Missing from the second night of Wrestling Dontaku were Okada, Suzuki, Kanemaru, KENTA, SHO, YOH, and El Desperado – those last two being key, as their planned IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title match was called off just hours before the show. That was a bummer considering how sparse the 2-night New Japan card is these days and how long it usually is between appearances of Big Match Desperado.
1. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
This wasn’t bad at all. Bad as the baseline isn’t ideal, but when it hits above baseline we call that a pleasant surprise. When in doubt, just DOUKI – guy does a massive Asai moonsault and sells his heart out to setup Hot Tag Taichi. ZSJ taps out Jado, who is so jacked at this point it really doesn’t matter he can’t wrestle anymore. **3/4
2. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Taiji Ishimori
Losing Despy vs. YOH was a bummer, but it did mean we got a Tenzan and Wato dad/son tag team match on a semi-big show and I appreciate that. I also appreciate that Tenzan is still doing the Mongolian Chop after he lost it to O-Khan, just doesn’t care at all. Some may cry continuity; I say shut up: that was a stupid stipulation. Wato Master takes a beating, though Yujiro and Taiji aren’t the Midnight Express… or even, like… the Basham Brothers. Taiji pins Wato. **
3. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Aaron Henare
Plenty of solid and semi-meaningless exchanges here, though poor BUSHI barely got to get his shit in before it was time to get pinned. Naito and O-Khan are still having issues, though it has this WWE vibe where they had 10 matches already and the heat died down. Cobb smashes BUSHI’s face with a Kamigoye, cackles like a prick, and wins with Tour of the Islands. **3/4
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. EVIL, Jay White & Dick Togo
A match in which Taguchi setup a tag to Tanahashi by delivering a dragon screw leg whip to Jay White’s leg, all to Tanahashi’s great delight. I absolutely will cherish any exchanges between Tanahashi and Dick Togo too and so should you. Tanahashi puts a blindfold over Togo’s face to setup Yano’s pin, a callback to that match nobody should have to think about ever again. **1/4
5. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Will Ospreay [c] vs. Shingo Takagi
People say Will Ospreay is a great wrestler, and for a while I didn’t believe them but then I did. I still may. I saw greatness in the 2019 G1, actual greatness where a desire to hit really hard mixed with an ability to land on his feet like a stupid cat out of basically anything translated into a compelling addition to the New Japan roster. Didn’t really see greatness last year though. Can’t tell if it’s the muscle mass or dipshittery or both, but he doesn’t hit as a whole wrestler and especially lead champion.
This is a heck of a match though, a wild one… a great one? Kind of, maybe. It’s Shingo Takagi challenging for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title and he’s doing it opposite this ball of raw athletic energy that he has great chemistry with and can grab and throw around anytime he wants. From the bell they’re always trying to out-pace each other and establish something – character, style, credibility. It’s impressive as heck; it’s wild to watch.
Shingo will also grit his teeth with the best of them and sell Ospreay’s (inspired) arm work to make the whole thing… work, and they power through all the tropes from floor spots to limb work and just kind of do it better than most – tighter, higher, quicker, crisper. It’s a 21st-century jockeying for position all throughout, Ospreay flying around like a savant while Shingo bases and fires back like it’s too easy but it’s not.
The gang was all here too: Spanish Fly, rope-drape Shooting Star Press, Last of the Dragon off the apron through a table. It was all kind of amazing but at some point the old-timers have their point: this type of wrestling has a peak. The Tanahashi/White match from last night could be defined by what it didn’t do; this was all about them just doing everything — all of it, and it’s well worth your time even if Ospreay really needs to figure something else out beyond generic asshole. ****1/2
Happy Thoughts: Despite loss of Despy/YOH, undercard tags better than usual and we didn’t have double GoD. Plus the main was good and whatnot. New Japan isn’t “back” but this was a good show. 3.0 / 5.0
