New Japan’s Wrestling Dontaku 2022 came a few weeks after their Hyper Battle, a solid card headlined by El Desperado and Okada retaining championships and ending with Naito in line as Okada’s next challenge. Status quo: mostly maintained.
They were in the city of Fukuoka again for the annual event, though in 2022 they got fancy and returned to the Fukuoka Dome for the first time in 20 years. The Fukuoka PayPayDome (as it’s now called) is the other big dome stadium they’d semi-fill semi-regularly in the 90s, featuring clashes like Muta/Hogan, Muta/Inoki, Sabu/Kanemoto, and El Gigante vs. Tadao Yasuda. The last Dontaku in the Dome (and last one altogether until 2009) was in 2001, when Riki Choshu and the struggling up-and-coming Manabu Nakanishi took on Naoya goddamn Ogawa and Kazunari Murakami.
Less than 10k people seated in a Dome that used to fill 35K+ isn’t exactly a setup for a premium wrestling atmosphere, but between the wrestling effort in the ring and some plane ticket buying behind the scenes it would appear that New Japan’s status quo is being —– * Bullet Club music*
1. Shingo Takagi, Shiro Koshinaka & BUSHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi & TAKA Michinoku
63-year-old Koshinaka was a last-minute replacement for the 68-year-old Tatsumi Fujinami, who in teaming with Shingo would’ve formed a Double Dragon dream team. As it ended up, the match was a fine bunch of fast-paced exchanges and leg work brought up or possibly down by the best parts being — outside of BUSHI’s cool new mask — Koshinaka’s charisma and contributions. Taichi’s pin on Shingo got a big gasp from the quiet crowd, too. **3/4
2. Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOH
YOH countered Hiormu’s apron sunset flip powerbomb with a hurricanrana just a few minutes into this match, then quickly followed up with a tope con hilo where the landing just looked like Hiromu powerbombed him anyways. Otherwise: they needed more heat to be any more ambitious, but this had plenty of neat counters and a couple choice lariats in just under 10 minutes. ***
3. Tanga Loa vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Tanga Loa emerges from the curtain and roars with excitement over his blue-and-white Vegeta-inspired wrestling outfit, which provides a distinct look if not an identity. He really does have a lot to be excited about besides new threads, entering the Dome for a special singles match amidst a babyface run that’s sort of connecting. The special singles match was with the “Tokyo Pimp” Yujiro Takahashi and had some standard issue run-ins by the House of Torture, but the crowd was had by a few near falls and SHO gave his life to a Loa powerbomb. **3/4
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato [c] vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
Taguchi and Wato – professionally known as “6 or 9” – captured the Jr. Tag Titles in February and bring a fresh vibe to the same ol same ol from the New Japan junior tag division, a unique babyface charm even before the springboard ass attacks and thong underwear. ***1/4
5. 3-Way Match – IWGP Tag Team Title, 3 Way Match: Great O-Khan & Jeff Cobb [c] vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
Much like a 10-minute junior heavyweight tag team title match, the 10-minute 3-way heavyweight tag team match in New Japan needs something really special to distinguish itself beyond, you know – action or whatever. Goto’s Ushigiroshi on Cobb was impressive, Cobb takes a wild apron bump, and then… wait, what? Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens won the IWGP Tag Team Titles. ***
6. NEVER Openweight Title: EVIL [c] vs. Tama Tonga
Much like his brother and tag team partner, Tama Tonga is over in Japan. EVIL can still get it done too if he and his friends are not tasked with doing a bunch of offense in a row — which, I recognize, is usually the situation. The eventual Togo run-in killed the vibe, which is also usually the situation but in this case there was a really great match building that eventually came back around to being pretty great.
Even with noise limitations the crowd was into Tonga’s struggle, whether in a Scorpion Deathlock or dealing with Dick Togo. Tonga’s pal and strange old babyface Jado put a stop to Togo, then stopped an EVIL super powerbomb with an impeccably timed kendo stick, which setup a series of counters and cutters and cutters and counters reminiscent of a top-tier G1 finish. ****
7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: El Desperado [c] vs. Taiji Ishimori
El Desperado’s fourth defense ended in a loss, though it remained as tremendously consistent as any of his other defenses that have carried the juniors division — so maybe that’s a win, anyways? After the customary quick exchanges, Ishimori got to the customary arm work which he has always been pretty good at. Then, after about 10 minutes wincing in pain for the world to see, Desperado rocked him the face with a punch. The selling prior and timing on the punch was great but it really is just that simple sometimes, honestly. ****
8. IWGP US Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Tanahashi was originally scheduled to challenge SANADA for the U.S. Title, but SANADA was injured in the New Japan Cup and had to vacate the title. Enter Ishii, New Japan’s Sixth Man of the Year every year since he started. Tanahashi entered in stunning new black gear, then Ishii beat some ass right away to establish him as a worthy replacement if anyone was wondering. They got right to the strikes and attitude and relied mostly on that, which is good because these are men of a certain age now. I’m 34 and never worked even one G1 Climax — can’t even imagine the pains Ishii and Tana are in.
Each guy, two of the best seller’s of all time, looked more worn-out and exhausted as the match went on but came alive when slapping each other in the face or ignoring the physical pain caused by a Dragon Suplex. One of match’s best parts came towards the end (as they will): Ishii kicked out of a straitjacket-suplex, Tanahashi went to the top for the High Fly Flow, Ishii sprung up and charged, which left Tanahashi looking unconscious but still draped on top of the turnbuckle. They somehow amped up the intensity for the actual last couple minutes too, just refusing to let up until somebody had to. ****1/2
9. IWGP World Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Tetsuya Naito
Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, crowds in Japan have had to clap instead of voicing their reactions. Has anybody heard about this?
Had a look back at an Okada/Naito Tokyo Dome match from a few years ago on a whim. Ouch.
Every conversation doesn’t need to begin calling out the atmosphere it’s happening in, but I guess here it’s worth saying: the crowd is too quiet and the match is too long.
Okada dropkicks life out of Naito off the top turnbuckle to the floor about fifteen minutes into the match, which feels like a turning point for the match though it’s also possible they could have just started with it. They stick to the script and deliver everything with confidence and precision, respect earned 25-minutes deep when they’re still artfully trading their signature moves… there’s a lot of wrestling not to mention things in general, you know?
When they catch fire here it gets nearly as cool as it used to be — and Okada pulls out an Inoki enzuigiri for the finish — but the front half just felt like, considering the circumstances, a little much. Regardless: Okada and Naito in a Dome. ****1/4
Happy Thoughts: Bigger crowd than normal, louder crowd than normal, and a stronger undercard than normal. Also: Bullet Club is back. Jay White, heel Juice Robinson, and those Good Brothers all returned to make statements for themselves as New Japan made one to their fans: we are trying. Really! We swear! 4.0 / 5.0
