Pushing Puroresu: Hungry Hungry Morishima!

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Guess what? It’s back! After a long hiatus, Pushing Puroresu has returned! In this week’s edition, I serve you a mouthful of Takeshi Morishima. I’ll talk about his fall from puro super stud to indolent paperweight and review two of his most recent contests, which perhaps bring hope of a renewed Morishima…or maybe NOAH’s just out of options. Seriously, the wrestlers there are dropping like pants in Atlanta. Yeah, you just got an American Idol joke in a column about puroresu. My versatility is unrivaled, my complexity unfathomable. I’m the Tenryu punch you didn’t see coming! I’m the–KABLAM! Told you. You totally didn’t see that coming.
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Also, I’m on Twitter now! Why? Because I can no longer resist the changing social landscape. I tried…I really did…but ultimately it’s good for me and the column, so it’s done. Also, as usual, click on the pictures to get them in full-size. It’s totally worth it, I swear.
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The Japanese Monster

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.                    . In February of 2007, Takeshi Morishima, the rotund, hard-hitting, fast-rising star of Pro Wrestling NOAH, won the Ring of Honor World Title from then champion Homicide. This was the biggest achievement in his young career. At the time, he was NOAH’s most decorated tag team wrestler ever, but had not yet broken out as a singles star. He carried the top American independent belt for a majority of the year, defeating former ROH Champions Nigel McGuinness, Austin Aries, & Bryan Danielson and generally acting as a vicious, unstoppable force. His feud with Bryan Danielson was the brightest and most talked-about storyline of ROH that year. Their inaugural match was the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s Match of the Year for 2007. He also managed to unseat previous winner Samoa Joe on their list as the year’s best brawler. The Cauliflower Alley Club bestowed upon him the Future Legend Award, an award won by both Chris Benoit & Kurt Angle in the past. After almost eight months a champion, he would finally lose the title to Nigel McGuinness on his third try, and Mori’s regular status in Ring of Honor came to an end. Despite the loss on American soil, his stock is Japan was still extremely high. Five months after the title loss, he bested puroresu legend Mitsuharu Misawa in a match for the supreme title in Pro Wrestling NOAH, the GHC Heavyweight Championship. After only two defenses, both against less-than-credible challengers, Morishima fell to Kensuke Sasaki. Morishima’s value continued to fall over the next six months.
.                    . He failed to impress WWE officials in a try-out match on WWE Smackdown!, lost the feud-ending match against Danielson in brutal fashion and lost a Number One Contenders Match to a past-his-prime Jun Akiyama. His weight ballooned ever greater, and his in-ring style went from dominant powerhouse to sluggish sandbag. The monster that had decimated ROH opponents for over half a year looked lost in the ring. You could feel the aura that had surrounded him for so long begin to vanish. His eyes, beady and hidden behind a thicket of frumpy, poorly-parted hair, always radiated a subtle rage. Now it seemed the seething fire behind his eyes was suddenly blurred by a fog of uncertainty. In the ring, a place he used to own with a hunched stalking of his prey, he would often look lost or even indifferent to the action around him. How had the one-time phenom fallen so far? He would eventually win the GHC Tag Titles in late 2009 with the man that beat him for his belt, Kensuke Sasaki. Occasionally, the fog would clear and the round mound of pound and ground would reemerge. But for the most part, he has acted as little more than a prop for punishment or Sasaki to use against opponents. He’s suplexed, bodyslammed and whipped into enemies by Sasaki, effectively making him the legend’s in-ring play-thing. Quite a fall for the former champion and “next big thing” in puro.
.                    . How did it come to this? How did one of the best monster characters in wrestling get reduced to the same basic function as the WWE’s former Festus gimmick? Well, being a young wrestler and having the title quickly taken off of you can be a big mental setback. NOAH decided to put the belt on a proven draw, Kensuke Sasaki, due to poor live returns for Morishima. Many viewed this as counterproductive to NOAH’s future, but with their financial state at the time, they must’ve felt a change needed to be made. Still, NOAH has shown a habit of pushing a hot, young wrestler and then backing away from them when the receipts aren’t there. Morishima, Naomichi Marufuji, Go Shiozaki…all three were given the premiere title, and all three had it taken away far too soon to stay credible, and without much help in the match selections either. Despite all of this, most of the blame must still fall on the shoulders of Morishima himself. His weight was a problem when he started out and now it’s an absolute distraction. His movement has become increasingly sluggish and he shows no signs of wanting to change this. There is no questioning his skills as a wrestler, but in the world of puroresu, stamina is a key component. Outlasting and outworking another wrestler is what sets you apart, regardless of wins and losses. Dana White’s expression about staying in the UFC is comparable here. “It’s not whether you win or lose,” White has said, “it’s how you lose.” As wrestling is still promoted as a sport in Japan, this must always be a consideration. Morishima’s flabby build serves a self-indictment of his own work ethic. He is only getting fatter, and it doesn’t seem to bother him despite it affecting his ring work.
.                    . Now, after fighting legendary Toshiaki Kawada in a very competitive match at the Budokan Hall, it seems that the Japanese Monster may be erupting again. He is still as gargantuan as ever, but he no longer becomes lethargic mid-match because they have limited him to singles matches under ten minutes. They have maximized what they could get out of him by keeping him in situations he can handle. Now, it’s Morishima’s turn to do some work. Takeshi will never be a Kobashi-esqe workout machine, but he must start to show the fire again. He has to find a hunger for success, not cupcakes and cheese steaks. Talent is a gift not to be wasted, and every time I see Morishima swinging his arms like a sadistic madman, I wonder whether it’s all an act. Who is the real Morishima: the guy who detached Bryan Danielson’s retina or the flabby wind sucker who stands there and takes beatings? My hope is that it’s the former, and that this new push will motivate him to start taking care of himself and get in shape. NOAH is starved for draws, so it’s ironic that they may be turning to a fat guy. Hopefully, Takeshi Morishima will take the ball and run with it…or at least walk fast. Let’s start there.
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What I Watched This Week

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NOAH – Takeshi Morishima vs. Katsuhiko Nakajima [Match] – ***
. 2010-02-18 . These two had a dreadful match a while back, so hopefully this is an improvement. Nakajima starts with some early kicks, but eats a shoulder block from the big man. Nakajima fires back with a dropkick and his corner enzuigiri, sending Morishima to the floor. Nakajima dives out onto Mori, knocking him down. Back inside, Nakajima tries a top rope front dropkick, but it just pushes Morishima to the turnbuckles. Mori reverses a whip and nails Nakajima with a corner lariat. He tries for his running hip attack, but Nakajima avoids it and lands two running dropkicks. Naka tries a sunset flip, but Mori just sits down on his chest for a two count. Ouch. Nakajima tries to lift Morishima, but fails. Shocking. Mori tries a suplex, but Naka counters out and goes for the bodyslam again. He gets Morishima up, but he’s too heavy, and Mori comes crashing down on top of him. Takeshi heads north and nails a big front dropkick to the young lion. Nakajima tries some kicks, but Mori just swats him away like King Kong did to the planes. Naka rolls back in, and Mori steps on his guts. I think Nakajima’s a prolonged bearhug away from vomiting his large intestine.
.                  . Morishima tries a boot, but Naka counters into a leg whip and applies an STF. Morishima gets to his feet and blocks a German Suplex attempt, stomping Naka down in the corner. Morishima hits a big running hip attack. He goes for the Backdrop, but Nakajima flips out and nails a superkick. Morishima tries a lariat, but Nakajima ducks, nails a second superkick and dumps Morishima on his head with a release German suplex. Superkick to a kneeling Morishima! 1…2…Morishima kicks out. Nakajima tries another German, but he’s too tired, so Morishima ends up landing on Nakajima’s stomach. 1…2…Naka kicks out and vomits his small intestine. Well I was close. Clubbing blows from Morishima, but Nakajima counters with three superkicks and a high kick. He goes off the ropes, but turns into a big Morishima lariat! And a brutal second lariat! 1…2…Nakajima kicks out! BACKDROP DRIVER! 1…2…3! Morishima gets the win at 7:38. A solid, short match that played to Morishima’s strengths. I would have liked some bigger heat between Sasaki’s protégé and his current heavyweight tag partner, but what’re you gonna do. Crowd was pretty good and it was worlds better than their first match, so I approve. A good watch if you’re a fan of both guys.
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NOAH – Toshiaki Kawada vs. Takeshi Morishima [Part 1] ~ [Part 2] – ***1/4
. 2010-02-28 . A video package highlights Morishima in a very flattering way, making astute comparisons to both Vader and Terry Gordy. This is the most credible I’ve seen Takeshi painted in some time, so it’s got me excited for this match. Kawada ducks an early lariat, but can’t withstand a shoulder tackle. The much older and smaller Kawada tries to chop the monster down, with no success. He finally manages to get him off his feet with an arm wrench kick, but it does not keep him down long. Takeshi fires back with clubbing blows and a corner lariat. A running hip attack and more clubbing blows is enough to cause Toshiaki to bail outside and rethink his strategy. Morishima follows him out, placing him in a chair on the outside. The crowd claps along as Mori goes for another, more dangerous hip attack, but Kawada rolls away before he even starts to charge. Morishima lariats him back into the chair and delivers the punishing hip attack! Kawada rolls back in at nine, where Mori continues his assault. A big elbow drop gets only one, perhaps a sign that Takeshi is underestimating the legend. Kawada rolls back outside and Mori follows once again. Takeshi sets up for his suicide dive, but Kawada stops him on the apron. Toshiaki tries a powerbomb, but Morishima hits him with a hip press on the apron!
.                  . Back inside, Morishima hits a Big Splash for another two. Mori taunts Dangerous K with a weak Kawada kick, and the veteran takes offense, nailing Takeshi with a barrage of kicks. He charges at Morishima, but eats a lariat. Morishima sends him off the ropes and hits another huge lariat, but Kawada kicks out of the pin attempt at two. Backdrop Driver from Morishima is blocked with elbows. Mori off the ropes, but Kawada meets him with a boot. Jumping enzuigiri from Kawada, but Morishima refuses to go down! BACKDROP DRIVER ON KAWADA! Mori can’t cover though, so Toshiaki gets to his feet in the corner. Morishima charges, but Kawada counter with a boot. He goes off the ropes, but Morishima lariats him for the third time! Takeshi lifts Kawada to his feet, and both men trade big strikes, lariats for leg kicks, clubbing blows for big boots. Kawada is throwing mad elbows, but can’t take Morishima down. He finally just punches Mori right in the face, knocking the monster down and out! The referee scolds Kawada, but he pushes him away and drills Morishima with the Dangerous Kick! He drags Mori up and nails him with another Dangerous Kick! Kawada kneels on Morishima’s chest for the three count at 10:27. Both guys looked really strong here, and the story was perfectly executed. Kawada had to resort to a Tenryu-esqe Guh Punch to win. This is the type of match Morishima should be working. Let the opponent beat you up, but don’t lose the fire. Mori has a bad habit of seeming listless once the beatings start, perhaps due to his weak endurance. People will only buy you as a monster if you keep the rage. If people aren’t afraid of you, they’re probably laughing at you. With Morishima’s physique, it’s all too easy to chuckle. Here, he was pitch perfect, perhaps due to the short match time. It’s well worth a watch.
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