Topic: So I got the New Japan Network

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Best Of THe Super Juniors

FINALS, 6/03 - Full show with English Commentary by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

Yuju Nagata, Tomoyuki Oka, & Shota Umino b. Manabu Nakanishi, Katsuya Kitamura, & Tetsuhiro Yagi when Nakanishi submitted Yagi with a Boston Crab This was apparently Yagi's debut. Oka and Kitamura started out for their respective teams. They smacked each other around for a bit before Umino tagged in. Kitamura tagged in Yagi, who got Umino in a Boston Crab, which got broken up by Oka. Nakanishi and Nagata tagged in. Nakanishi scored a two count with a Lariat. Nagata hit an Exploder Suplex. Back to Kitamura and Oka as the legal men. Dual Torture Rack with Kitamura racking Oka, and Nakanishi racking Nagata. Yagi was tagged in, but was hit by a powerslam. The pin was broken up, but Oka locked in a Boston Crab to get the submission win.

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, & Jado) b. Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Hirai Kawato when Ishii pinned Kawato with a lariat. Tenzan started with Jado, and decked him with Mongolian Chops. Kawato tagged in and got worked over by all three CHAOS members. Makabe got the hot tag and ran wild. Kawato tagged back in and decked Ishii with a flying uppercut. Kawato got some more offense in, and even got a couple near falls. Ishii rallied with a Brainbuster, but the pin was broken up. Kawato finally fell to an Ishii lariat. Definitely a sign that there could be big things ahead for Kawato.

Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, & Volador Jr. b. Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado, & Taka Michinoku) when Volador pinned Taka with a Top Rope Belly To Belly. Volador and Desperado started out with some quick exchanges before Liger tagged in for the surfboard spot. The other SG members broke up the surfboard and worked over Liger. Tiger got the hot tag and ran wild on all three opponents. Volador got and kept the momentum up, landing a top rope Belly To Belly for the win.

The Bullet Club's Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi, & Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa) b. David Finlay & War Machine (Raymond Rowee & Hanson) when Takahashi pinned Finlay with the Pimp Juice. Bullet Club came to the ring accompanied by scantily clad Yujiro escorts. War Machine and GOD started out and the multi-man brawl escalated quickly. Tonga took a fans camera from ringside and took several pictures in ring before handing the camera back.  BC worked over ACH until Rowe got the hot tag. Hanson came in and did his version of the Forever Clothelines. Finlay tagged in and did several speedy clotheslines and uppercuts on Takahashi. ACH did a DIVE on Bullet Club. Hanson (300 lbs.) did a top rope plancha onto everybody. In the end, Yujiro hit Finlay with the Pimp Juice DDT and celebrated with his escorts. Lots of gratuitous closeups of the gals' thongs.

Tama Tonga post match promo http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00440_7_18

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi) b. Suzuki-Gun (NEVER Openwieght Champion Minoru Suzuki & Taichi) when Hashi pinned Taichi with Karma. Two of the best themes in wrestling back to back. El Desperado and Kanemaru accompanied Suzuki and Taichi. All Suzuki-Gun members attacked as soon as they hit the ring. Multi-Man Brawl erupted. The heels came out on top with the numbers advantage. Suzuki choked Goto with a chair, effectively leaving Yoshi alone to get worked over for the heat. Goto got the hot tag, and he and Suzuki went smash for smash. Double tag out, which lead to Taichi and Hashi as the legal men. Desperado hit Hashi with a chair behind the ref's back. Hashi rolled up Taichi, but Taichi pushed the ref during the rollup. All four Suzuki-Gun hit the ring and laid to waste the CHAOS members. Kanemaru tried to spray Hashi with the Whiskey, but Hashi ducked and Taichi took the spray. Hashi then pinned Taichi with Karma.

After the match Suzuki-Gun pummeled Goto and Hashi, as well as ringside crew. What jerks.

Los Ingobernables De Japon (IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, & NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions SANADA, EVIL, & BUSHI) b. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima, Juice Robinson, Ricochet, & Dragon Lee) when Naito pinned Kojima with Destino. You're reading that correctly, all five members of LIJ are champions. Naito tossed the Intercontinental Title belt into the ring as a sign of disrespect, and all the babyfaces ran to tend to it, like it was a valued possession. Imagine that happening in WWE. Babyfaces ran wild early on, but got cut off and then the heels got the heat on Taguchi. Hot tag to Dragon Lee, who went toe to toe with his rival Takahashi. Takahashi gave Dragon an Exploder to the turnbuckles and tagged in Bushi. Ricochet tagged in, and got shine on all the heels. Double tagout to Kojima and Sanada respectively. Kojima got his rapid fire chops in on Sanada. Multi-man brawl ensued. Naito got decked with a Western Lariat. Evil and Naito double teamed Kojima, allowing for Naito to hit Destino on the legend for the three count.

After the match Naito cut a promo, but was interrupted by Tanahashi. Tanahashi was originally supposed to be on this tour, but suffered a bicep tear. This was his first appearance in several weeks. Tanahashi cut a promo while Naito layed in the ring like he didn't care. Naito tossed the belt in the air and left the ring.

The Bullet Club (Kenny Omega & Marty Scurll) b. CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada & Gedo) when Scurll submitted Gedo with the Chickenwing. Intense back and forth start between Okada and Omega until Omega spat in Okada's face and tagged out. Gedo tagged in, but soon fell victim to double teaming. Long heat segment on Gedo. Okada got knocked to the floor by Marty, so Gedo missed making a tag out. Gedo rallied, and Okada ran wild on both heels after getting the hot tag. Kenny hit his somersault roll/moosault combo. Scurll went for a piledriver, but Okada countered and tagged Gedo back in. Okada broke up Scurll Chickenwing on Gedo. Four man battle broke out. The heels superkicked Okada out of the ring. Marty did the fingerbreaker on Gedo, and locked in a second Chickenwing to get the submission.

They have well over an hour left for the main event.

Best Of The Super Juniors Finals: KUSHIDA  Will Ospreay  Crowd was chanting for both men. A lot of back and forth mat based action, with takedowns and counters. Ospreay dared Kushida to hit him. When Kushida did, Ospreay seemed to turn on him, calling him a "little bitch" and "f---ing c--t". Kushida knocked Ospreay to the outside, and hit him with a top rope plancha. He dropped Ospreay on his knees, and sed a figure four. Ospreay battled back and hit a flying kick to gain control of the match. I believe he was kicking with his "good leg". Kushida hit a top rope shoulderbreaker. Ospreay kicked Kushida to the outside and hit a flipping dive. He used a springboard forearm on Kushida, and fllowed it up with an "Essex Destroyer" (Spanish FLy). Running Shooting Star by Ospreay for a two count. Kushida rallied with a Dragon Suplex. Ospreay did a Reverse Hurricanrana ON THE APRON (I never want to see that again). Kushida kicked out of a second Essex Destroyer. Ospreay went for an Oscutter, but Kushida countered it into a Cross Armbreaker. As Ospreay tried to escape, Kushida turned it into a Triangle Choke. Ospreay countered by turning the hold into a Buckle Bomb, and hit the Oscutter. Kushida kicked out of the Oscutter (a first by my recollection). Ospreay hit his corkscrew kick (Kelly called it the Robinson Special), and went for a second Oscutter. Kushida ducked and hit a handspring cutter for a two count. Very intense back and forth strikes. Kushida with the Hoverboard Lock. He went for the Back To The Future, but Ospreay countered into a Stunner. Ospreay hit a reverse 450 for a two count. Ospreay stacked Kushida on a turnbuckle and repeatedly kicked him in the face. Ospreay went for a top rope Oscutter, but Kushida countered into a Top Rope Back To The Future, followed by a second BTTF to finally get the win. Amazing match that went over 30 minutes. Legit MOTY contender.

After the match, Kushida cut a promo, and all the babyface tournament competitors joined him in the ring, including Liger. Backstage there was a beer bash celebration.

Post Match Will Ospreay Promo http://njpwworld.com/p/s_series_00440_7_28

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Road To Dominion
Korakuen Hall 6/09 - Full Show with English Commentary by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis

As the name implies, this is simply a set up show for the major show on Sunday.

Suzuki-Gun (El Desperado & Taka Michinoku) b. Shota Umino & Tetsuhiro Yagi when Desperado submitted Yagi with a Stretch Muffler. The Young Lions came out aggressive right out of the gate, with Yagi and Taka starting out. Yagi missed a dropkick, which lead to the heels working him over. Umino got the hot tag and ran wild on Desperado/ A dropkick for a two count. Yagi tagged back in, but got met with a spinebuster. Umino tried to break a Stretch Muffler submission, but got caught in a Camel Clutch by Taka. Yagi tapped out to give SG the victory.

Togi Makabe, Yuji Nagata, Tiger Mask IV, Hirai Kawato, & Tomoyuki Oka b. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger, & Katsuya Kitamura when Nagata pinned Kitamura with the Backdrop Hold. Liger did Hogan flex poses while still in his full cape and gear. Kitamura is now wearing a mouthguard with sharp animal teeth drawn on them. He and Okka started out and had a fun little hossfight. I can't help but think these two are going to be rivals for years. Tiger and Nakanishi tagged in for their respective teams. Nakanishi hit a splash for a two count, but Tiger kicked out. Liger and Kamato tagged in. Kamato hit a springboard dropkick on Liger for a two count. Kawato went to the top, but Liger met him and hit a Superplex. Nagata and Tiger broke up the pin. Kojima tagged in and hit his rapid fire chops on Kawato. Yuji broke up a pin after Kojima landed his top rope elbow. Yagi dropkicked his way out of a Lariat attempt, and tagged in Makabe. Makabe and Kojima clashed. Tenzan tagged in after Kojima hit a Koji-Cutter. Makabe rallied and finally tagged in Nagata. Kitamura tagged in and racked Nagata. Nagata hit Kitamura with a Backdrop Hold for the pin. Fun match.

The Bullet Club (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) b. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo) when Takahashi pinned Gedo with Pimp Juice. Takahashi and Ishii started out, with Takahashi taunting Ishii out of the gate. Gedo tagged in, but fell victim to double-teaming. Ishii got the hot tag and ran wild, so selling blows to the head. Page tagged in and hit a piledriver on Ishii for a two count. Yujiro and Gedo tagged i respectively. Gedo kicked out of a Fisherman Buster. Yujiro went for the Pimp Juice, but Ishii suplexed hm from behind. All four men brawled, with Page hitting a shooting star to the outside on Ishii while Yujiro finally pinned Gedo with the Pimp Juice.

Now we're getting to the matches that are building to featured Dominion matches.

The Bullet Club's Cody, Bad Luck Fale, & The Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa) b. Michal Elgin, David Finlay, & IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson) when Cody pinned Finlay with Crossroads. The GOD are challenging War Machine for the Tag Titles, while Elgin has a match with Cody. Finlay and Fale have had altercations during the tour. The Bullet Club's Cody, Bad Luck Fale, & The Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa)  8 man brawl erupted quickly with all four babyfaces knocking Fale out of the ring. Cody was left in the ring with Hanson as the brawl spilled outside. The heels gained the advantage, and started working over Hanson, which is funny because he's the biggest man on the babyface team. Hanson hit the Whoppie Cushion on Roa, and then gave Rowe the hot tag. Cody decked Rowe with a top rope dropkick. Elgin tagged in and squared off against Cody. The tag champions and challengers brawled to the back, leaving Finlay and Elgin against Cody and Fale. Finlay scored a two count with a backbreaker. Finlay fired up and went for a cutter, but Cody reversed it into a Crossroads to score the win.

Suzuki-Gun (NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Taichi) b. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, Yoshi-Hashi, & Jado) when Sabre submitted Jado with a wristlock.  Goto is of course challenging Suzuki for the NEVER Title. Taka Michinoku and El Desperado accompanied the other Suzuki-Gun teammates, because four men on the tteam isn't enough. Multi-Man Brawl right out of the gate. Suzuki seemed to get into the face of Togi Makabe, who was doing comedy. Yano did his "BREAK! BREAK! BREAK!" comedy spot, which was mocked by Taichi. Hilarious if you're familiar with Yano's schtick. Hashi and Kanemaru tagged in. Outside the ring Suzuki destroyed Goto with a chair. The heels then brutalized Hashi in the ring. Goto got the hot tag, cleaned house. Suzuki ducked under, got Goto into a Rear Naked Choke and tagged in Sabre. Ushi-Garoushi on Sabre, and Goto tagged out. Jado an Sabre were left in the ring as everybody else brawled around the ring. Jado submitted to Sabre's wrist lock.

Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Ricochet, & KUSHIDA)  Los Ingobernables De Japon (IWGP Intercontinental Champion, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi, and NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions SANADA, EVIL, & BUSHI)  Naito and Tanahashi surprisingly started out the match, with Naito instantly going for Tanahashi's injured arm. Ricochet and Bushi tagged in. Taguchi lead all the faces in splashes on Bushi. Multi-Man Brawl broke out on the outside while Taguchi and Bushi were in the ring. Eventually it came down to Takahashi and Kushida going toe-to-toe. Long dueling strike spot. EVIL tagged in for the heels while Juice tagged in for the faces.Juice dodged a team-up against him and tagged in Tanahashi. Tanahashi ran wild, but LIJ were able to gang up on him and get him with a multi-man dropkick. Tanahashi kicked out of a TKO from Sanada. Sanada went for the Skull End, but Tanahashi reversed it into a Guillotine Roll-up.

LIJ immediately started beating down Tanahashi until Taguchi Japan made the save.

The Bullet Club's Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks of Matt & Nick Jackson) b. CHAOS (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, & Roppongi Vice of Rocky Romero, & Beretta) when Omega pinned Romero with The One Winged Angel. Comedy early on with Nick and Beretta starting off. Okada and Omega squared off until The Elite hit a triple enziguiri. Elite then did their Terminator pose, and tried for a triple dive. CHAOS avoided them, threw them to the outside, and mocked the Terminator pose. This put Elite in a tizzy for their schtick being mocked. The Elite went to the back, like they were walking out of the match. CHAOS then went to look for them. When they disappeared to the back, Elite returned and hid under the ring. CHAIS returned to the ring and got jumped. Elite got the heat on Beretta. Cody interfered behind Red Shoes back. Okada got the hot tag and ran wild. He went for the top rope elbow, but The Bucks grabbed his feet so Omega could counter. Rocky tagged in and hit the Forever Clotheslines on all three Elite. CHAOS worked over Nick. Rocky went for a top rope hurricanrana, but Nick blocked. This allowed Matt to superkick an upside down Rocky, and for The Bucks to hit the Indytaker. After that, Omega hit the One Winged Angel to get the win.

After the match, The Young Bucks jumped Okada, and Omega teased giving Okada the One Winged Angel through a tabel. But instead he let him go and cut a promo saying he didn't want to beat an injured Okada, and that he wanted Okada at 100%. The Bucks plugged their YouTube show.

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https://www.njpw1972.com/tornament/4215?showCards=1

Here is the full card for Dominion. Storyline summaries by me.

David Finlay, Shota Umino, & Tomoyuki Oka vs. Katsuya Kitamura, Hirai Kawato, & Tetsuhiro Yagi - Finlay is the only one of these  who's not a Young Lion. So my hunch is he gets the win, probably over Yagi, who's only been wrestling for a few weeks.

Tiger Mask IV, Tiger Mask W, Yuji Nagata, & Togi Makabe vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima, & Hiroyoshi Tenzan

NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Title Gauntlet Match: Los Ingobernables De Japon (EVIL, SANADA, & BUSHI)(c) vs. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, & Ricochet) vs. CHAOS (Yoshi-Hashi, Toru Yano, & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, & Hangman Page) vs. Suzuki-Gun (Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Zack Sabre Jr.) - My understanding is two teams will start out. When one team is defeated, the next team takes their place, and they go until only one team is left. Honestly it just sounds like a "Let's get everybody on the card" match.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Beretta)(c) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) - Simple build. These teams are rivals.

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson)(c) vs. The Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga  Roa) - War Machine won the belts a few months back, but have yet to defend against the former champions in a two-on-two match. This should be a great hossfight.

Michael Elgin vs. Cody - At Dontaku, Cody defeated David Finlay. He then cut a heel promo saying he wanted to face somebody "bigger and stronger". Michael Elgin accepted the challenge. I can confirm that Michael Elgin IS, in fact, bigger and stronger than David Finlay. While not officially stated to my knowledge, the winner of this match will likely be in line for a major title shot.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi(c) vs. KUSHIDA - Takahashi has been on a roll since debuting last November. He defeated Kushida (one of my favorite wrestlers currently) for the title at Wrestle Kingdom 11 (New Japan's WrestleMania) and retained the title twice against Kushida. One of which lasted only three minutes. So he's dominated the former champion. He lost to Ricochet and Will Ospreay, and Kushida won the entire tournamet. This means even if he retains here, he has two more strong contenders. That said, I think Kushida gets the belt back.

NEVER Openweight Championship Lumberjack Match: Minoru Suzuki(c) vs. Hirooki Goto - Suzuki is of course the leader of the vile stable Suzuki-Gun, while Goto joined CHAOS last year. I'm assuming the Lumberjacks will be members of Suzuki-Gun and CHAOS, but names haven't been released. I think Suzuki retains.

IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Tetsuya Naito(c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – Tanahashi was unsuccessful in capturing the title at Wrestle Kingdom 11. He has a torn bicep, so I’m not sure how much he’ll be able to do. That said, I think he is coming out on top, even if it is to only briefly hold the title.

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega - This is the rematch to what will probably be Match Of The Year. As you may recall Dave Meltzer gave the first match six stars out of five. So this match has very high expectations. Okada won the title almost exactly a year ago at Dominion 2016, plus New Japan is holding events in LA next month. That all adds up to Omega getting the strap in my book.

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Dominion

Osaka-Jo Hall 6/11 - Full show with English Commentary by Kevin Kelly & Don Callis

Dominion is one of the major shows for New Japan. It would roughly translate to their SummerSlam, so it’s a big deal.

David Finlay, Shota Umino, & Tomoyuki Oka b. Katsuya Kitamura, Hirai Kawato, & Tetsuhiro Yagi when Finlay pinned Yagi with a Cutter. This was a pre-show showcase for the current Young Lions. Finlay was the only one no longer classified as a Young Lion. However, Umino, Kawato, Kitamura and Oka are all incredibly impressive. This was a perfectly fine opening match

Tiger Mask IV, Tiger Mask W, Yuji Nagata, & Togi Makabe b. Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima, & Hiroyoshi Tenzan when Makabe pinned Nakanishi with the King Kong Kneedrop.  A battle of veterans who all happen to be babyfaces. Nothing great, but nothing bad either.

NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Los Ingobernables De Japon (EVIL, SANADA, & BUSHI) b. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, & Ricochet), CHAOS (Yoshi-Hashi, Toru Yano, & Tomohiro Ishii), Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, & Hangman Page), & Suzuki-Gun (Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Zack Sabre Jr.) to retain the titles. The match format had two teams starting out. When one team was defeated, the next team would take their place. This would continue until only one team remained.

First Match: CHAOS b. Bullet Club when Yano pinned Page with a low-blow. The heels beat up Yano and Ishii outside the ring, enabling them to team up on Hashi. Yano tagged in and undid the turnbuckle pad. Both Page and Takahashi were whipped into the exposed buckle. Ishii clotheslined Fale out of the ring, leaving Yano to steal the win with a low blow on Page.

Second Match: Suzuki-Gun b. CHAOS when Sabre pinned Yano with a European Clutch. Very quick match. Yano tried the low blow finish again, but Sabre reversed it into his European Clutch.
Third Match: Taguchi Japan b. Suzuki-Gun  The babyfaces kicked it off with a triple hip attack. They hit Sabre with several corner splashes until Taichi and Kanemaru tossed out Ricochet and Juice. Heat on Taguchi until Juice got the hot tag. Taichi hit Juice with the bell hammer. Kanemaru went to spray whiskey in juice’s face, but Juice ducked and Taichi got sprayed. Juice hit Pulp Friction to get the win.

The heels attached Juice after the match while the champions made their way to the ring.

Fourth Match: LIJ b. Taguchi Japan when Bushi pinned Taguchi with an MX. The heels stomped Juice right off the bat. Evil took out Taguchi with a chair while Bushi choked out Juice with a shirt. Hot tag to Ricochet, who ran wild. Tower Of Doom spot and Sanada fall on Ricochet. Taguchi tagged in and hit the Dodon on Bushi, but the pin was broken up. Sanada broke up a submission on Bushi with the Skull End Dragon Sleeper. A missle rope MX later, and it was all over.

The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) b. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Roppongi Vice (Rocky Romero & Beretta) to win the titles when Nick Jackson submitted Romero with a Sharpshooter. These two teams have wrestled each other so many times, but the matches are always great. This was no exception. The action spilled to the outside early. Romero was powerbombed twice on the apron, and had his lower back rammed into the ring post. This lead to the heat on Beretta. The Bucks worked over Beretta for several minutes as Romero laid on the outside. Finally Romero got the hot tag. The Bucks repeatedly put Romero in Sharpshooters. I think it was five total Sharphooter attempts. The final one came after an Indytaker.

The Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa) b. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions War Machine (Raymond Rowe & Hanson) to win the titles when Tonga pinned Rowe after Guerrilla Warfare. Back and forth hossfight action. Four big mean scary dudes throwing each other around. Tonga kicked out of Decapitation. The Guerrillas went for Guerrilla Warfare on Rowe but Hanson broke it up. Hanson splashed Tonga from the top, and hit a dive on Roa. Ref bump. Tonga missed a chairshot on Rowe. Rowe grabbed the chair and was tempted to use it. As soon as he dropped it, he was levelled by another chair from Roa. The Guerrillas finished off Rowe with Guerrila Warfare.

Cody p. Michael Elgin with Crossroads. This match came about because Cody wanted to wrestle somebody “bigger and stronger” after beating David Finlay a few months back. Well, I am pretty sure Michael Elgin is bigger and stronger than David Finlay. Shine early on Elgin, as he shrugged off Cody’s offense. Cody finally got the upper hand with an Alabama Slam. Elgin made a comeback with German Suplexes. Cody grounded Elgin with a leglock. After getting out of a Superplex, Cody hit the Crossroads to get the clean pin.

KUSHIDA s. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi with The Hoverboard Lock to win the title. These two tore into each other out of the gate, as you’d expect heated rivals to do. KUSHIDA hit a springboard dropkick onto Takahashi on the floor. Takahashi hit a Time Bomb for a two count. Takahashi went to the top, but Kushida met him and got him in the Hoverboard Lock. Kushida jumped off the ropes with Hiromu still in the armlock and slammed him to the mat. OWWW! Takahashi landed the Sunset Flip to the floor. BIGGER OWWW! Kushida with a top rope Back To The Future. Back and forth strikes. The crowd booed Kushida as he laid in stomps. Kushida went for like his third Hoverboard Lock, this time finally getting the submission. WHAT A MATCH! Okada and Omega are going to have to have another Match Of The Year Candidate just to get Match Of The Night.

NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki p. Hirooki Goto with a Gotch Piledriver to retain the title. I will never grow tired of this feud. Both these guys have awesome theme music, so hearing them back to back will never get old. Goto came to the ring accompanied by fellow CHAOS members Toru Yano, Yoshi-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii, and Jado. Suzuki walked out with Taka Michinoku, El Desperado, Zack Sabre Jr., and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Suzuki dared Goto to chop him, and when Goto did, he just looked down at his chest, and back at Goto like “What was that? A Mosquito?” As you’d expect, there was a lot of brawling outside the ring between the factions. Suzuki slapped Liger, who was doing color commentary, which got a huge reaction from the crowd. Goto landed a top rope elbow for a two count. Suzuki went for a Penalty Kick, but Goto caught him and clotheslined his way out of it. Dueling strikes, which Suzuki got the better of. Suzuki bounced off the ropes and was met with an Ushigoroshi. The ref got bumped, and the chaos (no pun intended) started. Everybody hit the ring and got thrown to the outside. Hashi added an exclamation point by hitting a dive on the whole crowd. Goto hit the GTR, and likely would’ve gotten the pin, but Taichi ran out and pulled the ref out to stop the count. Taichi followed it up with chairshots to the head. A dropkick and Gotch Piledriver by Suzuki got the win.

After the match Yoshi-Hashi hit the ring and got in Suzuki’s face. Believe it or not he actually knocked Suzuki out of the ring. Suzuki took the mic and cut a promo on the ring ramp, presumably taunting Hashi.

They have two and a half hours left for the main events.

Hiroshi Tanahashi p. IWGP Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito with a High Fly Flow to capture the title. the IC Belt was clearly damaged, part of the main plate was ripped. Tanahashi attacked Naito before he could get his suit off. Like Takahashi and Kushida, these two just tore into each other. Naito of course targeted the arm of Tanahashi, because Tanahashi is still recovering from a torn bicep. Naito hit a Tornado DDT on the ramp, which lead to a near countout. Naito continued to work on the arm. Tanahashi started his comeback, nailing several punches, which the crowd did not like. High Fly Flow to the outside. Naito regained control and kept Tanahashi grounded. Tanahashi reversed a top rope hurricanrana into a sunset flip for a near fall. A High Fly Flow missed. Dueling stiff slaps. Naito hit a second rope Destino, but Tanahashi kicked out. A second Destino was reversed into a Dragon Suplex, and Tanahashi started his comeback. Naito kicked out of a High Fly Flow. Tanahashi then locked in the Texas Cloverleaf to get the surprising submission victory. I think that’s the first time at least in a very long time that Tanahashi has gotten a submission victory. Another amazing match!

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada d. Kenny Omega. The Young Bucks accompanied Omega to the ring. Feel out process early on quickly lead to both men trying to hit their finishers. Okada hit a dive to the outside on Omega. Kenny started targeting Okada’s leg.  He dropped Okada’s knee on an announce table for a near countout. Okada took control and hit his bodypress on the outside. Kenny dodged a top rope elbow, and started his comeback. Missile Dropkick to the back of Okada landed a two count. Omega continued to stalk Okada. They teased a top rope Dragon Suplex. Okada hit a DVD on the apron (I’ve lost count on the number of bumps on the apron). Okada set up a table at ringside. Kenny went for a springboard dropkick, but Okada countered with his Too Awesome Dropkick. Okada hit a top rope elbow, then signaled for the Rainmaker. Omega countered and hit a superplex for a near fall. Okada hit two German Suplexes and a Rainmaker, but Omega kicked out. Omega reversed Okada’s Too Awesome Dropkick into a Powerbomb. WOW! Okada dropkicked Omega to the outside, then set Omega up on the table. Elbow off th top rope to the outside on Omega. DOUBLE OWW! A missile dropkick scored a two count for Okada. Okada then hit two straight Rainmakers. Cody Rhodes and the rest of Bullet Clube came to ringside, apparently Cody was trying to throw in the towel. How that would end the match is beyond me. It doesn’t matter because it was probably a ruse. Omega rallied and hit a reverse hurricanrana. Omega went for the V-Trigger, but was met with another Too Awesome Dropkick. Omega hit the One Winged Angel, but Okada got his foot on the ropes. Okada hit Rainmaker #4. Another Dragon Suplex on Okada. Another dropkick by Okada. We may be looking at a time limit draw. Omega with a V-Trigger to the back. An attempt at The One Winged Angel was reversed into a Tombstone. Okada went for Rainmaker #5, but Omega collapsed and avoided it. Spinning Tombstone Piledriver by Okada (Zangief Flashbacks) followed by a German Suplex. Okada hit Rainmaker #5, but was too exhausted to make the pin. 60 minute time limit draw. I couldn’t possibly have done justice to this match. Arguably better than the Tokyo Dome Match, and that’s saying something.

I think we have our LA Main Event.

After the match Gedo cut a promo that looked to be asking Okada for comments. Okada looked like he had ony one thing to say (usually he has three), but I have no idea what he said. Liger rallied the fans to cheer for Okada as the confetti fell.

[SCB]

You can say what you want about Meltzer's over inflated rating of Okada Omega 1, but this second one was every bit the hype. Great story telling.

[KoppoKick]

Has Meltzer given his rating for Okada vs. Omega II yet?

The man has me dying to find out what he rated The Match That Was Better Than The 6 Star Match. 

[SupTool]

6 1/4 stars is what he gave it

[Zandrax]

It'll be interesting to see how this match is presented if it maks AXS TV.

[Zandrax]

It'll be interesting to see how this match is presented if it maks AXS TV.

Will be airing June 30th on AXS as part of a two hour episode.

[Zandrax]

Lion's Gate Project 6, 6/15 - House Show

As the name implies, the Lion's Gate Project showcases the younger, less experienced wrestlers on the New Japan roster. They're not really meant to push major storylines.

El Desperado s. Tetsuhiro Yagi with a Stretch Muffler.  Desperado worked over Yagi's leg, with Yagi contantly able to make it to the ropes. Yagi hiot a dropkick and half crab for a brief comeback before Desperado grounded him again and locked in the Stretch Muffler to get the submission win.

CHAOS's Gedo & Jado b. Shota Umino & Hirai Kawato when Jado submitted Umino with a Crossface. Gedo and Jado played the heels in this match. Jado & Kawato started out, with Kawato showing fire early on. Double tag out. G&J cornered Umino for the heat. Gedo threw Umino to the outside, and Jado used a chair. Umino kicked out of a pin attempt. Hot tag to Kawato, who ran wild. Missile dropkick scored a two count. Gedo countered with several roll ups, but failed to get the pin. Another double tag out brought things back to Jado and Umino. Umino locked in the half crab while Kawato kept Gedo at bay. However, Jado made it to the ropes. recovered and hit a lariat for a near fall. Kawato broke up a pin attempt after a second lariat. However, Umino did not last, as he submitted to Jado's crossface.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Tiger Mask IV  b. Dinosaur Takuma & Takuya Nomura when Tenzan submitted Dinosaur with the Vice. Dinosaur wears a singlet with a lizard tail and carries a large bone with him. This is my first time seeing him and Nomura. Dinosaur would even sell his tail. Both teams looked to be babyfaces. Heat on Dinosaur as both Tenzan and Tiger grounded him with holds. Nomura tagged in and got a respectable amount of offense in, including a cross armbreaker on Tiger, but got cut off by Tenzan. Dinosaur tagged in and speared both Tiger & Tenzan. Impressive powerslam on Tenzan. But in the end, Tenzan locked in The Anaconda Vice for the submission win. In a good show of sportsmanship, the faces held up Dinosaur's arm in respect.

Manabu Nakanishi s. Kitsuya Kitamura with the Torture Rack. Kitamura is almost as big as Nakanishi, which is saying something. They traded running shoulderblocks and chops to start things out, with Nakanishi getting the upper hand. Nakanishi was in control for a while until Kitamura reversed a suplex. A spear felled Nakanishi. Kitamura got Nakanishi in the Torture Rack (one of Nakanishi's own finishers), but couldn't hold him. Nakanishi decked Kitamura with his signature lariat, then finished him off with the Torture Rack. Fun hossfight.

After the match Nakanishi helped Kitamura to his feet.

YOSHI-HASHI s. Yuma Aoyagi with Karma. The Young Lion actually was in control in the opening moments of the match. Hashi resorted to going to the outside and brawling to gain the upper hand. Hashi worked over Yuma with submissions for several minutes. Yuma made a fiery comeback with several running elbows. A top rope bodypress on Hashi scored a two count. Hashi locked in a half crab, but the Young Lion escaped. Hashi kicked out of a Fisherman's Suplex, and a German Suplex. Finally, Hashi levelled Aoyagi with a lariat, and locked in Karma for the submission.

Satoshi Kojima & Ayato Yoshida b. Yuji Nagata & Tomoyuki Oka when Kojima pinned Oka with a Lariat. This is my first time seeing Yoshida's work. The Young Lions started out the match. Double tag out to the veterans. Dueling chops and strikes. Yoshida tagged in and got double teamed. Kojima hit his rapid fire chops on Oka. Top rope elbow scored a two count on Oka. Yoshida tagged in and hit a Penalty Kick for a near fall. Hot tag to Nagata. Exploder Suplex for a near fall on Yoshida. Kojima tagged back in and decked Nagata with strikes. Nagata rallied with the Shirome armbar, but Yoshida broke it up. Nagata brawled with Yoshida on the outside. Oka put Kojima in a Boston Crab, but Yoshida once again was able to break the hold. Belly to Belly by Oka on Kojima for a near fall. Kojima rallied with a DDT and Koji Cutter, and Lariat to get the win. A fine match that had the only pinfall finish on the entire show.

After the match, Yoshida traded blows with Nagata. He lost that exchange but still looked like he wanted a fight. It came across like he had a fighting spirit. Kojima took the mic and cut a promo, apparently putting over Yoshida.

[Zandrax]

Kizuna Road Day 2, Korakuen Hall 6/26 – Full show with Japanese Commentary

Shota Umino s. Tetsuhiro Yagi with a Boston Crab. A battle between the two newest Young Lions. Umino is the son of referee Red Shoes. Both guys very aggressive out of the gate with neither one gaining an advantage. Strikes, leglocks, and some good mat wrestling considering how green these guys are. Umino grounded Yagi with a Camel Clutch, but Yagi made it to the ropes. Yagi rallied with a dropkick and made his comeback before locking in a Boston Crab. Umino made it to the ropes to break the hold. Umino then locked in his own Boston Crab, and got the submission victory. Umino seemed to try to help Yagi back to his feet, but Yagi shoved him. So Umino gave him a shove back and left.

A backstage interviewer went into Suzuki-Gun’s locker room. Davey Boy Smith Jr. yelled at him to shut up. Suzuki chased him off, took the mic, and cut a brief promo.

Tomoyuki Oka d. Katsuya Kitamura in a 10 mniute time limit draw. These two guys do a pretty good hossfight when they face each other. I fully believe Kitamura has superstar potential. Dueling shoulderblocks to start off, with neither man budging. Kitamura got a near fall after winning a chopping contest. Oka grounded Kitamura and worked on his leg. Kitamura rallied with a spear, and controlled he next few minutes. Oka was mounting a comeback and hit a powerslam, but when he was covering the time limit expired. Oka kept trying to pin Kitamura and the two had to be separated after the match. More to come from there two.

The interviewer went into Yoshi-Hashi’s dressing doom and talked to him, presumably about the upcoming main event match against Suzuki.

Suzuki-Gun’s Taka Michinoku, Taichi, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, & Hirai Kawato when Kanemaru pinned Kawato with a diving DDT. Kawato insisted on starting the match, and held his own against all three heels. Liger tagged in and was in control until the heels took the fight to the outside. Taichi used the bell hammer on Liger. The heels too turns working over Liger until Tiger got the hot tag. Dive to the outside onto the heels by Tiger. Kawato tagged in and ran wild to the delight of the crowd. Several near falls on Kanemaru. Unfortunately for Kawato, Kanemaru countered with a lariat and his diving DDT to pick up the win

After the match the heels beat up the babyfaces because that’s what they do. Kanemaru spit his whiskey on the announcers. Tiger and Liger fired up and chased the villains to the back.

CHAOS’s Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, & Jado b. Hiroyoishi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata, & Manabu Nakanishi when Yano pinned Nakanishi with a low blow. CHAOS may be thought of as babyfaces, but they all clearly worked heel in this match. Tenzan and Jado started out, but soon there was a double tag out to Kojima and Goto. Kojima landed his rapid fire chops, and went for his top rope elbow only for Jado to toss him off.  The brawl spilled to the outsde where Jado and Yano worked over Kojima. Back in the ring, CHAOS took control for the heat on Kojima. Hot tag to Nagata, who fended off all comers. Nakanishi tagged in and fought Yano for some comedy.Triple submission spot where Nakanishi had Yano in the Rack, Nagata had Goto in the Crossface, and Tenzan had Jado in the Anaconda Vice. The cool visual was broken up by Ishii. Nagata held Yano for a lariat by Nakanishi, but Yano ducked, hit a low blow, and rolled up Nakanishi for the underhanded win.

Suzuki-Gun’s Davey Boy Smith Jr. & El Desperado b. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada & Gedo of CHAOS when Desperado pinned Gedo with the Pinche Loco. The exact opposite of the last match, as Okada and Gedo were total babyfaces. Smith sucker punched and stomped a few of the Young Lions at ringside, and proceeded to attack Okada from behind. He even choked Okada out with Okada’s own jacket. Okada made a comeback and tagged in Gedo, who battled Desperado. The heels resorted to grabbing Gedo’s beard to get leverage in the match. Heat on Gedo with the heels working over his beard. Hot tag to Okada, who ran wild. Smith countered Okada witha  Double Arm Suplex. Gedo tagged back in with Desperado. Near fall on Desperado after aa side kick. Okada dropkicked Smith out of the ring. Stretch Muffler by Desperado on Gedo was broken up by Okada. While Smith and Okada brawled outside the ring, Desperado hit Pinche Loco (Angels Wings) to get the win.

The heels stomped on Gedo as they left.

Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, & NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Champions SANADA, EVIL, & BUSHI) b. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, Togi Makabe, & David Finlay) when Bushi submitted Finlay.  Multi-man brawl right out of the gate. Naito and Takahashi double teamed Taguchi until he rallied with a dropkick and tagged in Finlay. All the faces used Hip Attacks on Naito. Yes, even Makabe. Eventually, LIJ regrouped and ganged up on Makabe. Hot tag to Tanahashi. Sanada tried tying up Tanahashi into a human knot, but Taguchi made the save. Juice tagged in and went toe with Sanada. Great exchanges between the two. Finlay tagged in and ran wiled on Takahashi and Bushi. Another multi-man brawl broke out with everybody hitting their big moves. Finlay hit a spear on Evil. Bushi it a dive to the outside. Evil locked in a submission on Finlay to get the submission

NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki p. YOSHI-HASHI with a Gotch Piledriver to retain the championship. In a rare move for CHAOS, Okada accompanied Hashi to the ring. Usually the only CHAOSmembers around are actually in the match. Suzuki came accompanied by Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Desperado, so the heels still had the numbers advantage. This really had a big feel, with the heels trying to intimidate Hashi. Slow start with a lot of mat wrestling until Hashi fired up and started chopping. Suzuki knocked Hashi to the outside. The rest of Suzuki-Gun went to gang up on Hashi, but Okada stepped between them and gave them a Death Stare. Back in the ring, Suzuki stomped Hashi, but Hashi still got up and took the fight to him. Suzuki locked in a leglock and pulled Hashi to the outside. Referee Red Shoes tried to break up the hold, but Suuki got in his face. This allowed the rest of the heels to jump Okada. Suzuki delivered several chairshots to Hashi on the outside. This lead to a near countout as Hashi made it back to the ring at the count of 19. Suzuki proceeded to torture Hashi for several minutes with submission holds before getting in Okada’s face. Suzuki slapped Okada like he was daring Okada to hit him (which would of course cause a DQ). Meanwhile, the rest of the minions jumped Hashi again, which lead to another near countout. Hashi finally reversed a suplex and started his comeback. Suzuki cut him off and stayed on the offense, resorting to ground and pound tactics. Hashi reversed out of a Gotch Piledriver and put Suzuki in Karma. Taka distracted the ref so the heels could break up the submission. Suzuki shoved Hashi into Red Shoes and the heels stormed the ring again. This time, Okada cleaned house. Davey Boy Smith Jr. ran out and smacked around Okada. It looked like Smith was going to powerbomb Hashi until other CHAIOS members hit the ring to start the multi-man brawl. CHAOS chased the heels to the back, finally leaving Suzuki and Hashi in a true one on one situation. Hashi made another comeback with kicks and a Backstabber, then hit a top rope senton for a near fall. Hashi put Suzuki back in the Karma submission hold for several minutes, with Suzuki failing several times to make it to the ropes. After several minutes, Suzuki finally got his foot on the rope. Karma went for his pumphandle finisher, but Suzuki powered out, hit a dropkick, and started laying in the strikes. By this time, Hashi started looking like he was made of rubber. A Gotch Piledriver later, and the champion retained his title. GREAT MATCH! Easily the best thing of the show.

After the match, Suzuki kicked Red Shoes in the guy when Red Shoes presented him the title. The rest of Suzuki-Gun returned to the ring and Suzuki cut a promo about the G1.

With Smith’s interference on Okada, I can’t help but think we’ll see an Okada/Smith match down the road.

[Zandrax]

Here are the results for New Japan’s final Kizuna Road show, emanating from Korakuen Hall on June 27th, 2017.

Shota Umino d. Tetsuhiro Yagi in a 10 minute time limit draw.  A rematch from the previous night between the two Young Lions. Fisticuffs to start things off. Yagi gained control after a hip toss. Umino countered with grounding Yagi and working on his leg. Camel Clutch on Yagi, but Yagi made it to the ropes. Umino stomped Yagi, showing frustration. Yagi started his comeback. Boston Crab on Umino, but he escaped by making it to the ropes. Dropkick by Umino, followed by several running elbows to the corner, and a Boston Crab on Yagi. However, the time limit expired before Yagi submitted.

After the match, the two traded a couple slaps, but didn’t truly come to blows.

Suzuki-Gun’s Taka Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Tiger Mask IV & Hirai Kawato when Michinoku submitted Kawato with a crossface. For once Suzuki-Gun members came out alone, without help. They stomped Kawato as soon as he got in the ring. The heels went to town on the babyfaces outside the ring. Double teaming on Kawato in the ring until Tiger got the hot tag and ran wild. Kawato tagged back in. Tiger Driver on Taka, followed by a missile dropkick by Kawato. Kawato scored several near falls, but Taka eventually locked in his crossface to get the submission victory.

Jushin Thunder Liger, Satoshi Kojima, & Hiroyoshi Tenzan b. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, & Tomoyuki Oka when Kojima pinned Oka with a Lariat. There seemed to be tension between Liger and Nakanishi before the bell. Kojima and Oka started out, with Oka actually getting the upper hand out of the gate. Kojima quickly rallied and tagged in Liger, who squared off against Nakanishi. Liger hit a Superplex on Nakanishi! Think about that for a moment… Kojima hit his rapid fire chops on Nagata, to which Nagata countered with an Exploder Suplex. Oka tagged in and powerslammed Nagata. Triple Submission spot with Nagata putting Tenzan in the crossface, Oka putting Kojima in a Boston Crab, and Nakanishi racking Liger. Brief brawl saw all six men in the ring. Oka kicked out of a Koji Cutter, so Kojima finished him off with a Lariat.


CHAOS’s Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano b. Togi Makabe & Katsuya Kitamura when Ishii pinned Kitamura with a Lariat. A brawl broke out before the bell. Yano leveled Makabe with a chair on the outside. Back in the ring, Ishii and Kitamura exchanged chops.  Makabe tagged in and traded running lariats with Ishii. Kitamura tagged back in and tried trading blows with Ishii, but it didn’t go as well. Makabe broke a pin attempt after a back suplex. Ishii tried a suplex, but Kitamura reversed it for a brief comeback. However, Ishii cut him off and hit a Lariat for the pin.


Los Ingobernables De Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, & EVIL)  b. Taguchi Japan (Ryusuke Taguchi, IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay)  when Sanada submitted Finlay with the Skull End. The faces used Hip Attacks and corner splashes on Sanada, then got confused on how to tie him up in his own hold. This allowed the heels to rally and get heat on Juice. Hot tag to Taguchi, who traded blows with Takahashi. Evil tagged in and squared off with Tanahashi. Naito and Evil double teamed Tanahashi until Finlay got the tag. Finlay and Sanada went at it. Sanada went for the Skull End, but Finlay reversed it into a Small Package for a two count. Finlay went for a Cutter, but it got reversed into the Skull End, causing Finlay to tap out.

After the match, Taguchi held up a Taguchi Japan banner to Sanada, like he was offering him to join. The heels beat down Taguchi in response.

Suzuki-Gun (NEVER Openweight Champion Minoru Suzuki, Davey Boy Smith Jr., Taichi, & El Desperado)  b. CHAOS (IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, & Gedo) when Desperado pinned Gedo with the Pinche Loco. Suzuki attacked during ring introduction and brawled with him on the outside. Smith and Goto started the actual match for their teams. CHAOS worked over Smith and had him on the ropes before SG struck to trigger a multi-man brawl on the outside. Taichi used the bell hammer on Hashi. Heat on Hashi as the heels cut him off and toyed with him. Hashi rallied by decking Suzuki with kicks, and tagged in Okada. Okada ran wild, decking all of Suzuki-Gun before squaring off with Suzuki himself. They went back and forth until Suzuki put Okada in a sleeper. Suzuki went for the Gotch Piledriver, but Goto made the save. Okada hit the Too Awesome Dropkick and tagged in Gedo, while Suzuki tagged in Desperado. Gedo had Desperado pinned, but Suzuki broke it up. Multi-Man brawl ensued with Okada missing the dropkick. Suzuki kicked Gedo, who stumbled into Desperado’s Pinche Loco for the pinfall.

A video package aired recapping Kushida’s Best Of Super Juniors Tournament win, and capturing of the Junior Heavyweight Championship. It looks like they have four wins apiece between all of their matches with each other.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion KUSHIDA p. BUSHI with a Back To The Future to retain the championship.Ryusuke Taguchi accompanied Kushida to the ring. Kushida gained control early by grounding Bushi and applying submissions. Bushi responded by choking Kushida with his shirt, and hitting a dive to the outside. Then it was Bushi’s turn to apply submissions. Kushida made his comeback with kicks. They battled to the top turnbuckle where Kushida hit his top rope armdrag into a Hoiverboard Lock. Hiromu Takahashi came to ringside to distract Red Shoes, so if there was a submission, it was missed. Kushida hit a dive to the outside, but started selling his leg. However, he kept the momentum going with dropkicks. Bushi escaped the Back To The Future. Kushida went for a DDT, but Bushi tossed him into Red Shoes for the ref bump. Takahashi ran back out. Kushida hit the Back To The Future, but Takahashi made the count. Kushida, thinking he’d just won the match, let go of Bushi. This is when Takahashi struck and sunset flipped Kushida to the floor. Kushida sold it like he was dead (as he should). Taguchi pleaded with Kushida to get back in the ring. Kushida barely made the 20 count. Bushi hit a Canadian Destroyer for a near fall. Kushida reversed the MX into a side slam. Dueling strikes spot lead to Bushi using the Mist. Kushida amazingly kicked out of the MX. Bushi went for another MX, but Kushida rolled through it and reversed it into a Back To The Future for the win. Amazing finish to a great match!

After the match, Taguchi got in the ring to hand Kushida the belt. He was so happy that his friend retained his title. When Taguchi left, El Desperado came to the ring with a guitar. He cracked the guitar over Kushida’s heat Honky Tonk Man style. He then took the belt and cut a promo, presumably challenging Kushida.

[KoppoKick]

Is this Saturday or Sunday night from California going to air live on New Japan World?

[Zandrax]

I don't know about the website, but Saturday will be live on AXS TV.

[SupTool]

From all accounts the version that was on NJPW world was the AXS broadcast.


People are really hating on JRs commentary from this show

[KoppoKick]

It was definitely a rough start for JR.

*Misidentified Jay and Mark Briscoe (Barnett never corrected him) in the opener.
*Said Volador Jr is 22 years old.  Volador is 36.  I think he got him mixed up with Dragon Lee, who is 22.
*Said Juice was fighting Will Ospreay as they were heading to break prior to the Juice/Sabre Jr match.

I thought JR was a lot better during the 2nd Half of the show, particularly during Naito vs. Ishii.  He was hilarious comparing Ishii to his grandmother's refrigerator. 

Also, does "bowling shoe ugly" no longer mean a match sucks?  JR used it a couple times last night and think he meant it as a compliment.

Cody did a really good job in the main event hanging with Okada. 

[SCB]

omega/Elgin stole the show, but Cody/Okada told a great story.


If they're setting up Cody vs Omega down the line, will they split up Bullet Club and The Elite? I don't think Cody can lead the club like Omega, AJ, and Balor.

[KoppoKick]

Can anyone access the Death Before Dishonor content such as KUSHIDA vs. Kenny King?  When I try, I get, "Our service is not available in your area."  Same thing happens when I try to watch Will Ospreay vs. Jay White from War of the Worlds from NYC (can't get anything from that show to play).  Yet I am able to watch the matches from Best in the World. 

[Zandrax]

Those may be limited due to them being ROH shows.

[KoppoKick]

I wonder why I can watch 3 matches from Best in the World (ROH PPV on 6/23/17), but nothing from War of the Worlds (ROH PPV on 5/12/17).