Every single title that was up for grabs changed hands at yesterday’s WrestleKingdom show at The Tokyo Dome. Hiroshi Tanahashi became the first man to win the G1 Climax tournament, and go on to win the title at WrestleKingdom. This makes Tanahashi a record setting eight time IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
But that was WrestleKingdom, and this is New Year Dash. Much like WWE’s Raw After WrestleMania, New Year Dash runs some major angles that set in motion the storylines for the coming year. Whether it was three years ago when The Bullet Club ousted AJ Styles and embraced Kenny Omega as their new leader. Whether it was two years ago when Suzuki-Gun returned to New Japan and laid to waste half the roster. Or whether it was last year when Jay White teased joining Bullet Club only to turn on Kenny Omega and side with CHAOS
Another common theme with New Year Dash is the match lineup, or lack thereof. Only one match was known ahead of time, which was Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, and Toru Yano winning a six team Gauntlet Match to earn the shot at NEVER Openweight Six Man Champions Bullet Club (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, & Taiji Ishimori). GOD lost their tag titles last night, but Ishimori gained gold with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The ring announcer Kimihiko Ozaki also declared that the main event will be Yoshi-Hashi returning to action to team with Tanahashi and Okada to face Jay White, Bad Luck Fale and Gedo of Bullet Club
Roppongi 3K (Sho, Yoh, & Rocky Romero) b. The Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) & Takeshi Iizuka when Yoh pinned Iizuka with a roll-up. A bit of a mismach when it comes to weight, as all three Suzuki-Gun members are heavyweights, and all three R3K members are Junior Heavyweights. Of course, the heels jumpstarted the match by attacking before the bell. Romero tried his Forever Clotheslines on Archer, but they had no effect. Archer slammed Romero, which set the stage for the heat. The heels worked over Rocky until Sho and Yoh mounted a rally. Smith hit both with an impressive Double Northern Lights Suplex and tagged in Iizuka, who looked to snack on Yoh. however, Yoh was able to roll him up for a quick three count.
After the match, the heels attacked the ring crew, including Smith hitting the trademark running powerslam on the floor.
The next match involved members of teams who are going through a lot of drama, Tomoaki Honma and Toa Henare vs. Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens. Of course, the story with Honma is his recovery from his career threatening injury. Henare is a recent graduate from the New Japan Dojo who teamed with Honma’s GBH partner Togi Makabe for the World Tag League. Henare wants to proof he is worthy to Makabe and Honma, and wants to be a GBH member. However, the recent drama with Jay White betraying CHAOS has lead to Makabe reuniting with his old Most Violent Players partner Toru Yano. Knowing the pro wrestling world, it’s only a matter of time before SOMEBODY gets fed up and turns heel.
Meanwhile, over on the other side, Owens and Takahashi were among those ejected from Bullet Club during the group’s most recent shakeup. Takahashi has retained the attention of Tokyo Latina, but Hangman Page and fellow Virginia native Chase Owens seem to have drifted apart. Page is one of the recent signees to the new All Elite Wrestling Promotion, but there hasn’t been a peep out of Owens on the subject.
Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens (w/Tokyo Latina) b. Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare when Owens pinned Henare with a Package Piledriver. The former Bullet Club members played the heels. Right down to Owens mocking Honma with a Kokeshi Headbutt. Honma broke up an Anklelock by Owens, which lead to a brawl. Takahashi spilled to the ouside with Honma, while Owens finished off Henare with a Package Piledriver.
FinJuice (IWGP US Champion Juice Robinson & David Finlay) b. The Best Friends (Chuckie T & Beretta) by DQ when Chuckie hit Finlay with a chair. During the opening moments, Kevin Kelly mentioned that David Finlay was the winningest wrestler in all of New Japan for 2018. Beretta walked into the crowd and hugged his mother. This caused tension with Chuckie, because he also wanted a hug. Beretta snapped that he already hugged Chuckie. Finjucie cleared the ring, and had their own hug. The Friends turned things around by whipping both faces into the railing. They worked over Finlay until Juice tagged in. Beretta dodged a Pulp Friction and countered with a knee. Finlay tagged back in and got a two count with uranage backbreaker. Before Finlay could follow up, Chuckie hit the ring had waffeld Finlay in the back with a chair for the DQ. The drama between The Best Friends continues. Beretta and Juice got in an argument after the match. Chuckie tossed a chair in Juice’s face, and piledrove Finlay on the chair, just for good measure.
CHAOS (NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, & Tomohiro Ishii) b. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb & KUSHIDA when Ospreay pinned Kushida with a Stormbreaker. The two Junior Heavyweights started the match. CHAOS worked over KUSHIDA early. Nagata broke up a submission by Ishii on Kushida, which raised Ishii’s ire. Looks like we have Ishii’s next feud. Eventually, Kushida got the tag to Nagata, who went at it with Ishii. The two no sold each other’s kicks, and battled in dueling strikes. Nagata got the seated armlock on Ishii, which got broken up by Ospreay. Nagata gave Ospreay an Exploder for his troubles. Cobb got the tag and battled to a standstill with Goto. Double tag back to the Junior Heavyweights. Ospreay tried for an Oscutter, but Cobb pushed Kushida out of the way and caught him. Kushida went for a Back To The Future, which Ospreay reversed into a Stunner. Cobb broke up the pin. That did not last though, as Ospreay was able to finish off Kushida with a Stormbreaker.
After the match, Ishii and Nagata brawled, further hinting that a match between the two will happen down the road. Ospreay fistbumped Kushida in a show of respect.
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Champions Bullet Club (Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, & IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori) b. Ryusuke Taguchi & The Most Violent Players (Togi Makabe & Toru Yano) to retain the titles when Loa pinned Makabe with an Over The Shoulder Piledriver. Makabe and Loa started the match and traded shoulderblocks. Yano tagged in, but found himself opposite Tonga, whom he notoriously fears. The heels worked over Yano until Taguchi got the hot tag and ran wild with hip attacks. Loa and Makabe tagged back in, and Yano smacked Loa with a chair. Ishimori broke up the pin attempt by yanking the referee out of the ring. The ensuing brawl saw Takahashi and Owens run out and interfere. Owens hit the Package Piledriver on Makabe, which Loa followed up with his Over The Shoulder Piledriver (its name is not family friendly) to score the pin and retain the titles. This is the first time the Six Man Titles have been retained at New Year Dash in a long time.
Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, RPW British Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & El Desperado) b. Los Ingobernables De Japon (IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito, IWGP Tag Team Champions EVIL & SANADA, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Champions Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) when Taichi pinned Naito with Black Mephisto. Taichi smacked Naito with a chair before the bell, and multi-man brawl erupted right away. Taichi pummeled Naito while the battle continued outside. Suzuki and SANADA battled backstage into the hallways. Eventually, the match got back in the ring, and SG worked over Bushi. By the time Naito got into tag position, he was clearly beaten badly. A Tornado DDT got some much needed offense for LIJ. In the end, Taichi clobbered Naito with the belt and hit his Black Mephisto for the pin.
After the match, Taichi taunted Naito as the rest of Suzuki-Gun stood over the vanquished LIJ. So it looks like Taichi will be the next challenger for Naito’s title. The ring crew had to help Naito to the back.
It’s Main Event Time!
Bullet Club (Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, & Gedo) IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada, & YOSHI-HASHI when White pinned Hashi with a Blade Runner. This is Yoshi’s return match, as he suffered a pretty bad beatdown several months back. Even though it started a few months back, it’s still a bit surreal to see Tanahashi and Okada as allies. The babyfaces got shine in the opening minutes knocking around White. Before long, the heels took control by taking the match to the outside. Now it was the heels’ turn to get heat by working over Yoshi. Okada got the hot tag and ran wild until Fale cheapshotted him behind. Double tag out to White and Tanahashi, who went back and forth before Yoshi tagged in. Whit kicked out of a Fisherman’s Buster. White escaped Karma by grabbing Red Shoes, and pinned Yoshi with a Blade Runner
After the match, White taunted Tanahashi and stated he wanted a title shot. Tanahashi unfortunately took the bait and got in the ring. Gedo and Fale attacked him from behind. Okada tried to make the save but also got beat down. White then cut a promo standing over the fallen superstars and declared he’d be the next Champion. It doesn’t get much simpler or more effective than that ladies and gentlemen. The heroes get their moment in the sun, but in the end the heel gets dastardly heat to go into the next show.
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