NEVER Openweight Title: Katsuyori Shibata [c] vs. Bobby Fish (9/17/16)
This felt like a shoot fight within the confinements of professional wrestling… everything was a struggle for each guy from the matwork to the holds to the suplexes, and then the strikes got all stiff and stuff. Not the most exciting shoot-fight in the world, but fun to watch. Loved Shibata’s sell on a leglock towards the end too. Shibata hits a headbutt that draws blood from him (GOD DAMNIT) and a PK wins it. ***1/4
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: KUSHIDA [c] vs. BUSHI (9/17/16)
A fun but not high-end New Japan match. Quick exchanges early, then BUSHI poses and takes over with chairs and eye rakes and general ungovernable shit. Dug the visual of BUSHI, dressed in all white, flanked by the hooded man in black lurking outside (SANADA?). A ref bump leads to mist leads to Naito interference. BUSHI does a modified backslide that’s pretty wild. Big near falls towards the end. Good not great. ***1/4
