Want to see some weird wrestling? There’s plenty of it, from wrestling bloodbaths to wrestling bears. New Japan holding a show at the Tokyo Dome during the Tokyo Olympics during a pandemic is something different though. 5,000 fans strategically seated in a Dome designed for 5-digits made for the eeriest Tokyo Dome atmosphere since the mid-2000’s, but some of the wrestling was really great.
0. KOPW 2021 – New Japan Rumble
This was an especially bad version of the New Japan Rumble, less having fun with randoms and more time-killing with leftovers. There didn’t even seem to be any effort put in the entry order: one string went Kanemaru to Suzuki to SHO to YOH to Nagata to Kojima to Tenzan, and you might as well go alphabetical at that point. SHO kicks Suzuki down, Kojima eliminates Tenzan by mistake, and O-Khan pins Wato and DOUKI at the same time. O-Khan lasts so deep that a win starts to sound nice and then Chase Owens wins. Chase Owens. DUD
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo [c] vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero
Rocky and Ryusuke go quiet for years but can still show up for these matches, and it may not be his in-ring peak but Ishimori seems to be having the most fun of his career just bullshitting during heel beatdowns. ELP remains questionable but the theme song bangs hard, I can’t deny that. They tried for a hot closing sequence here even if the weird environment didn’t support it. **3/4
2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: El Desperado [c] vs. Robbie Eagles
I’m a little biased because Robbie Eagles absolutely nailed a Cameo request I made last summer, but this was good: he manages to slide right into the New Japan juniors division while also bringing something a little different. He stuffs his leg early on a quebrada and they play with that for a while, cleverly timed cut-offs on Robbie’s knee and an easy route to victory setup for Desperado.
Despy seems to have it done with a stretch muffler but Robbie escapes with a cradle, and as Robbie keeps bringing the competition the match keeps getting better – like actually better. It’s a bummer to see Despy’s reign come to an end, especially given him vs. Hiromu being the obvious return match, but the emphatic “yep it’s over” tapout is such a tremendous conclusion. ***1/4
3. Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
Only Ishii has really enabled Cobb to reach his highest potential; this match is really just about Okada selling his back. Cobb will do an Oklahoma stampede and standing moonsault with the same energy and eventually they’re throwing elbows before Okada avoids Tour of Islands twice and wins with a rollup. Pretty good, very competent, mostly uninspiring. ***1/4
4. IWGP Tag Team Title: Tetsuya Naito & SANADA [c] vs. Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
I’m not sure we needed this match twice in a month if they were both going 30+ minutes, but the second attempt here ruled. This has the feel of an epic tag match even in the weirdo environment, like one of the early pandemic matches where the work was able to surpass the fact it wasn’t being reacted to by anybody.
LIJ are working like a real tag team and do some cool cut-offs, while SANADA is crafty enough to try and use the same cradle ZSJ used to outsmart him in their singles match. There is just a special way all four go about building up and selling exhaustion, but ZSJ especially stood out here. Towards the end he sells by just sitting down on the mat, which is really one of the more relatable sell jobs anyone can do. Excellent tag team wrestling. ****
5. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Shingo Takagi [c] vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi wasn’t even supposed to be here today. He replaced Kota Ibushi, creating a sooner-than-expected rematch from an epic they already had in January. That was great, this was better.
Shingo Takagi was already a best in the world caliber guy but now he is in this role of IWGP Heavyweight Champion carrying the company in a new era on his back during a pandemic and he’s great at that too.
Yes, this was great.
People say great a lot these days. There is a lot of great wrestling around, though at some point we should talk about great wrestling vs. “great” wrestling. This one – it’s the former.
Just one night after going 25 minutes with KENTA, Tanahashi goes 40 minutes and it might stump scientists but he can still get it done. Shingo eats his lunch early, knocking him down easily and catching a crossbody and eventually just standing over a fallen Ace. Tanahashi is able to mount a comeback with a dragon screw leg whip, and just the way he does a simple dropkick to the leg as he rallies back makes it feel like a highspot.
You expect the leg work from Tanahashi, and Shingo might have too – but even Tanahashi knows the scenario calls for something different. This guy already beat him last time; the same tricks aren’t going to work. So this is a match that not only has Tanahashi working a leg, but one where he’s throwing relentless elbows to the face, one where when he is all out of options Hiroshi Tanahashi throws a headbutt.
Shingo does a great job looking both dominant but overwhelmed when Tana fights back, and they take us into a brilliant finish that makes use of all their signature moves and then some. While Shingo had Tanahashi’s number early, Tanahashi just keeps keeping up: Shingo lifts for Last of the Dragon, Tanahashi brings him down with a Sling Blade. Shingo tries a Pumping Bomber, Tanahashi catches him with a straitjacket suplex.
When Tanahashi wants to go for the kill with the High Fly Flow, Shingo keeps holding his leg… so Tanahashi hits Ibushi’s Kamigoye followed by the High Fly Flow for one of the best near falls of the decade. As the near falls continue Shingo finds his groove, and eventually he hits an avalanche-style Last of the Dragon which Tanahashi doesn’t so much kick out of but grunt out of.
There is a shot of him after the match (spoiler alert), carrying his championship in the middle of the ring that is in the middle of this hollow Dome and it’s as beautiful as any Rainmaker fade out that ever happened. Two of the greats gave us peaks and valleys to follow and a reason to care, and it all happened in a main event at the Tokyo Dome. ****3/4
