Starting with Wrestle Kingdom 13, the New Japan World English feed commentary led by Kevin Kelly is now used on the NJPW AXS show, replacing Jim Ross and Josh Barnett in a move that should’ve happened a long time ago. Kelly immediately jumps into an explanation of what New Year Dash!! even is and warms a heart made cold by JR and Josh’s condescending bullshit. Rocky Romero and Chris Charlton team up with Kelly this week.
1. Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Trent Beretta & Chuckie T
This was a match about Trent – he hugs his MOM in the crowd and it makes me happy, he catches a Finlay jump over the top rope with a deadlift northern lights suplex and it makes me impressed, and he does a whole lot of cool stuff with Juice Robinson and it makes me think they might have a good match together. Chuckie T has eyes that read “How far has this business fallen that instead of doing shtick on 205 Live I’m here wrestling in Korakuen Hall?” Some Solid Action ends when Chuckie brings a chair in for the DQ. **1/2
Chuck gives a piledriver to poor Finaly on a chair after the match.
2. Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Will Ospreay vs. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb & KUSHIDA
This was a really fun 6-man with three great pairings – Goto vs. Cobb, KUSHIDA vs. Ospreay, and Nagata vs. Ishii. Nagata kicks Ishii while he has a hold on KUSHIDA and the staredown is INCREDIBLE. Cobb pushing KUSHIDA out of the way to catch Will with a suplex was good shit too. ***1/2
Nagata and Ishii have a tense moment after the match and it appears that they might be squaring off soon.
3. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado
SANADA stunts out to the ring with a trophy in each hand a championship belt around his neck. Taichi cracks a chair over Naito’s head at the bell, leading to a big 10-man brawl that includes Suzuki choking SANADA with a guardrail backstage. Everything here is fun enough but nothing is cohesive and it feels kind of meaningless. Taichi pins Naito to win yeah OK. **3/4
