(NOAH) Essay Street2000: The Reborn All Japan And Noah Kick Into High Gear: What Course Should They Chart?

Weekly Pro 7th November 2000

(Issue No. 1002)

(Note: This article ends somewhat abruptly, and does feel incomplete. I went and checked to see if I had missed any pages, but no, this is indeed how it does end)

Twenty-five people, including Mitsuharu Misawa, who had even served as president, left the company en masse. It was a shocking and earth shattering split. However, with the arrival of reinforcements like Koshinaka and Tenryu, the newly formed All Japan Pro Wrestling team began to take shape. Meanwhile, Noah is also making a full-fledged comeback with Kenta Kobashi and others undergoing a complete image change. 

Watching the progress of both promotions with a critical eye, is Ryoji Nishio, who runs a used CD and record store in Nagoya. 

What is Noah's identity in All Japan Pro-Wrestling?

You are likely aware, through newspaper and television reports, of the torrential rain that struck the Chubu region on September 11 and the resulting damage. That evening, as the rainfall became unusually heavy, I was considering closing the shop early and heading home; however, while I was monitoring the situation, the Meitetsu train line I usually take stopped running. 

I decided to head home by subway and dashed out into the torrential rain; as I began walking down the gentle slope, the water was soon lapping at my knees. I paused for a moment, torn between pressing on and turning back, when a group of five or six young men—looking like office workers—came wading toward me. They had no umbrellas and were calling out to one another; with their trousers rolled up, they splashed noisily through the water. They looked like they were laughing. They looked like they were having a blast. They looked like children who had reverted to playing in the water. Watching them, I felt foolish for having hesitated. I was going to get soaked anyway. Once I stopped caring and started wading boldly through the splashing water, my spirits soared—I felt an increasing rush of exhilaration. I found myself laughing, even though the situation hardly called for it. And then I wondered: is this the same feeling that fans of All Japan Pro Wrestling are experiencing right now?

When one calmly considers the future of All Japan Pro Wrestling, the situation appears dire—it is not merely a case of water flooding the floor, but of the water rising all the way to the roof. Yet, precisely because of this extreme situation—or perhaps in spite of it—the fans are in high spirits, intoxicated by the extraordinary atmosphere. The real issue lies in what happens after the waters recede; only when the floodwaters subside and normalcy returns will the harsh reality finally come into view.

As I gazed at an All Japan Pro Wrestling poster—featuring a "Competing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling" sticker affixed beneath the photo of Taiyo Kea—I found myself deeply reflecting on the nature of brand identity. If the fans accepted the All Japan Pro Wrestling of the Kawada and Mitsu era as truly being "All Japan Pro Wrestling," then what, exactly, *was* the brand identity of All Japan Pro Wrestling?

To the general public, All Japan Pro Wrestling is defined by the matches between Baba and Tsuruta that were broadcast on Nippon TV; with both Baba and Tsuruta gone, that era is effectively over. Yet, for pro wrestling fans of the 1990s, All Japan represented the intense "Four Pillars" style of wrestling that unfolded in packed Budokan arenas—an era that, in their minds, should not have ended. 

The lineup of the newly formed All Japan is no less impressive than when it was founded. 

I realized I had been mistaken when I saw that the "new" All Japan continued to pack the Budokan even after the split. It wasn't that the venue sold out because fans accepted the new promotion as "All Japan Pro Wrestling"; rather, it was the fact that the Budokan sold out that led to the promotion being recognized as All Japan Pro Wrestling. It’s a somewhat convoluted, paradoxical way of putting it, but I believe this is a crucial point.  All Japan Pro Wrestling’s identity as a major promotion rests on its track record of consistently packing the Budokan and the fact that it was broadcast weekly on Nippon TV for over twenty years. The specific roster of wrestlers and the content of the matches are merely secondary considerations.

It is only natural for a brand to evolve its image in order to survive; for instance, people in their fifties might associate the film company Toei with *chanbara* (sword-fighting) period dramas, whereas for younger generations, the company’s image is defined by the yakuza films of Ken Takakura and Koji Tsuruta. The same applies to Nikkatsu: while I belong to the "Roman Porno" generation, those slightly older would likely recall the action movies starring Yujiro and Akira.

There is a vast gap between the different eras of All Japan Pro Wrestling's image. The young girls who once cheered for Terry Funk have since become wives and mothers; by now, they likely never even give pro wrestling a thought. It is difficult to trace a clear line of continuity from Terry’s style of wrestling to the "Four Heavenly Kings" era. Yet, both represent All Japan Pro Wrestling. The wrestlers and staff of the newly reformed All Japan Pro-Wrestling need not feel bound by the notion that "Four Pillars" wrestling defines the promotion; instead, they should focus on forging a new identity for the company. After all, All Japan’s origins lie in the eclectic roster present at its inception—which even included Thunder Sugiyama—so when viewed in that light, the current lineup does not pale in comparison. Despite various criticisms, considering the high level of individual motivation among the wrestlers, one can confidently say the situation is far better now than it was back then.

A brawl and bloodshed outside the ring that befits Kobashi and Omori 

Now, I’m concerned about Noah. October 1st marks Noah’s debut in Nagoya at the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium. Yet, even as October arrived, I hadn't seen a single poster. It wasn't until the 9th that I finally spotted just one. Just a single poster—and appearing a mere two days before the event —it all feels rather half-assed and unsettling. I wonder how many people actually saw it. You just want to blurt out, "What's the point?" 

I wondered if things would really be okay given the situation. What on earth was Noah's sales team doing? On October 11, I headed to the Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium feeling anxious and apprehensive; however, upon finding about half the venue filled, I thought the turnout was actually quite impressive. The show started exactly at 6pm. The light and sound effects were fresh and good in their own way. 

However, when I saw even the newly debuted wrestlers appearing to their theme music and bathed in the spotlight, I couldn't help but think that it was a little different. In the first match, a tag team match a foreign wrestler (Richard Slinger) took part, and the rookie wrestler thrilled the audience with a series of spectacular moves. Noah is trying to reject the concept of preliminary matches and preliminary wrestlers, and the young audience readily accepts this with applause. 

But, why does Noah keep putting foreign wrestlers with a strong All Japan background in the ring? I think unknown young wrestlers would be more suitable for a new promotion.

The main event was Kobashi vs Omori. 

Omori was bleeding from the brawl that began during their entrance. The result was a KO victory for Kobashi. I don't think they were trying to differentiate themselves from the Four Heavenly Kings style of wrestling by having brawls outside the ring and bloodshed, but I felt more nostalgia than novelty. This kind of match suits Kobashi surprisingly well. The blood red also looked good against Omori's blonde hair.