Wrestling Omakase #58: NOAH Retrospective Vol. 1, Beginning (00-03)

On this week's edition of Wrestling Omakase, John is joined by returning guest Tanner (@Tanner1495) from the All You Can Hear Podcast (@AYCHPodcast) to talk the early days of Pro Wrestling NOAH! John and Tanner begin their tale back in 2000 talking the circumstances behind the famous All Japan/NOAH split, as well as some of the awkward final AJPW shows featuring NOAH talent and how All Japan had to get along after the split. The show then quickly turns to NOAH's first shows, as we go basically in chronological order (with some jumping around here and there) from the first show in NOAH through what we view as the beginning of "peak NOAH", Kobashi's title win over Misawa in March of 2003. We hit a ton of major matches and moments along the way, but the matches we cover in the most detail include:
-2000: first main event (Kobashi/Akiyama-Misawa/Taue), both Kobashi-Akiyama matches, Hashimoto-Omori
-2001: Misawa/Ogawa-Hashimoto/Otsuka, Misawa-Akiyama GHC Title
-2002: Misawa/Kobashi-Akiyama/Nagata
-2003: Misawa-Kobashi GHC Title

We discuss all the major title tournaments and title changes during this period as well as get side-tracked a bit into the circumstances behind Shinya Hashimoto leaving New Japan and forming Zero-One, as that plays into early NOAH quite a bit as well. Finally, we wrap things up by answering some of your listener questions. It's a fun filled trip down memory lane in the land of the green mat, this week on Omakase!