After this weekend, I’ll have joined a new cable provider with a package that doesn’t include AXS. Thus, this might very well be the last of the NJPW on AXS reviews. The AXS shows have been a fun way to follow New Japan, as despite enduring some truly terrible commentary, they stick to the big matches and helped me avoid the usually weak New Japan undercards as I got back into the company.
My tentative plan is to get back on a New Japan World subscription and cover individual matches that interest me, with entire big shows here and there. So expect the usual New Japan coverage, plus a little more SHO and Ren Narita.
1. NEVER Openweight Title: Jeff Cobb [c] vs. Taichi (5/3/19)
Hey it’s Jeff Cobb, the guy who never delivers what I sense he can, opposite Taichi, who always delivers way more than I ever expect him to. This is an OK match, just too long and nothing standout despite the occasional wild spot or solid near fall. A primary issue here is these guys’ gear – both went with black and gold, causing this to come off as some battle of stable-bates than the championship contest it is.
This is a lot of Taichi choking Cobb after Suzuki-gun interference, followed by Cobb making a comeback that isn’t quite awesome. Cobb is basically a best case scenario Mike Elgin – not ever expecting an epic, but he’ll have a great match with Okada at some point. And the deadlift suplexes are a lot better than Elgin’s stuff. His rolling gutwrench suplexes into a PILEDRIVER were some shit.
Taichi finally managing a backdrop suplex, then doing the Stretch Plum was a fine moment, though Taichi of all people carrying on legend of King’s Road in popular Japanese promotion New Japan might be problematic. Hot-ish finish, and then Taichi won. So there’s that. ***
2. Tomohiro Ishii vs. EVIL (5/4/19)
Just your every day run-of-the-mill Tomohiro Ishii slugfest classic. The trading of shoulderblocks and then elbows right away and the selling of both those moves right away was incredible. Then, guardrail spots, because duh. The down moments here were down, but the up moments were wow. EVIL’s chops were incredible, it’s been clear for a while but he is officially the heir apparent to the Ishii/Shibata/Suzuki/Goto guy that can be relied on for a stiff-ass crazy trip of a 20+ minute match. Great drama, moments of manliness, and when a strike needed to hit to make sure a moment mattered they made sure that strike hit. Awesome. ****1/4
Ishii vs. Taichi for the NEVER Openweight Title appears to be setup backstage, and Ishii’s attitude towards Taichi is tremendous: “Whatever. I’ll fight you. Now get out of here … What a weird guy.”
HIROSHI TANAHASHI shows up to update fans on his surgery and return, until Jay White emerges and tells him to get to the back of the line – even behind Hirooki Goto! Poor Goto. White and Gedo attack Tana, and another god damn White/Tana match appears to be on the horizon.
3. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. SANADA (5/4/19)
First of all let’s get it out of the way: SANADA now officially has the look of a New Japan superstar. I don’t analyze NJPW the BIZ-NESS on here much, but the building here and there of EVIL and SANADA as singles players has been a highlight of a post-Kenny world, as for so long it just felt like they were destined to be slotted beneath Naito forever. I still don’t know who he IS, but as a look he is a distinct motherfucker now.
This match had a BIG FIIGHT FEEEL at the bell, with SANADA soaking it in and Okada showing his regained composure of THE ACE. And then the opening 15 minutes or so was a little… slow-paced. All kinds of solid feeling-out process stuff, with SANADA wanting to prove he can go with Okada and Okada going from confident to amused to concerned. That story had time to breathe – but maybe too much time. There were also a few off moments mixed in, like SANADA wasn’t all there on pulling off a few holds or counters he wanted to.
The finish was awesome, though some of it depended on extracting drama from the Skull End, a finish I will never ever buy. Otherwise, they kept this sucker staying important, and the exhaustion and double KO feel afterwards felt earned.
This match had some great stuff and cool moments. But also a lot of stretches of nothingness, where the story they were telling of them trying to out-do each other led to some kind of meta match where they were trying too hard to tell the “out-do each other” story that the match started to feel fake and boring. Or something. Honestly, I have no idea. I THINK this was good. ***3/4
I forgot the Jericho thing happened afterwards too. COOL! Very interested to see what Rebooted Ace Okada does with Wildman Jericho.
