After three back to back stinkers, I offered James the chance to choose his match and therefore show this week. He went Japanese for the first ever WSBF New Japan review, to 2013 and Wrestle Kingdom 7 at the Tokyo Dome.
Will he actually enjoy his match this week? How will the rest of the lads find their delve into the world of Japanese wrestling? Will Mat watch the right match? All great questions... so let's find out!
CAPTAIN NEW JAPAN, TAMA TONGA & WATARU INOUE v JADO, TOMOHIRO ISHII & YOSHI HASHI
By Mat Carlson
With his NJPW account and a direct link to the match our fearless leader has idiot proofed this one for me perfectly. Apologies for the wayward review last week, turns out you need to check which year and which event you are watching. Damn you Daily Motion!
Anywho, without further ado let’s launch into what is sure to be a classic: Brock Lesnar (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura from Toukon Shindou Chapter One! Nah let’s actually get into this. I bring you my punishment, a dark match of: Captain New Japan, Tama Tonga and Wataru Inoue v Chaos (Jado, Tomohiro Ishii and Yoshi-Hashi).
This is most definitely the earliest NJPW I’ve watched as I’m a relatively recent fan of this brand.
First impression here is I can’t understand a bloody word of commentary, Ishii hasn’t aged a day & Tama Tonga needs a conga line escort troupe named the Rosebuds or something.
Hard to believe this is six years ago. We’ll see what a 5:58 six man tag match can give us.
We start off a standard tag match, quick tags seeing all competitors get involved bar Flash Gordon in the corner (I presume this is Captain New Japan?) Ishii still hits just as hard to this day too
.
The match really just carries along in the same vein, with Tama Tonga carrying his team right up until he hits his finisher for the win.
I guess that ends a pretty standard tag match. Not bad, not good. All you can really do with a six minute six man dark match!
WINNERS - CAPTAIN NEW JAPAN, TAMA TONGA & WATARU INOUE
BUSHI, KUSHIDA & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI v HIROMU TAKAHASHI, JUSHIN LIGER & TIGER MASK
By Pete Hitchcock
Given a choice of nothing but undercard tags, you bet I'm picking the one with Hiromu and Kushida in. I think this is the show with both the first Okada and Tanahashi Dome match and also Nakamura vs Sakuraba, but I have been left with the chaff. Thankfully this should be better quality chaff.
We join right in at the start of this match on NJPW World, no entrances for these guys at least for the 'just the match' video. One cool thing about NJPW World is they do have separate videos for most of the matches on a card as well as the card as a whole, in case you only want to watch a specific match.
It's crazy seeing Young Lion Hiromu, who is barely recognisable. You can sort of see it in his face, but his pudgier physique and lack of a tan suggest he should be beating Hogan at Starrcade 1997 instead.
Kushida on the other hand doesn't look too different at all, but has some cool New Japan Logo fight shorts. The two start things off at a fast pace. This pair would have one of my favourite rivalries years later, with the Dominion 2017 match being one of my favourite matches ever too.
Notably, in their matches they try to absolutely murder each other, but Hiromu hasn't learnt how to do that yet. I guess he picked that up from Dragon Lee in Mexico. So we get some brisk chain wrestling instead. Hiromu doing the Young Lion style does feel weird. Taguchi is visible on the apron too and has trunks instead! I'm so used to him with long tights that this is a little weird.
Liger tags in and the crowd immediately pops. The Japanese commentary refers to him as a living legend in English at one point, so I'm a little sad watching this now with him retiring in a few months or so. Bushi is a face here, which feels really weird. This is, to be fair, years before LiJ, but it makes you wonder how long some of these guys have been around and what they were doing before the stuff that really got them over.
Bushi fakes a suicide dive and poses in the middle of the ring, it's not the tranquilo pose but you can see where Naito got that spot from! Taguchi now tags in against Tiger Mask - this match would have been slightly before the Bullet Club formed with Taguchi's Apollo 55 tag partner Prince Devitt helming it. Taguchi would probably have to wait until April 2014 or so to get his big revenge against Devitt- he beat him in the Demon paint, no less.
Liger drops the Gooch with a powerbomb and straight into the classic Mexican Surfboard Stretch. If we're gonna criticise Natalya for stealing anyone's schtick, it's not Bret Hart, it's Jushin Liger! She stole half of his moves!
Hiromu in now with some beefy forearms. He actually looks physically bigger than he does when he comes back from excursion, but also less jacked and cut. Tiger Mask now puts Taguchi in a crab but Kushida breaks it up. Taguchi is back on offence and gets a break with some back elbows jumping off the ropes on the oldies. Double tags to Hiromu and Bushi.
Liger gets in on the action with a Shotei to Bushi and Hiromu follows with a bridging Fisherman's Suplex. Bushi doesn't kick out and his teammates have to break it up for him, which is interesting. Kushida springboards off the top rope with a flying chop to Hiromu's head and then a standing moonsault. You don't see him do this anymore!
Bushi gets Hiromu in the drop zone as Kushida and Taguchi take out the veterans on the outside. A beautiful 450 splash finishes it - again - where the hell has THAT gone?
There's really not too much to say about this match - it's an undercard NJPW tag but I guess it's nice to see how far some of them have come. I wonder what the current crop of Young Lion talent will amount to in the future?
WINNERS - BUSHI, KUSHIDA & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI
AKEBONO, MANABU NAKANISHI, MVP & STRONG MAN v BOB SAPP, TAKASHI IIZUKA, TORU YANO & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI
By Rob Armstrong
Right. What the fuck am I watching here? Some big men running into each other screaming. MVP is here for some reason. There's also a guy who I gather is called Strong Man who appears to literally just be a strong man. They're teaming up with Akebono and some other dork to fight Bob Sapp and three small bald-ish men.
Can't wait.
I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone to learn that this took me forever to find on the notoriously user unfriendly NJPW world app, presumably as they were trying to hide it. Was strong style named after Strong Man?
5 minutes in and nothing good has happened but the commentator seems excited enough to walk around shouting, and do you know what? Good for him. I'm happy for him. Maybe it was his life's one great goal to see Akebono - the guy who went Mano y Mano, Nappy y Nappy with the big show at Wrestlemania that time.
The first move in this match that wasn't a running body check thing was a German suplex. Now someone has tapped someone out to a torture rack and some skinny guy is in the ring.
I have nothing to say about what I just watched, other than whatever WSBF hipster dipshit picked this dingleberry in the rough match shouldn't be allowed to pick the event again.
If the "don't be a dick" rule that's tenuously AND strenuously applied to everything in progress was applied to nerd watch, whoever picked this card is living firmly in dick territory.
WINNERS - AKEBONO, MANABU NAKANISHI, MVP & STRONG MAN
NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - MASATO TANAKA (C) v SHELTON BENJAMIN
By Charlie Robery
So, we’ve moved to the Far East for this week’s NWW. Japanese wrestling. Not my strongest suit but one I’m interested to get my teeth into all the same. Being a fan of predominately American and British wrestling, I picked someone I’m familiar with; Shelton Benjamin (of World’s Greatest Tag Team fame) vs Tatanka…I mean, Tanaka. Masato Tanaka.
First down the aisle, sporting a jacket like something out of a Rocky film and a stars and stripes entrance video, like something out of a Rocky film, is Shelton Benjamin. I totally forgot Shelton even existed around this time in his career, so it was a welcome reminder to know he was alive upon his 2017 return to WWE television. Fans of NJPW knew exactly what was up, not so much over here.
Oh, I was awaiting the entrance of the champion, Tanaka, but he’s already in the ring, the sneaky git…the NEVER Openweight Championship title is handed to the ref and we’re ready for action.
The opening exchanges between the two suggest this will be a technical bout. Arm twist into a fireman’s carry into a headlock on the mat. This one is for the wrestling purists.
Tanaka fires Benjamin into the corner and launches an attack at him with the springboard, but Shelton lands on his feet, ducks a big right from Tanaka and puts him straight into a German suplex.
Tanaka takes to the outside and he’s clearly had enough of this one. Just as he seeks rest with Takahashi, Shelton comes flying over the top rope with a textbook right flip onto both of them. Superb! Rolls him back in the ring but can only manage a two.
Tanaka is thrown to the corner and Shelton goes for a ‘Stinger splash’ but misses and is in turn thrown to the opposite corner and hit with a big right. Shelton is taking a bit of a beating from Tanaka and seems to be in trouble. Even bigger trouble with the sleeper (no one loses to the sleeper anymore... Grandad…).
And it seems Tanaka even knows that, as he lets go and delivers a knee to the back of Benjamin and continues to kick him into the ground. Try as Shelton might, the back and forth exchanges keep resulting in Tanaka coming out on top.
The latest sees Benjamin floored by the clothesline. Tanaka lines Benjamin up, he wants to kick his face off…but it’s ducked. Shelton springs to his feet and delivers an inch perfect spinning heel kick. Two ‘stinger splashes’ followed by a back body drop, Shelton Benjamin takes control. Is he going to snatch the title?! He goes high risk, lands the flying neck breaker. It must be game up for Tanaka?!...Kicks out at two, looked like one to me. Nice sell, Tanaka!!
Followed straight away with a super kick to Tanaka, surely this won’t go on much longer…but it’s two again! TOP SHITHOUSING BY TAKAHASHI to trip Shelton up and he then grabs him, ready for Tananka to attack…which, he of course, misses.
Oh, wrestling, you are fun.
Roll up by Benjamin and it’s a kick out at two and worse for the former WWE IC champion, that forces him only as far as Takahashi…BOOM! KENDO STICK TO THE HEAD!…and ANOTHER TWO!
Shelton Benjamin fights back and puts Tanaka in an ankle lock, will he tap...? EVEN MORE TOP SHITHOUSING BY TAKAHASHI. He climbs the top rope to distract Shelton, who breaks the hold, to belly to belly suplex him from the top….SCHOOLBOY ERROR…running shoulder from Tanaka and that’s 1-2-3. Good night. Still your champion, Masato Tananka.
Not normally a NJPW man, but I enjoyed that. Roll on Ross’ stag in August!
WINNER - STILL NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPION, MASATO TANAKA
IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - K.E.S v SWORDS & GUNS
By Daniel Wildash
Hello WSBF fans! I have the pleasure of reviewing the IWGP tag team championship match between Swords and Guns (Goto and Anderson) and Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr and Lance Archer).
Big fan of Karl Anderson in his NJPW days, so I'm looking forward to this. Out comes Swords and Guns with Goto carrying a big ol' katana and Anderson firing off random rocket launchers into the crowd. 10 points for a head shot. Bonus if it's a KO.
Out next are KES. Archer is out on a motorcycle which is pretty cool. Same can't be said about the mask though. Looks like a 10 year old girl has gone crazy with a glitter gun! KES straight out of the blocks onto Swords and Guns and Anderson is already on the outside with Goto and Archer squaring off in the ring.
The size difference is mental. Archer is one scary human being. Prefer his current look now though and he's been smashing it in the G1 this year. For a big guy Archer loves pretending he's in the circus and balances up on the top rope holding onto Goto's hand. "Fuck you" Archer says to the Tokyo crowd and smacks Goto to the ground.
Two count and Archer is pretty pissed at that so he challenges the ref on his maths skills. Davey wants in on the action, so takes Anderson off the top rope and a nice little double team move on Goto ends in another two count. Tag to Davey. Big chest slaps and European uppercuts follow into a nice looking dropkick. Anderson looking very good. Davey comes back though and pins Anderson for another two count.
He also doubts the refs math skills and tags in Archer. A huge chokeslam but yet another two count. Archer goes up top with Andersons hand clenched and flips off the crowd with it! Anderson counters by attacking the leg of Archer and then takes out Davey on the ropes.
Anderson goes up top and hits a spinning Gun Stun which looks beautiful but somehow Archer kicks out at two. Goto and Davey in the ring now and a nice quick sequence of moves ends in Goto hitting a clothesline on Davey. Nice looking double team Gun Stun into a running senton and then a suplex pin attempt from Goto ends in a two and a half count.
This match has been a great watch so far and it's very back and forth. Archer and Davey go to double team Goto which is reversed. Anderson back in now and tries to hit another Gun Stun on Archer but that's countered with a vicious forearm and a Blackout.
Goto back in and hits Archer with, I think, a Shouten. It's signature/finisher frenzy as Davey hits a powerbomb and turns it into a pin attempt. He lets Goto out at one, which is a mistake as Anderson out of nowhere hits another Gun Stun.
All four men are out on their feet but Goto and Davey are the legal men so they get up first. Davey with another powerbomb attempt which is reversed but Archer is in and they hit a Killer Bomb on Goto. Anderson runs in to save the day and keep this match going.
He gets a Killer Bomb for his troubles.
Goto is back up and hits a nasty headbutt on Davey but low and behold KILLER BOMB! 1, 2 and 3. KES win this match and keep their IWGP tag title belts. What a Killer Bombnanza!
A very solid tag match between these four - a recommended enjoyable watch.
WINNERS - STILL YOUR IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, K.E.S
YUJI NAGATA v MINORU SUZUKI
By Matt Connolly
Right. This is a bit of a treat. Getting to watch something from my favourite Wrestling promotion NJPW. So I stick this match on and there is a live band playing something I can't make out. Surely Suzuki's Infamous 'Kazi Ni Nare' isn't going to be performed live in the Dome? IT BLOODY IS! Awesome start here then. Crowd pops huge for the first few notes. Real chills. Suzuki enters with a fist bump for the Vocalist (should look up her name really) and then proceeds to the ring with all his usual swagger.
Then we skip Nagata's entrance. Thats a shame. But the bell has sounded and I'm ready for stiff city. Both Men charge each other and start unloading. Your referee Marty Asami is gonna kindly ask them to step away from the ropes now and then but generally its both Men dropping Bombs and Talking Smack for a bit. They both sink in kicks like Stallions to each others back. Yuji "Blue Justice" Nagata has some of the best strikes going.
There is a pause to soak in the atmosphere before the Elbows start raining down again. Elbows move onto Boots. Nagata takes control and works Suzuki's arm as we go to the outside. As Nagata stalks Suzuki, Taichi is here! He distracts Nagata. What a weasel that man is. I love him. Anyway it's an opening that Suzuki takes. He hammers Nagata until he is crumpled on the floor near the announce desk.
Ref distracted, so Taichi gets some chair shots in whilst also taking out a Plethora of Young Lions in the process. Nagata is in Peril and Suzuki is loving it the Vicious Beast. After attempting to choke out Nagata with the chair The Ref finally steps in to stop the onslaught. No DQ's here. This is NJPW and Referee discretion is above the rules.
Nagata returns to the ring and after a few fighback shots, Suzuki takes control with a Headbutt, followed by a Knee Bar. Taichi is trying to help Suzuki by pulling the rope further away from Nagata's grasp. The hold is broken eventually but Suzuki stays on the attack. After a brutal looking kick, Suzuki tries to end this with a headlock in the middle of the ring. Nagata looks like he is struggling here.
Nagata breaks free with an exploder suplex and then mashes into Suzuki's chest with Nasty Kicks of his own. After a brief Suzuki fight back, Nagata hits an Overhead Belly to Belly before locking in a crossface. Suzuki's turn to try break the hold. Suzuki manages to grab a limb and Nagata releases the hold. Suzuki strikes right through Nagata with a Penalty Kick that would kill lesser men.
NAGATA POPS UP THOUGH! Like someone just blasted him with a Defibrilator! Suzuki goes again. NAGATA EATS IT AND POPS UP THE SAME! Crowd is getting hot for this No Sell. Suzuki goes for the hat trick and this time a vile looking sliding dropkick manages to get a two count.
Suzuki licks his lips, clearly revelling in the amount of torture he has placed upon Nagata. Or maybe its the next plan of attack he is salivating over. Nagata hits two stiff elbows before being caught with a textbook dropkick by Suzuki. The crowd groans, firstly for the nastiness of the connection and secondly because they are desperate for Nagata to put some moves together. Suzuki smiles.
He drags Nagata up by his hair before pelting some foul open handed slaps across Nagata's face. He must hit about 25 that all catch him plum. Nagata collapses. Again Suzuki forces Nagata's lifeless torso upwards so he can synch in the sleeper and end the punishment.
Nagata manages to struggle away but Suzuki catches him with another. This is Torture! Ref checking the hold is legal as life drips away from Nagata. Can Blue Justice summon the strength for a fightback?
The ref lifts Nagata's hand. Suzuki grips tighter. Nagata is seemingly out. Suzuki decides now is the time to hit the Gotch Style piledriver that ends it all. Nagata fights out! Huge Knee to the jaw from Suzuki. He tries again. NAGATA FLIPS SUZUKI! Followed with a Big Boot and thunderous knee in the corner. A bit of separation finally!
Nagata decides he is going to soften up the arm. Massive shots into Suzuki's shoulder. Nagata goes to apply the Arm Bar. Crowd volume lifts. TAICHI has jumped up on the apron. Nagata leaves a boot in his face. The distraction allows Suzuki time to return to his feet and we are now at a stage where both men just want to slap each other silly. A flurry of 20 odd slaps is ended when Nagata lands a kick on Suzuki's arm which seems to cause him visible pain.
More kicks follow and then the Arm Bar is applied, with Nagata's Undertaker eyes - so the crowd know it's applied properly. After about a Minute and a half Suzuki gets his foot on a rope to break the hold.
Suzuki returns to his feet. Nagata stares him out. Suzuki runs the ropes and tries to get a Sleeper applied but Nagata wriggles out and hits a Slap to end all Slaps which dazes Suzuki. Nagata hits the Suplex with a bridging pin and its over! Nagata has done it! This was a fun match. As brutal as I thought. I love Nagata. I LOVE Suzuki. I love Wrestling.
WINNER - YUJI NAGATA
IWGP JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - PRINCE DEVITT v LOW KI v KOTA IBUSHI
Due to the absolute clangers I’ve had so far, the Boss let me pick an event this week. As everyone is subscribed to NJPW at the moment due to the G1 I decided to move away from WWE and into a different brand of wrestling.
I chose a Wrestle Kingdom I’ve never seen as I got into New Japan thanks to reDRagon appearing at WK9, particularly for this match, which looked good. Devitt has a sterling reputation from Japan, Low Ki I haven’t seen, I don’t think, since the days the Rottweilers in ROH, but he was a hard-hitting dude.
Resident New Japan dreamboat and general ‘I don’t give a fuck about my own safety, let’s see what crazy shit I can do today’ Kota Ibushi rounds out the match. I have no idea who is face or heel. The commentary is Japanese. Kota looks young with his longer hair. He seemed to get the loudest reaction. Low Ki Is in a suit. And gloves. Low Ki of course famous for taking jibs, expecting him to take the fall in this one.
We’re flying around from the start. Three-way shoulder blocks, dives avoided and a big stand-off. Great pace. Devitt and Kota double team Low Ki and Kota punts him out of the ring. Kota drops down to avoid Devitt, who changes his jump into a basement dropkick. Lovely stuff. Low Ki takes out Devitt only to get a standing reverse Rana from Kota for his troubles.
Ibushi boots Devitt and then hits the Golden Star moonsault to Low Ki on the outside. This is action. Kota back in and quick hand speed like a young Joe Calzaghe as he wails away on Devitt. It’s all Kota as he takes out Devitt again with a shoulder block, before he ducks down for a back body drop and Devitt just boots him in the face.
Devitt avoids Ibushi by landing on the apron and is on the attack when Low Ki pulls him to the outside. Low Ki in with Kota, more methodical strikes from Low Ki, before a nice-looking twisting elbow drop. Kota fights back and they are wailing on each other in the ring. Ki with a kick to the back of the head for two and back comes Devitt.
Low Ki on the turnbuckle catches Devitt's head with his feet then almost head stands into a donkey style kick. Ki slows it down again with an abdominal stretch, then he blocks a sunset flip attempt, but Devitt avoids the double stomp. Kota comes flying out of nowhere with a drop kick on Ki, before Devitt chucks him outside as well and hits a big Dive over the top onto both men. This is good.
Devitt throws both men back in a corner each. Clotheslines to both, then huge basement dropkicks to both. Double stomp off the top onto Ibushi. Kicks out at the last minute. Devitt eyeing up Low Ki. Spin kick to the head. Looks for Bloody Sunday, but Low Ki knees out of it. Pele kick on Devitt to Ibushi, but Low Ki flies in for a rolling kick of his own on Devitt. Everyone is down. And breathe.
Devitt to the outside, Low Ki is dropkicked out by Ibushi who hits a springboard Phoenix Splash? A lot of rotations from Kota who soaks in the atmosphere on the ramp. Looks for last ride on Low Ki on the ramp, but he fights out of it, so Kota clocks him with a Pele kick of his own. Kota takes Devitt back into the ring. Moonsault. Devitt moves, Kota lands on his feet and hits a standing moonsault for two. Kota clocks Devitt in the face with a kick and hits a half and half suplex with bridge for a near fall. Then picks him up LAST RIDE. It’s over…. No. Low-Ki in last second to break it up!
Low Ki palm strikes to Kota into the corner. Kota fights out. German. Ki lands on his feet and jumps straight into the double stomp. Awesome spot. This is bloody good. So close for Ki. Low Ki takes his jacket off. Ki- crusher, Devitt off the top with a double stomp to break it up at 2.9999.
Low Ki has Devitt in the corner looking for a stomp. Oh, FUCK OFF. Kota springboards up off the apron and hits a Hurricanrana for another 2.99999. Devitt is still stuck in the corner. Ibushi up top. Phoenix Splash lands on his feet over at the other corner where Devitt lands a double stomp to Kota’s back. Then a shotgun dropkick from Low Ki to Devitt. 1-2-no. What action.
Ki picks up Devitt and puts him up top. Going for a superplex when Kota comes flying through the air and somersaults into Low Ki knocking him off the turnbuckle to the outside. Kota up top, but Devitt gets control. Bloody Sunday from the top rope and it. is. over. What a match.
If you have a spare 15 minutes, I recommend checking this out. Rating it as Kawhi Leonard’s 2019 play-off run. Action packed, incredible spots and a crowning moment to finish.
WINNER - STILL YOUR IWGP JUNIOR CHAMPION, PRINCE DEVITT
TENCOZY v KEIJI MUTOH & SHINJIRO OTANI
By Ross Casey
I picked this match because I absolutely love Satoshi Kojima. He throws a mean lariat, he doesn't seem to have aged since this footage six years ago and the last time I saw him live, he pinned WALTER clean. He's a badass, and I love him.
Tencozy make a fun team, as despite having an ankle somehow less nimble than Kerry Von Erich's, Tenzan offers plenty of power and likability to the excellent in ring work of his partner. I am excited to see how this match goes against the man behind the Graet Muta and some bloke I have never heard of before - Shinjiro Otani (who steps in here for the injured Daichi Hashimoto.)
If you like grappling, then you will dig the first minute of this match. Kojima and Mutoh twist and turn looking for an opening before Mutoh gets to the ropes. Kojima gives him a clean break - because he's the best bloke I told you about earlier. Please be a friend of the group, Satoshi. We love bread too!
Otani and Tenzan tag in and the style and mood of the match changes, with a clean break ignored and both guys slapping the shit out of each other. They genuinely look like a pair of middle aged blokes pouring out of some shit pub at 2am scrapping over their scratchcard winnings. I love it!
Otani is taking incredible punishment - but soon starts forcing his own body into shots from Tenzan breaking through the pain barrier and the strikes themselves. It is clear that he has been a big influence on Tomohiro Ishii. Big fan of this guy already! He looks like Yuji Nagata's ugly older brother and he is a mood.
Mutoh tags in and runs through the classic Muta moveset, but wrestling as himself here, the mystery and intrigue is gone. It's like when Foley wrestled as himself. No thanks!
Tenzan agrees I think as he feels compelled to break out a spinning drop kick on Mutoh! Kojima tags in and hits his hilarious 30 seconds of chops in the corner. What fun! The exhausted Mutoh manages to make the tag to Otani... here we go!
He immediately face washes the shit out of Kojjima to cheers from the crowd. Haven't seen a flanneling like that since my parents used to wake me up to go to secondary school with a freezing flannel to the face. (Editors note, besides that practice they were actually very loving people during my childhood.)
Kojima turns the tide with a BRAINBUSTAAAAAH! Still Otani won't stay down. Tencozy realise this and double team him, whilst Mutoh stands outside the ring probably wondering where he last left his green mist.
He finally joins the party though and lands a dragon screw and not one, but two shining wizards before Otani hits a top rope dropkick! Another shining wizard by Mutoh followed by a spinning powerbomb by Otani... but Kojima makes the save! My guy!
LARIATS for the veterans from Kojima, leave Tenzan with the task to hit the moonsault on Otani for the win. Enjoyable stuff - need to get me some more Otani matches in my belly!
WINNERS - TENCOZY
TOGI MAKABE v KATSUYORI SHIBATA
By Shafi
The runtime for this match including entrances is 10 mins 48 seconds which is almost exactly the amount of time it took me to find the match on NJPW's Amazon Firestick app which was at least as painful as a Shibata penalty kick to the chest.
The match was billed as a grudge match and was the highest non-title match on the card. This was Shibata's first Wrestle Kingdom since leaving the company in 2005 to perform elsewhere as well as pursue an (ultimately unsuccessful) MMA career. He left despite being booked very strongly and winning his block in the 2004 G1 where he defeated several former champions.
Business was at an all time low as Inoki pushed a more MMA style that didn't resonate with mainstream audiences and there was a very real danger of the company going out of business. That Shibata would take so much from NJPW and then quit rubbed a lot of the other wrestlers the wrong way, Togi Makabe being amongst the disgruntled who would have killed for the same opportunities.
In Shibata's absence Makabe would win the IWGP title in 2010 but had a largely unsuccessful run and would never scale the same heights again. Makabe was desperate to regain his title and would earn himself title shots but always came up shorter than Hornswoggle. When Shibata returned it was possible that he would push Makabe even further down the pecking order and this fear was only made more justified when Shibata bested Makabe in tag matches at the two PPVs preceding Wrestle Kingdom 7.
Makabe was fighting not just for his own title aspirations but for all the wrestlers that had been loyal to New Japan in it's time of need when Shibata had turned his back on the promotion for seemingly greener pastures. Shibata is out first and at this point I have to confess that I love this man. Having followed NJPW for several years I don't think I've ever liked any of their roster as much as Shibata (only Shinsuke Nakamura is on his level in the battle for my heart). There is no pageantry to Shibata. He wears plain black trunks and looks like an accountant, he goes about his work diligently and without making a fuss. It just so happens to be that his job is to test the resiliency of your skull with his multitude of vicious strikes as he ensures you will be on a liquid diet for weeks to come. Makabe doesn't bother with an entrance all. His curly bleached locks looking like a tasty bowl of noodles and pubic hair. Yum. He sprints to the ring and through the ropes and immediately both men are trading forearm shots. I try to pause the match so that I can keep up with all the action and the app crashes. FML. My frustration gets the better of me and I line up for a penalty kick of my own aimed squarely at the offending technology only for my wife to walk in and ask me why I'm so wound up about a fake sport. I laugh it off whilst dying a little bit inside. Shibata hits a double leg takedown, transitions to full mount and hits EIGHT headbutts. Makabe sweeps to get on top and hits FIVE headbutts of his own. 13 headbutts in the first 13 seconds and it's easy to see why Shibata had to retire when he did. They roll to the outside and briefly brawl before coming to a verbal agreement to settle their issues in the ring in the most civilised part of this contest. Shibata gains control with several kicks to the chest which backs Makabe into the corner and then hits forearm after forearm. The ref tries to pull him away but gets a push for his troubles. Shibata keeps up the striking assault to the chagrin of the crowd who are behind Makabe and are not fans of this dishonourable onslaught. Togi looks like he should be in a Hangover movie as he regains consciousness and tries to work out where the fuck he is and why he has a tooth missing. Shibata is toying with his opponent at this point, teeing off at will on Makabe's beach ball sized head. Makabe briefly threatens a comeback by hitting a back suplex but Shibata instantly replies with one of his own. Shibata eats a Makabe lariat only to rebound off the ropes and kick Makabe straight in the face.
A Shibata sleeper hold drops Makabe to his arse, the ref checks his arm and it drops twice. Rather than wait for the third time Shibata lets go of the hold and runs off the ropes to hit his patented penalty kick but as he goes to hit the move Makabe falls sideways to the mat, seemingly unconscious from the one-sided beating he has been subjected to.
Togi's broken down state becomes a blessing as he is inadvertently saved from what would have surely been the match ending blow, his suffering has become his saviour. This was the match Makabe wanted but like a fat kid at a buffet he has taken on more than he can handle. The ref checks on Makabe who refuses to quit, what a hero. Shibata lines himself up again for the penalty kick but this time he's more Gareth Southgate than Zidane as Makabe catches his leg and hits another lariato! Makabe hits another lariat that sends Shibata down hard on the apron of the ring. Makabe has had enough as they are outside the ring again and this time there will be no ceasefire.
Makabe is searching for something and eventually he finds the most deadly of weapons; The Japanese Table! Makabe swings the table like a baseball bat and hits the prone Shibata like he owes him money. Makabe then sets the table up on the ramp and powerbombs Shibata through it to a big pop from the crowd. Makabe considers taking the countout win but instead throws Shibata back into the ring and hits a beautiful German suplex with a bridge. Shibata kicks out at 1!
Both men look pissed off. They push their foreheads together like two duelling rams in the middle of the ring, for a second they are one with each other and together they have the same number of remaining braincells as a normal person. Makabe hits a running lariat that has no effect on Shibata. Another lariat also has no effect other than appearing to fire Shibata up. I'm half expecting Shibata to point at Makabe before hitting a big boot and a leg drop. Makabe hits a third running lariat, this time to the back of Shibata's head which drops the accountant to his knees.
Makabe attempts a fourth consecutive lariat but Shibata ducks under his arm and sneaks in a sleeper hold. If he can tighten his grip this could be the end of Togi Makabe! Makabe fights out of the hold with multiple elbows to the stomach followed by another big lariat which puts Shibata down. Makabe to the top rope and he hits a flying knee to the back of Shibata's head. 1-2-3! Makabe wins and protects the honour of New Japan! This was a very hard hitting sprint that told a story and had a great mix of high spots and hard hitting strikes. Both men were elevated as they proved that they are as tough as using the NJPW Firestick app without putting your fist through the TV.
WINNER - TOGI MAKABE
IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - SHINSUKE NAKAMURA (C) v KAZUSHI SAKURABA
By Luke Heffernan
It’s easy to forget just how crazy the hype was around Nakamura joining the WWE in early 2016. His unbelievable charisma and flamboyance had captivated those who had watched NJPW and even if you hadn’t, one quick look at on YouTube and you’d understand pretty soon what all the fuss was about.
Three years prior to that signing, Nakamura found himself in familiar territory inside the Tokyo Dome. This year he’d be squaring off against legitimate tough guy and the proclaimed Gracie Killer: Kazuchi Sakuraba. One of the pioneers of PRIDE back in the early 2000’s, Sakuraba had made a name for himself in the MMA scene defeating names like: Vitor Belfort, Royce & Renzo Gracie, and Rampage Jackson. In mid to late 2000’s he even locked horns with one Katsuyori Shibata, where our challenger tonight would pick up the win via an armbar.
This match was for the Intercontinental Championship and if nothing else, this match would be stiff as fuck. Let’s get stuck in. We kick things off with both men circling the ring and seemingly weighing one another up. A test of strength leads to Sakuraba getting Nakamura by the waist from behind which in typical Shinsuke style, leads to him playing to the crowd and taunting out of boredom. Both men scramble to the floor which leads to Sakuraba trying to pass the champs guard multiple times with Shinsuke doing most of his work from his back.
The challenger, draped in typical MMA gear seems to be neutralising anything Nakamura can do on his feet by smothering him on the floor. This match has obviously been heavily influenced by MMA logic and you can almost see the cogs in Sakurba’s mind moving with every bit of offence. The ref eventually breaks them up due to very little offence occurring and Nakamura slides out of the ring for a breather.
After some hand on hip action and some deep breaths, Nakamura slides back in and the two exchange strikes. The challenger throws a head kick but Nakamura with the skill advantage quickly bombards him in return with multiple punches and knees giving Sakuraba the chance to catch a leg and execute a sweep takedown putting Nakamura once again on his back. After checking a few leg kicks while spinning on his arse, Shinsuke eats a double boot to the cranium and gets pounced on with a rear naked choke.
The champ is quick to get out of danger, pushing Sakuraba in to the turnbuckle and reining down on his abdomen with knees. He lays the wounded challenger on the top of the ropes face down and attempts to running up knee him when playing possum, Sakuraba quickly jumps off and puts the champ in another choke attempt. This is broken up by the ref as it is technically illegal given the challenger is stood on the apron and instead opts to kick the shit out of a dazed Naka with his feet.
This is when we see maybe the best scripted knee I have ever seen or Nakamura just got knocked in to the shadow realm. Either way Nakamura looks out cold and the referee is checking on him. Sakuraba doesn’t give a fuck and quickly jumps in to mount and hits Nakumra with a flurry of punches before locking in a triangle choke to a barely conscious champion. Naka finally comes to his senses and breaks out of said choke and delivers a freakish looking knee himself.
The champion finally gains some momentum and sets Sakuraba up for the Kinshasa before it is reversed and once again he gets Nakamura to the floor. Continuing to neutralise the King of Strong Style’s dynamic offence on the feet, Sakuraba wrestlefucks Shinsuke on the floor and throws many unanswered strikes and choke attempts. With the crowd on his side and Sakuraba seemingly tiring, Naka gets to his feet and hits a Death Valley driver.
Nakamura then picks the challenger up, attempting a German Suplex when he is rolled over and put in to an armbar. Using every inch of his strength the champion manages to keep ahold of his hands and keeps Sakuraba from locking it in. The hands are finally broken and Sakuraba sinches in the sub yet Nakmura quickly wriggles out.
While the challenger lies on the mat holding his head for whatever reason, Naka quickly takes advantage and knees him straight in the nose. He then moves to the corner where he eyes up his finisher. Sakuraba slowly gets to his knees when Nakamura sends him back to the early 2000’s with the KINSHASAAAAA.
Nakamura gets the 3 with the only pinfall attempt of the match, and retains the Intercontinental Championship. This match was a real showcase of ring psychology and was clearly influenced by the striker vs grappler dynamic we often see in MMA. Both men played their roles well and Nakamura looked unbelievably resilient.
WINNER - STILL IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION, SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH - HIROSHI TANAHASHI (C) v KAZUCHIKA OKADA
By Dom Van Dam G’day lads and welcome to main event time at the Tokyo Dome; Kazuchika Okada vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, the uncrowned prince vs. the undisputed ace. This match comes to us from January 4th 2013 and of course if you’ve read this far you already know that.
However, this comes from a time before Dom Van Dam really followed New Japan closely or even would have known who these two wrestlers were outside of the famed TNA run for Kaz. I also don’t speak Japanese, even though I did study it for six months in high school (sorry Sensei Junichi San). So everything I gleam from this main event comes from the storytelling in the ring, I have no real context for the action, nor can I understand the story being weaved on commentary. So enjoy my organic, uneducated thoughts on this one.
Okada, the challenger, enters from the top of the stage, descending from the heavens on a lift; maybe to symbolise the making of rain? Tanahashi has the exact same entrance; maybe to symbolise an Ace being the highest ranked playing card? Nope, it’s probably just a cool entrance.
I’m guessing from the scowl on Kaz’s face that he’s more of the young, cocky heel in this one and like the swarmy toolbag he is, he hits the rainmaker pose about 14 seconds in to this contest.
On commentary we have a lady dressed like Chun-Li and a bloke who looks like the Japanese Jared Leto and they will not, stop, yelling! I guess they enjoy the exciting exchange of side headlocks in the early going.
Tana shines early, but Kaz, who I assume won the G1 as he’s got a briefcase in his possession, gains the ascendency with a draping DDT from the top rope. The action has now really picked up and it never takes a backwards step from here.
The champion must be at the peak of his powers here, his offence looks so crisp and impactful. Okada seems to want to slow him down and be methodical in his approach but Tana just won’t be contained, consistently stunning Okada with his explosiveness. I really expected a slower pace throughout when I saw the length of the match on NJPW World but this thing is all action.
Both athletes are flying off the top, hitting sling blades on the ramp and drilling strikes, suplexes and slams like they are wrestling in someone else’s body.
Tanahashi is the first to land his high-fly-flow finish at about the half hour mark and Okada looks in severe trouble but he stems the flurry with a dropkick (and a beauty). Okada wants The Rainmaker, but Tanahashi just doesn’t allow him to find it. They are jockeying for position mid-ring and the champ steals the ascendency with a Tombstone Piledriver.
The leads right in to two more High-Fly-Flows and the 1-2-3. That actually came as a surprise; the match seemed to fly by.
Tanahashi retains and at this time he really does seem to be The Ace of New Japan. If like me you are newish to the product since the English commentary became more consistent, it’s definitely worth having a look at Tanahashi here in his pomp. Great match. Until next time though, drink lots of water and look after your mates.
WINNER - STILL IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, HIROSHI TANAHASHI
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