NJPW ON AXS (12/2/16) – Invasion Attack 2016 Part 1
IWGP Tag Team Title: Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma [c] vs. Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa) (4/10/16)
Guerillas of Destiny is a stupid name. This was a solid physical match, not big on any of these guys outside of Honma but they kept things moving and wrestling always needs a couple of big fellas going at it on the undercard. Fun rope-running spot with Tama and Honma, and an amazing bridge off a German suplex by Makabe. Awesome near fall on Honma off the powerbomb/reverse DDT, and then GoD wins the straps. Not exactly a IWGP tag title classic. **
NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Title: Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks [c] w/ Cody Hall vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin & Yoshitatsu (4/10/16)
Man, the Yoshitatsu return is EMOTIONAL. Kenny Omega stops during his entrance here to say that people wasted a lot of money on WrestleMania last week. This was everything this match needed to be… some kind of weird comedy brawl with a bunch of big time spots. Omega tries a Styles Clash right away! Brawling in the crowd! Elgin gets superkicked with a trash can on his head, and rolled around in a cart! Omega and the Bucks take out Tanahashi! Comedy spots with spray cans! A Double German by Elgin on the Bucks! A Meltzer Driver countered by Elgin by powerbombing Buck #2 on Omega on the outside!!! Not a thing that will stand the test of time, but bunches and bunches of fun. ***1/4
Yoshitatsu promo after this is must-see, as he tries to get Tanahashi and Elgin to join the Bullet Club Hunters, but they are non-committal. Then Captain New Japan tries to get Yoshitatsu to team with him, and Yoshitatsu acts the same. Pecking order!
NJPW ON AXS (12/2/16) – Invasion Attack 2016 Part 2
NEVER Openweight Title: Katsuyori Shibata [c] vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4/10/16)
This is Hiroyoshi Tenzan’s Last Stand, and it is incredible. Pissed off professional wrestler Katsuyori Shibata vs. New Japan’s dad crew is a highlight of all 2016. Tenzan getting another shot at success is GREATNESS, and his buddies Nakanishi, Kojima and Nagata are at his side as Shibata absolutely wrecks him for a little while… an extra tight figure-four, a beatdown in the corner, repeated running dropkicks to the face. Some absolutely cringey headbutts here, as art I think it’s incredible as a human I question it. This is just a non-strop manly struggle for 10 minutes, Tenzan as Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. ***3/4
Shibata/Nagata staredown post-match is AWESOME. THE ULTIMATE DAD IS HERE.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: KUSHIDA [c] vs. Will Ospreay (4/10/16)
Ospreay is goofy as fuck but this has too much great impressive classic junior heavyweight shit to not be at least great. My feelings in this match went from 1) Wow Ospreay sucks to 2) Nevermind to 3) Yeah he kind of sucks but I’m not going to pretend this wasn’t some transcendent shit anyways. KUSHIDA rules, a guy who’s an athletic freak with big flying and strikes and submissions who carries himself like a STAR. So many great warp speed exchanges, armdrags and cartwheels and no-hands handsprings. The strike exchange ending with a KUSHIDA straight punch towards the end was wild. KUSHIDA went after the arm to lead to the Hoverboard Lock which got him the win. ***3/4
LIGER challenging KUSHIDA is EVEN MORE AWESOME.
