1. Yota Tsuji vs. Yuya Uemura
These are two very challenging names to spell correctly on the first try.
I have not seen a Young Lion match since I started watching New Japan again and I regret that. They are my favorite things. So solid, so credible. Both guys sell this has a fight for survival, a match they have to win with the headlocks and dropkicks that they have been taught in their training.
Uemura’s struggle to the ropes on the single-leg crab hold was very good. Tsuji’s dropkick out of nowhere was incredible. I loved the desperation as the time limit neared, highlighted by Yota KICKING Yuya as he tried to go for the kill with a boston crab. Quality stuff, and the draw didn’t feel cheap at all. Wrestling is real again in Young Lion matches. ***1/2
2. Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. SHO & YOH
A well-structured tag match. Love when a pair of Young Lions get cocky and start punching above their weight and doing double teams. SHO is shredded and appears to be ready for a run in G1 Climax 29. Red shoes’ kid is impressive. Narita does an excellent belly-to-belly suplex. The double crab holds and cradle near falls at the end were tremendous. ***1/4
3. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
A pre-bell attack is just what this show needed. Seriously, I was not looking forward to a Kanemaru feeling out process and we didn’t get one. This was exactly what it needed to be – Tiger sold and made a comeback, Liger did a hot tag, and both were very good playing their part. I loved the camera shot where Tiger Mask had Kanemaru in the armbar forever and it seemed like he was going to tap, and you see Desperado desperately (HA) trying to get away from Liger on the outside the entire time until he finally breaks free and makes the save. Love the Old Man Junior Heavyweights win. As a bonus you got to hear Tiger’s GOAT music AND Liger’s second GOAT music after the match as Liger SHAKED HIS ASS. ***1/4
4. Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Ryusuke Taguchi & Ayato Yoshida vs. Yuji Nagata, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi
Honma and Kojima had a killer match in AJPW in 2002 so I dug them starting out. This was an alright match, nothing to seek out but everybody got their shit in and did their part. Was amused at Taguchi always getting the better of the 1992 crew. **1/2
5. Beretta & Chuckie T vs. Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.
I want to like all these guys as individually they’re all interesting to me but this wasn’t a good match. It was a match that never got going but just kept going. Chuck Taylor spitting on the fresh grave of Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart with that weird Hart Attack counter… thing was a lowpoint. Trent win was cool though. *1/4
6. Juice Robinson, David Finlay & Toa Henare vs. Jay White, YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay
What a strange line-up this was. It was a bunch of stuff but there was no hook and the stuff wasn’t good enough to make up for that. Ospreay got some cool stuff in. And I felt genuinely deflated when Toa Henare did not manage to Jay White, so I guess it made me feel something. *3/4
7. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
Pretty basic 6-man stuff but everyone here has a ton of talent and they kept it bumping. Probably a little disappointing though too – 6-man’s are 6-man’s and it’s nothing new, but as the third match from top between these top teams it was a little underwhelming. Suzuki trying to kill Naito with a heel hold was nice though, and as Captain Lou woke me up to, ZSJ and EVIL really do have good chemistry. **3/4
8. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Tournament – Semi Final: KUSHIDA vs. BUSHI
I don’t know about you, BUSHI.
Sometimes I think you’re awesome and sometimes I’m just thinking I don’t know who you are.
Which I guess is the point, considering you wear a mask.
He fits in that 6-man tag better, as he’s just not a singles guy. They had a strong beginning and end, but the middle suffered with hold after hold that screamed time-killing than trying to win a wrestling match, and even KUSHIDA isn’t a compelling enough bayface to make that interesting. It did pick up at the end and provided some very cool KUSHIDA wrestling, highlighted by some very cool Hoverboard Lock counters from a tope and the MX. The mist into a backslide cradle by BUSHI was excellent too. Can’t exactly say I was disappointed since I don’t have a ton of expectations from BUSHI, but I still felt disappointed. ***
9. Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Title Contendership: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada
Okada has got the old jacket, is missing the balloons, but still has the same shitty red hair. Before the bell he looks like a little boy next to this hulking MAN Hiroshi Tanahashi. But it’s also incredible what he can do with his face. When he hit the first dropkick to Tanahashi’s leg, he went from little shit to stone cold killer just like that.
This went from respectful headlocks to no clean break and THROWING ELBOWS real quick. I liked it a lot. A LOT. It’s another excellent and unique entry into their series. Heel Okada ripping up Tanahashi’s leg to get to the Tokyo Dome was a great dynamic. I dug him leaning into elbow smashes, asking for more, then kicking Tanahashi in the knee. Tanahashi getting caught by his leg on the post and Okada hammering on his knee was transcendent too.
Tanahashi countered the leg destruction (HA) by just peppering his shit in when he could – a dragon screw here, a tombstone piledriver on the floor there.
Once Okada tried the first Rainmaker this went on a RIDE. Tanahashi sold his knee like the pro wrestling maestro he is and had the crowd behind him the whole time. Stuff like not being able to do the jackknife pin and the awkward High Fly Flow kickout might’ve seemed a little weird but added to him feeling completely screwed. The odds felt insurmountable, but this is Tanahashi.
The slap counter of the Rainmaker is always good, especially if Okada just kicks Tanahashi in the knee right after. What was even better was Tanahashi countering the Rainmaker with a Dragon suplex hold for a completely insane near fall.
Okada going for a TOP ROPE TOMBSTONE, fully wiling to murder Tanahashi, only for Tanahashi to hit the High Fly Flow AS OKADA FELL TO THE MAT was all-timer stuff. Incredible finish, incredible match. ****3/4
AND THEN YOSHI-HASHI TRIPPED AND FELL I HOPE HE IS OK OH MY GOD
AND THEN GEDO TURNED ON OKADA FOR JAY GOD DAMN WHITE
Great start, rough middle, amazing main event. A classic main event by two masters brought the show up a notch, though it’s really the only must-see thing. 7/10
