1. Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & Colt Cabana vs. Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Toa Henare (2/20/20)
I try to spread out my New Japan undercard watching but there was too much genius in the Okada/Yano/Cabana pairing to ignore this. Okada observing his teammates bickering over who starts the match proved it. Otherwise – ah, well. There was a match. Yano and Cabana are getting a little push headed into the 6-Man Tag Titles match and I approve it, the weirdest Blonde Outlaws there ever were. *3/4
2. Manabu Nakanishi Final Korakuen Hall II: Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Tiger Mask IV vs. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI (2/20/20)
Oh, this was great. Was not expecting that. It’s harmless fun early then suddenly the finish has grabbed you by the soul. Nagata gets it bumping with a hot tag and overhead belly-to-belly suplex that Hiromu gives it ALL on, then Kojima vs. EVIL unsurprisingly rules. Kojima blocks an EVIL lariat with a lariat to the arm, then hits a Cutter and sets up another lariat which is countered with Darkness Falls for a near fall. Nakanishi does a PESCADO where he adorably catches his feet on the apron before landing, then Kojima hits another lariat on EVIL for the surprise win. Not just a great New Japan finish, but a great wrestling TV finish. ***1/2
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Jay White, Bad Luck Fale & The Guerillas of Destiny (2/20/20)
Love the good guys, but this is very skippable and I only skimmed it due to it being sandwiched between the Nakanishi match and title matches. Ends on a belt shot. *1/2
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Roppongi 3K [c] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero (2/20/20)
This is good, though it wasn’t quite the romp I was hoping for when it was announced. Taguchi and Rocky brother their way into control early and play the teacher role a bit, but nobody quite leans into it enough. They keep the pressure with crafty heel hooks and lariats and also occasional ass play. Roppongi 3K is good and fluid but might need something new. Big points for Rocky’s inside cradle near fall. ***1/2
5. NEVER Openweight Title: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Tomohiro Ishii (2/20/20)
I keep wondering when this style is going to jump the shark but here’s another unspeakably great match between two big strong boys. They are chopping each other in the throat and making angry faces at each other while the referee tries in vain to separate them for 25 minutes. Shingo Takagi brings all the EXTRA to this type of match, with elbows and lariats harder than anybody else and feats of strength more spectacular than any feat of strength a man has done in a wrestling ring. Tomohiro Ishii, meanwhile, just still gets it done.
There’s an art to a wrestling match getting progressively and organically more intense – here’s how you do it. It’s an exhibition of disgustingly accurate lariats and Ishii throwing chops that somehow feel like his hardest ever, all while the marks in Korakuen Hall go wild for this main event they’ve been blessed with. Everything is so good and intense that a Death Valley Driver on the apron just feels unnecessary.
The selling is either incredible or all natural. There’s a timing to this too, like this sequence: Shingo throws a lariat, Ishii blocks, take a beat, Ishii enzuigiri. The finish is wild, the work of two talented but completely exhausted fellas. In a match of shots that felt harder than usual, the lariat that ends might be the hardest too. ****1/4
6. Manabu Nakanishi Final Korakuen Hall III: Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Jado & Gedo (2/21/20)
Outside of that dick Jay White slapping Nakanishi, this is pretty surface level 2020 Bullet Club which is really below average in many other scenarios. I’d say Nakanishi and Jado in ring at same time is a liability but it becomes a fun game to watch them work around taking bumps. In a cool spot Nakanishi lifts Bad Luck Fale for the Argentine Backbreaker, and he actually counters the Blade Runner! All the early 90s class team up to take out Fale, Nakanishi and Nagata hit the deadly top rope chop/enzuigiri combo, and Nakanishi finishes Gedo off with the Argentine. **1/2
7. Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay & Rocky Romero vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi (2/21/20)
Lots of impressive rope-running but a match that felt very very very very very standard. Naito vs. Ospreay brought the intrigue, I’ll tell you that much. **1/2
8. NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Title: EVIL, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI [c] vs. Toru Yano, Colt Cabana & Ryusuke Taguchi (2/21/20)
Two points here: Colt Cabana goes all in on a testicles bump when off EVIL’s feet, and BUSHI’s cradle at the end is beautiful in its complexity. Otherwise… I guess they kept it moving? **3/4
9. IWGP Tag Team Title: The Guerillas of Destiny [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi (2/21/20)
Any tag match with Tanahashi and Ibushi is going to be at a minimum good just because of how admirable that pairing is, and it doesn’t hurt that they can sell like hell and pace a match well. Did you like that rhyme? Did you enjoy it? Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa keep the beating coming and Tana/Ibushi will absolutely demand you pop for their championship win, but this wasn’t much beyond that minimum. Give me the ZSJ/Taichi title challenge NOWWWW. ***1/4
10. Manabu Nakanishi Retirement Match: Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Hirooki Goto (2/22/20)
First Suzuki-gun, then Los Ingobernables de Japon, then Bullet Club, and now a CHAOS + Sekigun combo… Nakanishi is taking on all the teams, right alongside his best buds. The match isn’t some banger – it is simply a match, a wonderfully satisfying basic match. It’s like Everybody Loves Raymond – this might be the last time but it will be like all the others, for real life goes on. ***
