see a moment in the history of one of wrestling’s most overlooked workhorses, I recommend checking it out on Youtube.
