Now that Strong Style has Evolved and Fighting Spirit has been Unleashed, can America get some New Japan god damn Wrestling?
Great freakin’ rundown by AXS for the top four matches.
Jim Ross and Kevin Kelly was infinitely better than the JR and Josh Barnett pairing. Way less distracting and Kelly is knowledgeable about the product without Barnett’s “I know Japanese wrestling, guys” shtick. It was also missing Barnett’s “Please love me, JR” shtick. Kelly going play-by-play with Ross peppering in stuff was a much better dynamic too.
1. Jushin Thunder Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi & ACH vs. Rocky Romero & Roppongi 3K
YOH stoically flexing his pecs as Rocky Romero pointed at them while YOH’s hero Jushin Thunder Liger entered was good wrestling. As was Liger staring down YOH after he kipped up off a shoulderblock. This was a solid tag opener – didn’t re-invent the wheel, didn’t get the crowd going insane, but we got YOH vs. Liger, ACH hitting a plancha where he glided, and Taguchi butt play. ***
2. Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian vs. Hangman Page & Chase Owens
Page and Kazarian bringing the pain early was fun, but this became That Match where they’re hitting big spots and people are clapping but I don’t really care. This happens a lot when Daniels and Kazarian are at it – these 20-year vets having a Show-Off fest isn’t impressive it just runs together with everything else. The SSP to the floor counter with a Codebreaker was some dumbass stuff. **
3. Jeff Cobb, Chris Sabin & Flip Gordon vs. Hirooki Goto, Beretta & Chuckie T
Hirooki Goto just randomly hanging with The Best Friends feels odd. I like how the Best Friends gimmick would be easy heel stuff in 1988 but here we are and the people love it – God bless our slow ascent towards progress. Cobb is a guy I want to be into but he looks too cuddly to be the modern day Gary Albright I need him to be. Grow the hair out, Cobb man – embrace your destiny.
The Hug is a good spot. Otherwise this was a bunch of occasionally entertaining STUFF. Flip was jumping around, Beretta and Chuck were bringing the laughs, and Cobb and Goto continued to have decent chemistry. Chris Sabin was there too. **1/4
4. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.
Davey Boy Jr.’s insane shooter Teddy Hart get-up is some wild shit. Let’s see… I liked ZSJ bumping huge for an EVIL shoulderblock. I liked SANADA blocking a chokeslam with a rana to tag out. I liked how over Naito was. Otherwise, eh. For as much as I want to like Archer and Davey Boy, they just never impress. Everybody else just kinda got their shit in. **
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA vs. Jay White & Gedo
Oh this was pretty good. White, who becomes a compelling heel once in the U.S., and his new boy Gedo work over a bloody-mouthed Tanahashi before KUSHIDA gets a hot tag and runs wild, only to see White down Tanahashi after brass knuckles from Gedo. It was simple, but it worked. **3/4
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Tournament – Semi Final: Will Ospreay vs. Marty Scurll
There’s something about these two that doesn’t work for me. I like Marty’s shtick, I think Ospreay is impressive, but it ain’t clicking. A lot of folks lost their shit over their match at Sakura Genesis earlier in the year and I went, eh.
It’s all really about the middle. Ospreay’s early run, just flying around like a man with no brakes, was great. The finish, with the big-ass chickenwing suplex off the top and a few hot near falls, was good.
The middle? Eh. Just killing time with the occasional neat thing. That’s kind of all wrestling, but I really felt it here. Too much setup, too much cute stuff, too much “OoOOHHhh thIS is GooNNAAA bee CRAzzYYY!!!”
Maybe it’s me. **
7. IWGP Tag Team Title: The Young Bucks [c] vs. Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) w/ Haku
The Bucks are good, this was good, but the thing about The Tongans is I’m not convinced anybody else could not have done just as good if not better in this spot. Camacho sometimes looks during matches like he is disappointed in how not great he is, how perhaps his Performance Center training has failed him.
Matt’s hurt back is done well but treads into meta parody at points, but maybe that’s the point. Did enjoy Camacho trying worse and worse things to hurt it – powerslam on floor, followed by a table bump. Nick was tremendous as guy fighting alone, just doing all he knows – kicks and moonsaults. I was fearful of the Tongans beatdown, but I think they knew that wouldn’t work, and they kept it short enough with enough cool Bucks stuff peppered in. Hell of a finish too – the Gun Stun counter of the Meltzer Driver was good shit.
Good tag wrestling. And a BALLSY move to have the Bucks drop the straps at a U.S. show. ***3/4
8. IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title: Juice Robinson [c] vs. Cody
This had good bits but just when it felt like it was going to get going it ended. Cody’s not exactly Tully Blanchard but I dug him pulling out his tricks – Brandi, a thumb to the eye, whatever worked. Juice meanwhile is a compelling seller, which kept this hot. Any time they pulled off a spot, the delivery was gorgeous too – Juice’s crossbody was extra pretty. But having Cody play throwback heel and Juice sell for it only to have Cody pull off a sudden win seemed like an odd choice. ***1/4
9. Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii
This is four freakish wrestlers having themselves a big main event wrestling match. It kept a wild pace bell-to-bell and had all the good stuff you want: Okada vs. Ibushi, Ishii vs. Omega, Ishii and Ibushi trading shots, Golden Lovers double teams, the double Golden Triangle, Okada’s insane John Woo dropkick on Ibushi, the tease and delivery of the big Omega/Okada showdown, a well-done quadruple-down, Ibushi and Ishii beating the shit out of each other, and an epic Golden Trigger.
You had Ishii staring holes through people, Ibushi being spectacular, Okada wrestling like The Ace because he’s in the U.S, and Kenny being very over and right there with everybody. ****
As usual, a weak undercard saved by a hot last few matches. These U.S. shows still need some fine tuning. Two title changes made this feel like a consequential show, even if the batting average on the wrestling wasn’t amazing. Couple of sweet tag matches though. 6/10
