Coverage
AJPW Real World Tag League 2018 Results & Review Part 4
If you’ve missed the previous installments, click here. But either way, enjoy Mathew’s assessments of AJPW’s Real World Tag League, the only Tag League worth your time.
Welcome to part 4 of the AJPW Real World Tag League 2018 as we’re now at the halfway point after the writing of this article since I’ve done eight shows so far and about to do three more as I’m writing this one up.
The last three shows have been great with a bunch of tag team action to keep the viewers interested to wanna finish this tournament up and I hope the next three will do just that.
We only have one team left that’s undefeated and it’s time to see how they’ll pay off as we…dive right in.
11/27/2018
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
TAJIRI & Gianni Valletta vs. Odinson & Parrow
Review: Our first match for this show is TAJIRI and Gianni Valletta kicking things off as they take on Odinson and Parrow from The End. The End has had a bit of a rocky start after losing their previous two matches and only having one win under their belt. The End could have a chance here but you also shouldn’t sleep on TAJIRI and Gianni because they could steal a win when you least expect it as they did to Yoshiken and The Bomber. Which of these two will get the win?
It was expected to have a mediocre match after having a series of really good matches at the previous shows as this match was just sloppy and lackluster, even the crowd wasn’t really invested into it. Gianni and Parrow started the match off and just wasn’t interesting at all since they would just test their strength with the Clotheslines together or just shoulder tackling each other. Nothing really interesting happened in the match until near the end of the match with Odinson hitting Gianni with a Pounce when TAJIRI tried to throw Gianni into Parrow. The End would pick them up for a Powerbomb and slams them into each other and now it’s starting to get a little bit of fun now. Parrow picked up TAJIRI up to go for the Doomsday Device and TAJIRI spits the green mist into Odinson’s eyes to make him get out of the ring and kicked Parrow before he went for a Sunset Flip, but Parrow caught him for a pinfall and The End gets their second victory.
Rating: Tony Schiavone and a quarter
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Dylan James & Joe Doering vs. Manabu Soya & Takao Omori
Review: Our next match is between The Bomber and Get Wild. Both of these teams are in second place as of the current standing and a win here would help the both of them into a solid position in the standings. But will it belong to Bomber or Get Wild?
This one was slightly better than the previous match since both teams seemed like they knew how to match off their styles together and rolling with that ball. It is though still a rather basic match with that same basic feeling with the majority of the match mostly doing strikes at an oddly slow paced. Dylan still has some of the loudest chops and I’m not sure if they’re that loud just because they’re in a smaller crowd than most arena’s but he also makes them look really impactful with that loud sound when he chops his opponents or even hits them with a Lariat. Get Wild did their job as well with this match as well to try and outmatch the big gaijin team with their strength as well. Joe would hit a Diving Body Press onto the both of them as Dylan had Manabu into a corner for a Lariat onto the turnbuckle, Joe hitting a shoulder tackle, and then Dylan picks Manabu up for a Sidewalk Slam while Joe drops an elbow for a cover and Manabu kicked out at two. Joe would call for the end as they hit their Double Piledriver and The Bomber now ties up for first place.
Rating: Tony Schiavone and a half
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Shuji Ishikawa & Suwama vs. Jake Lee & Ryouji Sai
Review: Our main event for this show involves The Sweeper taking on the Violent Giants. Shuji and Suwama are the only team that remains to be undefeated in this tournament with only four wins. Jake Lee and Ryouji Sai only have one win under their belt and a win here would be huge to ruin the streak. Will Sweeper be able to get it or will Violent Giants still remain undefeated?
Ryouji and Shuji would start the match off for a little bit and things seem to be pretty even until they both tagged in their respective partners. Jake and Suwama also have a bit of a thing going on here with Jake trying to rise up in the ranks while Suwama being the former ace, wants Jake to prove his worth every time they’re in the ring together so he can see if he has what it takes since Jake still fails to defeat Kento. Despite me being overly excited for this match, I honestly thought while it was still solid, there have been a couple of moments in the match that felt like it would either drag or just a bit sloppy, I gotta admit that this day in the league has been rather lackluster but there’s always that one show.
Violent Giants are still kicking ass with their dominance as the both of them do a number on both Ryouji and Jake with their size and strength, but they would use their resiliency to counteract them as much as they could. Jake and Shuji are in the ring now as Shuji would deliver a knee strike onto him after Suwama gave Jake a Belly-to-Belly Suplex as Ryouji broke the count. Shuji would pick Jake up to go for the Fire Thunder Driver but Jake would power out of it so he could Deliver a German Suplex and a knee to the face to try and get the victory, but Suwama would break the pin. Shuji would go for another knee to the face for a two count before he went to go for the Powerbomb this time but Jake is still fighting it as he hits another knee to his chest to knock him down and a knee to the face for a one count. Jake doesn’t give Shuji a chance to breathe as he delivered a second knee strike for a two count before quickly getting up to hit one more to him as he gets the three count and Violent Giants winning streak is over!
Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half
11/29/2018
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
TAJIRI & Gianni Valletta vs. Manabu Soya & Takao Omori
Review: We’re now onto our next show and time to see what they’ll deliver to us today. TAJIRI and Gianni Valletta will once again start off this tournament for the night as they now take on Get Wild. Get Wild is around the middle since most of the teams have about six points at this point in time but if they get a win here, they’ll be tied for first place with both Violent Giants and The Bomber. Gianni and TAJIRI still only have four points and are most likely eliminated from the tournament, but they could still use this chance to play the spoiler. Will things Get Wild or will we have a spoiler?
TAJIRI and Gianni are mostly doing heel tactics in this match once again as they should but they were less comedic about it than usual, think it’s because they wanted to try and get some points on the board while ruining other peoples chances. I think they also started to become cannibals today since they would mostly bite their opponent’s heads, especially Gianni and I guess he forgot to each before the match and wanted to eat something wild…did you get that? Huh? Huh? Did you get it? I’ll let myself out. Anyway, the match was much better than their previous matches from the last show since this one seemed to have a better flow rather than being clustered since there was hardly any mess-ups in this one and just worked out better for them. Manabu started to hulk up a little bit after getting the hot tag and would hit Gianni with the Wild Bomber on the back of his head and before he could do it again, TAJIRI would drag him down to make him lose his momentum. Gianni would distract the referee by grabbing his chain and while the referee wasn’t looking, TAJIRI would go for a kendo stick to try and hit Manabu but he caught it and makes it so he hits his partner by accident. Takao would hit Gianni with a Lariat before Manabu hits his Wild Bomber this time and gets the pinfall to tie for first place.
Rating: Eric Bischoff
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Zeus & The Bodyguard vs. Odinson & Parrow
Review: Nine shows later, The Big Guns are back in action in this tournament as they have a good spot right now since they only have one loss since it’s the only match they did, so Zeus and The Bodyguard are in a pretty good position to try and stack up on some wins. They would first have to take on The End who also came back recently and even picked up a win over TAJIRI and Gianni. Will The Big Guns start to get some momentum this time around or will it be The End for them?
The End would take it to the Big Guns outside of the ring right away as the two teams would start fighting around the arena. Zeus and Odinson would even fight up to the bleachers where they would have a chop battle and when they made it back down to the floor, it looks like The End has the advantage as they started to attack them on their corners but looked pretty weak and slow when they did it. So far I think this is Odinson and Parrow’s better match so far out of the matches they’ve had but at the same time, it looks like they’re still getting used to their style of wrestling and it clearly shows here in their matches. It’s good to see Zeus and The Bodyguard back into the swing of things since despite how I feel about Bodyguard solo, they really are a great tag team and just have amazing chemistry. I really like Odinson’s European Uppercuts and how he presents himself like when he does it to the back of their head or when he does them in a double team move with Parrow. Zeus would get Parrow up for a Stalling Suplex before he tagged in Bodyguard as he goes in red hot with his Lariats and even hits Parrow with his Diving Elbow for a two count. The Big Guns were looking like they were going for their own type of Doomsday Device but Odinson broke it up before it could happen and The End now picks them up to hit their Double Powerbomb onto each other, but Parrow held Bodyguard up still so Odinson could hit the Lungblower combo as Parrow pinned Bodyguard to get the upset victory!
Rating: Eric Bischoff
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Jake Lee & Ryouji Sai vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Jun Akiyama
Review: Our main event for this show is The Sweeper going at it again as they now set to face off against Daisuke Sekimoto and Jun Akiyama. The Sweeper picked up the surprise victory over Violent Giants and are now looking to get the ball rolling as they take on two of the top vets right now. Jun and Daisuke also showed that they’re quite the pair in this tournament and now look like they could take the rest of it home. Will The Sweeper get another surprise victory or will the old school team..well, school them?
I think this is one of those matches that the story outshines the actual wrestling while still being great at both aspects. Sure, Daisuke and Ryouji would start the match off but the crowd would get red hot once Jun and Jake got into the ring. If you remember at the Oudou Tournament, both Jun and Jake had a match in the first round where Jun would injure his elbow in the process while Jake picked up the win as well, so you can see a bit of anger in Jun from this ordeal. Uncle Jun would get some stiff shot onto Jake while Jake doing some in return as it made Jun so enraged that he would remove his elbow pad from his injured shoulder and get into bitch gonna learn mode. The two would keep going back and forth a little bit longer and Jake had him onto the apron as he went for a kick which Jun moved out of the way for a stalemate and the crowd gave them a round of applause.
Poor Ryouji here would be the punching bag for the majority of the bout, especially to Daisuke when they were in the ring together from mat ability and just stiff strikes. I thought this match was very physical in terms of the impact and technical aspect of wrestling, but as I said before that the story between Jun and Jake is what sold it the most of me here and I really do hope we get another match with them soon because there’s definitely unfinished business here. Jun had Ryouji where he wanted him with a Ko-Oh for a two count but would pick him up for the Wrist-Clutch Exploder and Daisuke would attempt the German for the assist, but Jake would Big Boot Daisuke out and hit Jun with the German Suplex while Ryouji hits Jun with the PK for a two count. Ryouji would have Jun on the corner for the Sky Kick as it connects and he pinned Jun to get another upset victory! What a match and more to be told here down the road between Jake and Jun.
Rating: Bruce Prichard and a quarter
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11/30/2018
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Dylan James & Joe Doering vs. Jake Lee & Ryouji Sai
Review: After main eventing the last two shows, Jake Lee and Ryouji Sai would now start off the league on this show as they take on Dylan James and Joe Doering. The Bomber is currently tied for first place with eight points and if they do get the win here, they would surpass Violent Giants and Get Wild for the top spot with ten points. The Sweeper will also be tied with all three of these teams if they do somehow get another victory here as they won the last two matches in a row to get this comeback. Will The Bomber move to first place or will The Sweepers sweep them under the rug?
It appears that Joe Doering seems to have suffered some sort of injury as you can see his left shoulder all bandaged up. I don’t know the severity of the injury but I guess it’s not bad for right now since they’re still able to do the match with Dylan doing most of the work at least, so we’ll see what happens as the league continues on. After The Sweeper having two solid matches back to back, they would have a rather short and average bout with The Bomber. Joe wouldn’t be in the ring much at all due to the injury and wanting to play it safe and Ryouji wasn’t in the match much either as it felt like it was Dylan and Jake taking each other one, which makes sense since Dylan did leave The Sweeper to team up with Joe in the first place. After a couple of Lariats from Dylan, Jake would start to get some kicks in with him and Ryouji hitting him with a double knee and Jake hitting one in the face for a two count. Jake would put his kneepad down to go for the Ko-Oh but Joe would club him in the back of the head for a distraction for Dylan to hit another Lariat and a Chokeslam to get the pin and first place victory as of right now.
Rating: Tony Schiavone and a half
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Odinson & Parrow vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Jun Akiyama
Review: Uncle Jun and Daisuke are back in action after suffering a loss at their previous match, the veterans look to take on The End for their next bout. As of right now, The End has gotten two wins back to back to get six points but they could keep the ball rolling by taking out Jun and Daisuke, and what a win that would be for them if they could pull it off. Will The End somehow get three wins in a row or will Uncle Jun and Daisuke get some points under their belt again?
The End did better this time around again as they had two vets to help guide them into this match a bit more. I’m usually more impressed with Odinson during these matches but I gotta say that Parrow did seem to step up a little bit and probably the best I’ve seen him work in this tournament so far, especially how he handled himself with Daisuke and matching him in the strength department of things. The End getting most of the control in the match over Daisuke to see part of their heel work a little and their aggression showed that it’s not a lost cause for them and if they did tour outside of the league, I think they could flourish a little bit in the Japanese scene. Daisuke finally gets the hot tag to Jun as Jun starts to go at it and applies the Guillotine while Daisuke applies the Torture Rack for the both of them to get a submission into the mix until they broke it up. Parrow hits a Pop-up Powerbomb onto Daisuke and as the two tried to pick them up for the Double Powerbomb, it looked like Odinson had a hard time picking Daisuke up and Jun did a botched Hurricanrana onto Parrow to make them collide into each other which looked horrible. Daisuke would be able to get the win for his team as he hits the Spear onto Parrow for the pinfall.
Rating: Eric Bischoff
Real World Tag League 2018 Match
Zeus & The Bodyguard vs. Naoya Nomura & Yumi Ayoyagi
Review: We’re now down to our main event for the show as NEXTREAM is now back in action after being involved on almost all of the shows as they take on The Big Guns. Zeus and The Bodyguard are currently in last place with zero wins and two losses while NEXTREAM only have one win under their belt with five losses, so while they have no chance of winning they could at least prevent Big Guns from winning by giving them their third loss in a row. Will The Big Guns get their first victory or does NEXTREAM get an upset?
I knew there was something these last three days were missing and one of them was NEXTREAM and I say this because almost all of their matches had them performing at a high level against all of their opponents and there was always a different level of excitement in those types of matches, which we get here. Much like it was with Jake and Jun, can feel a bit of a story with Naoya and Zeus since a few months ago, Naoya would get a couple of surprise victories over Zeus while he was the Triple Crown Champion at that time and Zeus defeated him at the Oudou Tournament. I liked that Big Guns were able to shine more once again and now we can see them for the remainder of the shows to eventually bounce back into the title picture. I thought the match was nicely executed with both teams and definitely one of NEXTREAM’s best in this tournament.
Look at Bodyguard stepping up his game more and I wish he could do that without the need of a tag team or Zeus, but I think we all know that won’t happen since he needs him. Zeus is still a beast in the ring and already solidified himself as a main event ever since he won that Triple Crown Championship and his match with Kento when he lost the belt in October, he’s still loved by the fans and is still amazing, people should follow him more. Naoya is probably one of the highlights on this match too with his energy in the ring when he makes his comebacks and the crowd getting behind him and Yuma, I keep saying this kid is special and I will still stand by that statement until more people see him.
Naoya would be able to hit a few splashes onto Zeus to try and put him away since he’s a bigger guy but Zeus would kick out of it at two. Naoya would pick Zeus up for the Death Valley Driver while Zeus got off of him to try and go for a German and Naoya turned it around, but Bodyguard would hit Naoya with a Lariat and then hits Yuma with a Roundhouse kick to the head, leaving Noaya and Zeus alone. Naoya would hit the Spear finally and rolled with it to go for the pin but Zeus would still kick out of it. Zeus starts to get some offense in as he would hit Naoya with a few Lariats that look like he almost took his head off and would pin him for a two count before Zeus picked him up for the Jackhammer as The Big Guns get their first victory!
Rating: Bruce Prichard
Overall: Only three good matches in this one out of nine really give it that type of lackluster set for this series. The Sweeper were the highlights of this set of matches for the most part as they delivered in their main events on the first two nights. I hope the next three shows can make a comeback to make up for this one. Not all of them can be winners and I’m still enjoying this tournament so far.
Favorite Match: Jake Lee & Ryouji Sai vs. Daisuke Sekimoto & Jun Akiyama
Least Favorite Match: TAJIRI & Gianni Valletta vs. Odinson & Parrow
Score: 6.5/10
Current Standings
The Bomber: (5-2) (10 Points)
Violent Giants: (4-1) (8 Points)
Get Wild: (4-2) (8 Points)
Yoshiken: (3-4) (6 Points)
KAI/Kengo: (3-2) (6 Points)
Jun/Daisuke: (3-2) (6 Points)
The End: (3-3) (6 Points)
Sweeper: (3-4) (6 Points)
Gianni/TAJIRI: (2-4) (4 Points)
NEXTREAM: (1-6) (2 Points)
The Big Guns: (1-2) (2 Points)
Who do you think is going to win AJPW’s Real World Tag League? Let us know on social media @theCHAIRSHOTcom and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
The Maniac takes on the Powerhouse!
In the wake of AEW Dynasty, in perhaps Will Hobbs’ biggest match, he takes on IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Jon Moxley! Will the Don Callis Family have even more gold?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- AEW World Championship Eliminator: Swerve Strickland VS Kyle Fletcher; wins and
- Mina Shirakawa VS Anna Jay; wins.
- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley VS “Powerhouse” Will Hobbs; wins and
PLAY BY PLAY
[Due to scheduling conflicts, coverage will be on delay]
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Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!
The House of Torture gets another try!
Despite losing in the NEVER Openweight Six Man title tournament, the House of Torture get one more shot against Tanahashi, Yano & Oleg! But will shuffling the deck really help the King of Darkness trump President Ace?
OFFICIAL RESULTS
- Six Man Tag: Bishamon & Shoma Kato VS Bullet Club; Bullet Club wins.
- 8 Man Tag: El Desperado, El Phantasmo, Hikuleo & Katsuya Murashima VS TMDK; TMDK wins.
- NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg VS The House of Torture; Tanahashi, Yano & Oleg win and retain the titles.
- LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Yota Tsuji VS Gedo; Tsuji wins.
- LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: BUSHI VS Gabe Kidd; Gabe wins.
- LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Shingo Takagi VS Clark Connors; Takagi wins.
- LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Tetsuya Naito VS “Drilla” Dan Moloney; Drilla wins.
- LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Hiromu Takahashi VS David Finlay; Finlay wins.
PLAY BY PLAY
NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg VS The House of Torture!
Don’t adjust your screens, this is not a rematch from Wrestling World in Taiwan. That’s because while The Ace, the Joker and the Rook won the tournament, they’re up against a different formation! The King of Darkness and Heel Master now have Tokyo Pimp as their third man, but will that change be enough to change the result? Or will Tanahshi-sachou and team be an undefeated combination?
The introductions are made, the belts are raised, and we see if Darkness Falls!
The teams sort out, and Oleg starts against Yoshinobu Kanemaru. The fans rally behind “BO-LU-TIN! BO-LU-TIN!” as he circles with Kanemaru, but then Evil & Yujiro attack! The fans boo, Tanahashi & Yano hurry in but Evil & Yujiro get them first! Kanemaru drags Oleg out of the ring to stomp him down while Evil & Yujiro have Tanahashi & Yano in corners. Yujiro fires forearms, Evil CHOPS, then the House all whips. But Oleg reverses and sends Kanemaru into railing! And Tanahashi & Yano reverse to send Evil & Yujiro into each other! Oleg returns to CLOBBER Evil & Yujiro! The fans fire up as now Yano & Tanahashi intercept Kanemaru.
Tanahashi & Yano whip Kanemaru to Oleg for a scoop and SLAM! The fans rally behind the champs as Oleg paces around Kanemaru. Oleg stomps Kanemaru, tags Tanahashi, and Tanahashi eggs Evil on. Evil tags in, Tanahashi kicks first! Tanahashi fires hands, UPPERCUTS, then tears away the “President Evil” shirt to TOSS it away! Evil is furious, he made that himself! Tanahashi throws a body shot, then whips Evil corner to corner. Evil reverses, runs in, but Tanahashi ELBOWS him! Tanahashi goes up to CROSSBODY! The fans fire up for the air guitar and Tanahashi tags in Yano! Yano unties a buckle pad, dodges Evil, then gives Evil the pad!
The ref reprimands Evil and confiscates the pad, and Yano SLAPS Evil on the head! Yano whips, Evil reverses, but Yano avoids the bare buckles. Evil runs up to SLAP Yano, and shove him into the buckles! Kanemaru & Yujiro BLAST Tanahashi & Oleg off the corner! Evil SMACKS Yano with the pad! Evil TOSSES Yano out of the ring, distracts the ref, and that lets Dick DECK Yano! Dick drags Yano up and puts him in the ring for Evil to cover. TWO! Evil is upset with the “slow count,” and he tags Kanemaru. Kanemaru runs to basement dropkick! Cover, TWO! The fans cheer but Kanemaru ELBOWS Yano in the head!
Kanemaru snapmares Yano down into a chinlock and drags him to the corner. The ref reprimands but Yujiro tags in. Kanemaru lets go, so that Yujiro can CHOKE Yano! The ref counts, Yujiro lets off, and he drags Yano back up. Yujiro whips Yano into the bare buckles! Yano suffers his own trick, and Yujiro brings him up to knee low. Yujiro snapmares, drops a leg, then drops an elbow! Then he drops a HEADBUTT! Cover, TWO! The fans cheer but Yujiro tags to Evil. Evil BLASTS Tanahashi & Oleg off the corner! Dick distracts the ref so Evil can put Yano in the COBRA TWIST, and link up with the others!
The fans boo but the House gets away with that. Evil covers, TWO! Evil is even more upset with the ref, and he drags Yano up. Evil reels Yano in for a FISHERMAN BUSTER! Cover, TWO! Wait, who is ringing the bell? Dick is ringing the bell, and Kanemaru is giving the announcement that they’ve won! The fans boo, this is of course a farce. Tanahashi & Oleg storm over, scaring off Dick and Kanemaru. Evil tags Kanemaru, then TOSSES Yano outside. Kanemaru drags Yano back up to whip him into railing! Then DDT to the floor! Yano is down in enemy territory while Tanahashi argues with the ref.
The fans rally up but Yujiro puts Yano in. Kanemaru covers, TWO! The fans cheer but Kanemaru drags Yano around. Yano is dead weight so Kanemaru leaves him behind to BLAST Tanahashi! Kanemaru drags Yano up but Yano pulls hair! Kanemaru CLAWS Yano’s eyes! Kanemaru whips, Yano reverses and throws him down by his hair! The fans fire up as Yano crawls, hot tag to Oleg! The fans fire up as Oleg CLOBBERS Kanemaru, BLASTS Evil & Yujiro, then runs in at the corner. Kanemaru BOOTS Oleg, runs, but into a POP-UP BEARHUG! Kanemaru endures, but then Oleg turns that into a BIG suplex! The fans fire up as Oleg storms around.
Oleg deadlift gut wrenches, but Dick gets on the apron. Oleg drops Kanemaru to scare Dick off. But then Yano puts Dick in! Dick prays and begs for mercy, but Oleg just deadlift gut wrenches him! Shake, Rattle and THROW! And a kip up!? Oleg then gets Kanemaru back up, Shake, Rattle, and some more shaking, and THROW! Oleg roars, runs, and SPLASHES down! Cover, Evil & Yujiro break it! Then they BLAST Tanahashi & Yano! The House stomps away on Oleg, then drag him up. They double whip Oleg to a corner, then Yujiro BOOTS! Evil clotheslines! They snapmare, Kanemaru distracts the ref, and Dick goes up!
The fans boo but Dick hits the DICK CHOP! Kanemaru covers, TWO!! The fans fire up but Evil tags back in. Evil and Kanemaru get Oleg up to suplex, but Oleg fights it! Oleg DOUBLE SUPLEXES back! Hot tag to Tanahashi! Ace of the Universe meets King of Darkness, and Tanahashi runs to CLOBBER Evil! Tanahashi fires forearms and body shots on Evil, then scoop SLAMS him into a drop zone! Tanahashi goes up to SUNSET SENTON! Cover, TWO! The fans rally behind Tanahashi as he waits on Evil. Tanahashi runs, but Evil goes to the corner! Evil LARIATS Tanahashi down! Tag to Yujiro and he storms up on Tanahashi.
Yujiro brings Tanahashi up to knee low and fire forearms. Yujiro CHOPS then runs up, to BOOT! Yujiro then runs, to BOOT again! Tanahashi SHOTEIS! Tanahashi runs, but Yujiro TOSSES him out! Evil is there to set Tanahashi up for a whiskey bottle shot! Evil puts Tanahashi back in, then he and the rest go after Oleg and Yano! Yujiro gets Tanahashi up for an INCOLLE SLAM! Cover, TWO!! Yujiro goes for his pimp cane, but the ref stops him! That leaves Dick open to use the SPOILER CHOKER on Tanahashi!! The fans boo as President Ace suffers! Tanahashi fades out, Dick slips away, and Yujiro laughs.
Yujiro drags Tanahashi up while the fans rally. Yujiro reels Tanahashi in, but Yano gets in to grab Yujiro! Kanemaru gets in while the ref is distracted again! But Yano ducks, the WHISKEY MIST hits Yujiro! LOW BLOW for Kanemaru! But Evil LOW BLOWS Yano! So Tanahashi LOW BLOWS Evil! Dick gets in but Tanahashi kicks the ropes! Dick falls, Oleg returns, and he gets Yujiro up! Tanahashi climbs, Oleg hits the KAMIKAZE SENTON! Then Tanahashi HIGH FLY FLOWS!! Cover, Team Go Ace wins!
Winners: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano & Boltin Oleg, by pinfall (still NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champions)
The House of Torture tried their usual tricks, but Tanahashi’s team proved they could play that, too! The Ace, the Joker & The Rook stand tall again, will The House have to start playing a different game?
LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Yota Tsuji VS Gedo!
While Los Ingobernables de Japon and the Bullet Club War Dogs have already done battle on this Road to Wrestling Dontaku, tonight is a best of five series! Will it be Gene Blast or Blacksmith that sets the tone for tonight?
The moment Yota hops off the corner, Gedo takes a swing! Yota dodges and GENE BLASTER!! The bell rings, Yota covers, Yota wins!!
Winner: Yota Tsuji, by pinfall
Well not sure about the tone but this sure set a new record! From bell the bell, that was FIVE SECONDS! Score one for LIJ already, and Yota helps roll Gedo out of the ring. Will LIJ make this a shut out? Or will the other War Dogs be a bit smarter about the pitches they throw across the plate?
LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: BUSHI VS Gabe Kidd!
Round two is here sooner than expected after what we just saw, and the Black Mask is up against the #WarReady Mad Man. Gabe vows to take back everything NJPW used to mean, but will he get War Dogs on the board? Or will Bushi keep things tranquilo?
Bushi climbs onto the corner and Gabe rushes him! Bushi jumps over, the bell rings and Bushi DROPKICKS Gabe down! Bushi whips, Gabe reverses but Bushi ducks ‘n ‘dodges to RANA! Gabe bails out, Bushi builds speed, but Gabe gets away. Bushi slides out, but Gabe kicks and CHOPS! Gabe UPPERCUTS Bushi down, then drags Bushi up to dig at Bushi’s eyes! The ref reprimands, Gabe storms around and mockingly calls upon the wrestling gods. Gabe runs but Bushi dodges, Gabe crashes into railing! The fans fire up while Bushi rises. Bushi brings Gabe up, fires forearms, then brings Gabe around. Gabe blocks the bump off the apron to whip Bushi hard into railing!
Bushi flounders and Gabe snarls while the fans rally up. Gabe storms out to open the way to the orange bleachers! Gabe ROCKS Bushi, brings him around and they go up into the stands. Gabe HEADBUTTS Bushi down, shouts “I’m a MAD MAN, y’know!” then continues up to the next level. Bushi fights the lift but Gabe CLUBS him! Gabe lifts again but Bushi still fights! Gabe CLUBS away on Bushi, CHOPS and HAYMAKERS! Gabe backs up, flips everyone off, and he runs back in, but Bushi dropkicks the leg! Bushi SMACKS Gabe off railing, then he goes up higher into the stands! Bushi stands on the ledge, to SUPER CROSSBODY! Down go Gabe and the Young Lions!
The fans are thunderous as Bushi rises, and he brings Gabe up. Bushi headlocks Gabe to bring him back down the bleachers. Gabe throws body shots but Bushi throws hands in return. Bushi brings Gabe back to ground level, then through the gate. They return to ringside but Gabe CLUBS Bushi down again. Gabe HEADBUTTS, then he puts Bushi in. The fans rally, but Gabe drags Bushi around to ROCK him again. Gabe has Bushi on the apron, CLUBS him again, then brings Bushi out. Bushi fights the suplex to throw body shots! Gabe HEADBUTTS again, but Bushi fires more hands! Bushi puts Gabe in and the fans cheer.
Bushi drags Gabe up but blocks his haymaker to spin and DDT! Cover, TWO! Bushi goes to a corner while Gabe sputters. Gabe stands, Bushi runs in, but no Code Breaker! Gabe ELBOWS, JABS and YUKON LARIATS! Gable copies Takagi, covers, TWO! Gabe flips off the fans, they boo, and so he just flips them off more. Gabe eggs Bushi on, taunts him, so Bushi CHOPS! Gabe dusts himself off, Bushi CHOPS again! Gabe CHOPS, says Bushi ain’t got nothing, but Bushi fires a flurry! Gabe CHOPS again, Bushi DOUBLE CHOPS! Gabe UPPERCUTS, then he gut wrenches! But Bushi slips free and shoves!
Gabe blocks one kick, ducks the enzigiri, but not the REWIND HEEL! Bushi reels Gabe in, for a DESTROYER!! Cover, TWO!! Gabe survives and flounders away while the fans fire up. Gabe flops right out of the ring but Bushi pursues. Bushi drags Gabe up, but Gabe HEADBUTTS him back down! Gabe rips away the LIJ shirt to tell them to suck it! Gabe SPITS on the shirt, throws it down, then goes back for Bushi. Gabe puts Bushi in, Bushi goes to a corner, and Gabe runs in to clothesline! Gabe suplexes, Bushi slips free, ducks ‘n’ dodges, and uses the ref as a shield! BLACK MIST!! Bushi gets the better of Gabe and hooks the arms!
Gabe fights the backslide, BOOTS the ref, so the ref can’t see the Bushi Roll! Bushi would’ve had this one! Bushi goes to check on the ref but Gabe storms up to HAYMAKER! Gabe shouts at the ref, drags him back up, and then storms over to Bushi! PILEDRIVER!! Cover, Gabe wins!
Winner: Gabe Kidd, by pinfall
The series is tied 1-1, and Gabe shouts for water to wash out the mist. LIJ VS War Dogs aside, Gabe now has momentum going into his NEVER Openweight Championship match with Shingo Takagi. Will the Rampaging Dragon be just as #WarReady as Gabe after tonight?
LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Shingo Takagi VS Clark Connors!
Speaking of the NEVER Openweight Champion, he’s third up in the batting order, ready to drive home another run. Will the Rampaging Dragon score and soar towards Wrestling Dontaku? Or will he be struck out by 100 Proof?
Takagi and Connors get in each other’s face and talk some trash. Connors shoves but the ref has them both back down. Connors gets all fired up, Takagi says okay then, and the bell rings, only for Connors to bail out. The fans boo Connors trolling them, but he says tranquilo. Takagi paces while Connors goes around the outside. Takagi dares Connors to get in but Connors dares Takagi to come on out. The fans rally up so Connors goes back to the apron. Connors steps in, fires up, but then bails out. But Takagi pursues! They go around the ring, back in, and then Connors RAMS Takagi! But Takagi doesn’t fall!
Connors runs again, RAMS Takagi, but still Takagi stays up. Connors fires forearm after forearm after forearm, but then Takagi ROCKS, KNEES, CLUBS and CHOPS! And JABS! Takagi whips, Connors ducks ‘n’ dodges to RAM Takagi! Takagi rebounds, but Connors runs him over! The fans fire up while Takagi goes to a corner. Connors runs corner to corner to clothesline, then he reels Takagi in. Takagi fights the suplex, and he suplexes Connors instead! The fans fire up again but Connors bails back out. Takagi pursues, JABS, then SMACKS Connors off the apron. Takagi follows Connors around, POSTS him, and the fans cheer.
Takagi stomps Connors, Connors goes around the way but Takagi follows. Takagi runs up to BOOT Connors, then follows him. Connors uses a Young Lion as a shield, then shoves him into Takagi! Connors then whips Takagi into railing! Takagi leans against railing and Connors UPPERCUTS! Connor opens the gate and pushes Takagi into No Man’s Land. Connors brings Takagi around to SMACK off the wood bleachers! Takagi hits back, they brawl, and Takagi knees low! Takagi whips, Connors reverses and Takagi is sent into the wall of the hallway! Connors throws up the Too Sweet but the fans boo.
Connors brings Takagi back to SMACK into the gate, then POST! Connors reels Takagi in, to snap suplex to the floor! Takagi writhes, the ref reprimands but Connors wants the ring count to start. The ring count does start, and Connors scoops a Young Lion to SLAM him onto Takagi! And then he grabs another Young Lion to SPINEBUSTER onto Takagi! Connors slides into the ring at 10 of 20 while Takagi pushes the Young Lions off him. Takagi stands at 17, hurries up at 18, but Connors SPEARS him down! Cover, TWO!! Takagi is still in this and the fans rally, but Connors keeps on Takagi with a half nelson.
Takagi fights as Connors goes for the full nelson! Takagi reaches out but Connors keeps him from ropes. Takagi fights to his feet, powers up, but Connors keeps the nelson! The fans rally more as Takagi keeps fighting. Takagi powers the hold open, but Connors spins him to knee low! Connors whips, but Takagi avoids the snap powerslam! Takagi runs up to SLIDING- NO, Connors dodges, but runs into the ELBOW! JAB! YUKON LARIAT! The fans fire up and Takagi goes to a corner. Connors flounders around, rises up, and Takagi storms up to the corner. Takagi clotheslines, then JABS and CHPOS on repeat! Takagi JABS, JABS, JABS and CHOPS!
Takagi whips corner to corner, runs in to clothesline again, then short arm LARIAT! Takagi scoops Connors to SLAM him, then he goes up and up for the FALLING ELBOW DROP! Takagi hauls Connors up for a BIG back suplex! Cover, TWO! Connors is still in this but Takagi looks around. The fans rally with “OI! OI! OI!” and Takagi says, “OI, KORAKUEN! TOKI GA KITA!!” The time has come and the “OI! OI! OI!” continues. Takagi brings Connors up, pump handle, but Connors fights the lift! Connors throws elbows, then ROCKS Takagi! Takagi eggs Connors on, Connors throws another forearm! Takagi fires back!
Connors fires more forearms, but Takagi HEADBUTTS! Connors HEADBUTTS, but he’s the one wobbling! Connors ROCKS Takagi with a forearm, then eggs Takagi on. Takagi ROCKS Connors with boxing elbows! Takagi runs, Connors follows to LARIAT against ropes! Connors runs but Takagi follows to KNEE against ropes! Takagi keeps moving, Connors gets under to come back and POUNCE! Then a whip and SNAP POWERSLAM! Cover, TWO! But Connors powers up and runs, to SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, ONE?!?! The fans fire up but Connors aims from a corner! Connors runs in to SPEAR!! Both men are down and the fans are thunderous!
Connors rises, Takagi stirs, and Connors brings Takagi up. But Takagi fights No Chaser! Takagi wrenches out to JAB! And HEADBUTT! Connors dodges the lariat, but runs into a SNAP POWERSLAM! Takagi runs up to PUMPING BOMBER! Then SLIDING LARIAT! Cover, TWO! Connors shakes his head as he stays in this, but Takagi roars! Takagi pump handles for MADE IN JAPAN!! Cover, TWO!?! Connors survives and shocks Takagi, but the fans are thunderous again! “OI! OI! OI!” and Takagi powers up. Takagi runs, but Connors dodges! But PUMPING BOMBER still finds him! Cover, Takagi wins!
Winner: Shingo Takagi, by pinfall
We’re halfway done and LIJ takes the lead! Takagi has momentum for himself, too, but will the Rampaging Dragon be #WarReady for Gabe Kidd? Or will Wrestling Dontaku be the end of the road for Takagi?
LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Tetsuya Naito VS “Drilla” Dan Moloney!
The Uncontrollable Charisma may no longer be IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, but we all know he never lets things get to him. Will he therefore stay tranquilo as he looks to win this series for his team? Or will he lose a shootout with the .44 Caliber?
As always, Naito takes his time with his entrance attire. Drilla mockingly asks what happened to his belt, but Naito doesn’t let that get his goat. The fans rally for Naito and that annoys Drilla. Naito puts the pants away, the bell rings, and Drilla runs up! But Naito puts him on the apron, and sweeps the legs! Then he DROPKICKS Drilla down! Naito goes out slowly to fetch Drilla, CLUB him on the neck, and then CLUB him again. Naito CLUBS Drilla more, cravats for a neck wrench, and even grinds Drilla against railing! The ref counts, Naito puts Drilla in, and the fans applaud. But Drilla comes back to WRECK Naito with a dropkick!
Drilla whips Naito hard into railing, and Naito gets stuck! Drilla dumps him over, tells fans off about cheering for Naito, then drags Naito up and around. Drilla CHOPS Naito, follows him along the way, and whips him hard into railing! The fans applaud the impressive speed and strength, but Drilla leaves Naito behind as Naito slumps into the front row. The ring count climbs, Naito sits up at 7 of 20. Naito finds his way around to the gate at 12, steps in at ringside, and rolls in at 15. Drilla throws Naito’s hat at him, then stomps away! Drilla drags Naito up, HEADBUTTS him, then has him on ropes. Drilla CHOPS and Naito staggers.
Drilla eggs Naito on so Naito fires forearms! Naito whips, Drilla reverses and ELBOWS Naito down! Cover, TWO! The fans rally for Naito but Drilla digs his knee into Naito’s neck! The ref counts, Drilla lets off to get in the ref’s face, but the ref reminds Drilla to respect his authority. Drilla kicks Naito around, steps on Naito’s head, then taunts the fans. Naito gets up to throw hands but Drilla hits back! They go back and forth, forearm for forearm, but then Drilla CHOPS! Drilla runs, into an ELBOW! Drilla rebounds, but Naito hip toss NECKBREAKERS! The fans rally as Naito rises and Drilla writhes. Naito drags Drilla up to fire forearms and kicks!
Naito whips, arm-drags, then he ELBOWS Drilla down to basement dropkick in the back! Naito turns Drilla for a NECKBREAKER! Drilla writhes, Naito pushes him to a cover, TWO! Naito keeps on Drilla with a cravat neck wrench. Drilla endures, fights around, and he fights up. Drilla breaks free, CLUBS Naito, then runs, but Naito catches him to a dragon sleeper, NECKBREAKER! Drilla fights the legs but Naito still hooks him into the LEG HOOK NELSON! Drilla endures, fights around, and has the ROPEBREAK! Naito again “forgets” how to undo the hold, so the ref pries the legs away.
Drilla is free and clutches his neck, but Naito paces around. Naito drags Drilla back up, but Drilla CHOPS! Naito fires a forearm in return! Drilla CHOPS! Naito forearms! The shots go back and forth, Drilla grunts and has a crazy grin. Drilla fires a forearm, Naito mocks the grunt! Naito fires back, both men grunt and fire forearms again! Drilla CHOPS, but then Naito ROCKS him, SPITS on him, and fires off more forearms! Drilla gets under, shoves Naito then hurdles, drops and DROPKICKS! Both men are down and the fans fire up! Naito and Drilla go to opposite corners, and Drilla runs corner to corner! Drilla blocks a boot but Naito SPITS!
Naito runs up, but into a SPINEBUSTER! Drilla horks up and SPITS a big one at Naito, then DOUBLE STOMPS! Cover, TWO!! Naito stays in this and Drilla is seething. Drilla slashes his throat and throws up the Too Sweet. Drilla drags Naito up, reels him in, but Naito fights the lift. Drilla ENZIGIRIS Naito, then gets him back up! Canadian Rack, but Naito arm-drags Drilla into the ref! The ref tumbles all the way out, Naito atomic drops Drilla and ENZIGIRIS! COMPLETE SHOT, and then PLUMA BLANCA!! Drilla endures, flails, is he tapping? But there’s no ref anyway! Wait, David Finlay rushes out here!
The Rebel taunts Naito while swinging the shillelagh! Naito lets Drilla go, only for JAKE LEE to show up!?! Talk about a CrossOver, the Good Looking Emperor is here in NJPW and he fires hands with Naito!! The fans are going nuts, but Naito gets the edge! Only for Jake to KNEE low! Jake puts Naito in a corner, takes aim, and runs in to HELLUVA KICK!!! Or as he calls it, #FaceBreakShot! Naito staggers into Drilla’s arms, for the DRILLA KILLA!!! Cover and the ref is back, Drilla wins!!
Winner: “Drilla” Dan Moloney, by pinfall
The Rebel gets the Madness Dark Side to help him screw over Naito, and now this series is all tied up again! But then Finlay & Drilla beat Naito down more! Jake steps in, and the War Dogs back away. Jake stands on Naito’s chest, then stomps away! Is Jake going to destroy Naito once and for all? But wait! Here comes Hiromu! The Ticking Timebomb ROCKS Jake, ROCKS Drilla, then fires off on Finlay! But then Drilla & Finlay mug Hiomru! They double whip, but Hiormu ducks ‘n’ dodges to DOUBLE SHOTGUN! Hiromu goes out after Finlay, but Drilla CLUBS Hiromu! They POST Hiromu, but what about the main event!?
Red Shoes hurries out here, the fans tell Jake and Drilla to go home. Jake literally kicks Naito out of the ring and then stands him up against railing. Jake gets space, takes aim again, and Finlay makes Hiromu watch the FACE BREAK SHOT that sends Naito into the front row!! The fans boo and tell Jake to go home. Jake smirks as he takes his leave with Drilla, the damage done. Is there an alliance between Jake’s Good Looking Guys and Finlay’s War Dogs? Is Naito just the first casualty of many?
As for Finlay and Hiromu, Finlay RAMS Hiromu into railing! And then RAMS him in again! Finlay RAMS Hiromu a third time, then he soaks up the heat. Red Shoes reprimands, but this isn’t officially a match yet. Finlay takes aim, he runs in, but Hiromu sends him into railing! Hiromu gets Finlay in, the bell rings, and it’s time to settle the score!
LIJ VS War Dogs Best of Five Series: Hiromu Takahashi VS David Finlay!
Hiromu fireman’s carries, CORNER DEATH VALLEY! Hiromu fireman’s carries again, but Finlay slips away! The fans rally for Hiromu as he eggs Finlay on. Finlay snarls, storms back up but Hiromu then SUNSET FLIPS! Finlay holds ropes to throw down hands! Hiromu staggers away, Finlay fireman’s carries him now! Finlay runs and THROWS Hiromu at a post! The fans boo while Finlay throws up the Too Sweet and taunts them all. Finlay leaves Hiromu behind, he tells the fans they look stupid, then he goes back to fetch Hiromu. Finlay slaps Hiromu around, drags him up, and throws him into the ring.
Finlay crawls to a cover but Red Shoes says nope, too many shenanigans. Finlay is upset, there were a lot of shenanigans both ways. But Finlay drags Hiromu up to suplex and TOSS Hiromu! Now things are fine and Finlay covers, TWO! Hiromu stays in this but Finlay mocks the “MOTO! MOTO!” Finlay whips Hiromu hard into a corner! Hiromu falls then crawls, and Finlay taunts him that it’s too easy. Finlay stalks Hiromu to another corner as the fans rally up, but Finlay makes Hiromu smile! Finlay says smile like Tsuji! Red Shoes reprimands, Finlay lets off, but then he drags Hiromu up to whip hard into another corner!
Hiromu staggers and falls out of the ring and Red Shoes checks him. Finlay waits on Hiromu while he writhes on the floor. Finlay mockingly says “Moto! Moto!” Red Shoes has Finlay stay back, and the ring count starts. Hiromu stands at 4 of 20 while Finlay lounges on the ropes. The fans rally, Hiromu rolls in at 10, but Finlay brings him back up. Finlay scoops and carries Hiromu around for a BACKBREAKER! Finlay says he’s strong AF, and then he kicks Hiromu around. Finlay mocks the fans chanting for Hiromu, and that makes them boo Finlay. Finlay pushes Hiromu around, so Hiromu CHOPS! And CHOPS!
Finlay dusts himself off, eggs Hiromu on, so Hiromu CHOPS again! Finlay felt that one so he knees low. Finlay runs, Hiromu follows, and Hiromu RANAS! The fans fire up while both men are down! Finlay flounders while Hiromu goes to ropes. Finlay runs up, but into a BOOT! Hiromu then has a HANGING HEADSCISSOR! Red Shoes counts, Hiromu lets go at 4 and he drags Finlay out to wheelbarrow FACEBUSTER to the floor! The fans rally up behind Hiromu and he goes to the apron. Hiromu aims as Finlay stands, FLYING SHOTGUN sends Finlay through the gate! The fans fire up with Hiromu as he pursues.
Hiromu smiles at TJP on English commentary, then gets a real “MOTO! MOTO! MOTO!” going. Hiromu gets Finlay up and in, and Finlay goes to a corner. Hiromu runs up to clothesline, snapmare and basement dropkick! Cover, TWO! Hiromu keeps his cool and he kicks Finlay around. Hiromu drags Finlay up, fireman’s carries, but Finlay fights free. Hiromu takes a swing, but Finlay catches him to an IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO! Hiromu survives but Finlay scoops him, for the SWINGING IRISH CURSE BACKBREAKER! Cover, TWO!! Hiromu survives again and Finlay grows frustrated.
Finlay mocks Yota Tsuji as he powers up and goes to the corner. Hiromu rises, Finlay flips him off, and steals GENE- TRIANGLE D!! Hiromu has Finlay caught and the fans fire up! Finlay flails, tries to stack Hiromu, but Hiromu squeezes tighter! Finlay is fading and the fans fire up! But Finlay gets a second wind, deadlifts Hiromu, and POWERBOMBS him down! Finlay is free of D, but both men are down as the fans rally again. Finlay drags Hiromu up, reels him in, and lifts, but Hiromu RANAS to a cover! TWO!! Finlay escapes, kicks low and whips, but Hiromu slips free of Deep Six to wheelbarrow and COMPLETE SHOT!
The fans fire up while Finlay flounders! But Finlay sneaks his shillelagh into the ring! The fans rally for Hiromu while Finlay hides the shillelagh under him. Hiromu rises, Finlay shields the shillelagh from Red Shoes but Red Shoes is suspicious. Red Shoes sees the weapon! Finlay shoves Red Shoes away and takes a swing, but Hiromu dodges! SUPERKICK! Hiromu takes the shillelagh now! The fans are torn, but then Hiromu plays like Finlay did hit him! Red Shoes isn’t sure who to believe, but Finlay really is innocent this time! Finlay argues with Red Shoes but fans boo to help sell Hiromu’s trick.
Hiromu then runs to HIROMU-CHAN BOMBER! And then fireman’s carry! TIMEBOMB 1.5! Cover, TWO! Finlay is still in this but the fans are still with Hiromu. Hiromu fireman’s carries again, but Finlay fights free. Hiromu elbows, runs, but into an UPPERCUT! Finlay runs, but into a SUPERKICK! HIROMU-CHAN BOMBER, but Finlay stays up! Hiromu runs again, but Finlay catches him spins him, ROLLING ELBOWS, then runs! Into a SUPERKICK! Finlay returns, for another SUPERKICK! Hiromu runs to HIROMU-CHAN BOMBER!! The fans are thunderous and Hiromu gets Finlay up, suplex and INTO OBLIVION!! Cover, TWO!!!
Finlay survives his own move but Hiromu won’t let that bother him! Hiromu drags himself up, dragon sleepers Finlay, but Finlay fights the suplex with knees! Finlay suplexes, but Hiromu knees free! Hiromu runs, but Finlay LARIATS! Finlay hauls Hiromu up, Canadian Rack, DOMINATOR!! Cover, TWO!!! Hiromu survives and the fans are thunderous! Finlay goes to a corner as he thinks on what to do next. Finlay storms over to Hiromu, says it’s over now, and he drags Hiromu back up. But Hiromu slips out of the bomb to tuck the arms! Finlay wrenches out, but into TRIANGLE D!! Finlay flails, CLUBS at Hiromu, but he’s fading again!
Red Shoes checks, the fans rally up, and Finlay fights to deadlift again! POWERBOMB, but Hiromu just holds onto D!! Finlay is fading, flailing, reaching out, but Hiromu squeezes tight! Finlay deadlifts again! BUCKLE BOMB, and INTO OBLIVION!!! Cover, TWO?!?!?! Hiromu survives again and Finlay is beside himself! The fans are electric as Finlay shakes his head. Hiromu sputters but Finlay brings down the kneepads. Finlay slashes his throat and vows to end this! Finlay drags Hiromu back up, suplexes, but Hiromu slip free! Hiromu wrenches, pump handles, HIROMU-CHAN ROLL!! TWO!!! Finlay escapes and Hiromu is frustrated!
Both men catch their breath while the fans rally as hard as they can. Hiromu grits his teeth, pounds the mat, and rises up. Hiromu hobbles over but Finlay UPPERCUTS! Hiromu comes back, into another UPPERCUT! And another UPPERCUT! And another! And another, and another! But Hiromu stays on his feet, even as Finlay UPPERCUTS again! And again! And again!! Hiromu won’t stop, but Finlay won’t, either! The fans rally and Finlay eggs Hiromu on. Hiromu runs in, into another UPPERCUT! UPPERCUT! UPPERCUT! Hiromu roars, runs, but into an UPPERCUT!! Hiromu drops to his knees, and Finlay says this is it!
Finlay suplexes, INTO OVERKILL!! Cover, Finlay wins!
Winner: David Finlay, by pinfall
Bullet Club War Dogs takes the best of five in the fifth and final round! It took much more than Finlay wanted, but Hiromu always gives it his all. Will the Timebomb be able to fire back up in time for the Best of the Super Juniors?
Wait, Drilla returns, and now the War Dogs mug Hiromu! But then Tsuji & Takagi return to run them off! The War Dogs egg them on and vice-versa, but then GABE KIDD runs in! He CLOBBERS Takagi, DECKS Tsuji, and the War Dogs beat up on LIJ! The fans boo but the War Dogs just keep stomping LIJ! Drilla stands Tsuji up for Finlay’s SHILLELAGH SHOT! Drilla gives Hiromu the DRILLA KILLA! Gabe hits Takagi with a PILEDRIVER! Drilla gets to hold on to the shillelagh so he can JAM Hiromu! Finlay gives Tsuji the OVERKILL!! The War Dogs stand tall over LIJ, but Finlay still gets the mic to talk.
“What have I been telling you people? I AM the Savage King! You all thought you saw cracks in my game, but that’s because I let you. You all thought you saw weakness in my War Dogs, but that’s because I let you. Time and time again, I have been steps ahead of everyone in this company. Time and time again, I have solved any problem that was put in our way. The only thing worse than fighting a man who knows how to hurt you is fighting a man who knows when. LIJ learned that tonight, didn’t they?” A young fan tells Finlay to shut up and the fans cheer the kid.
Finlay says you can strip him of championships, you can keep him from tournaments, but in the end, remember this: “HATE always finds a way!!” The Rebel has spoken, will he and his hateful War Dogs find a way to dominate all of NJPW whether we like it or not?
My Thoughts:
A great event for the Road to Wrestling Dontaku series. Great Six Man title match with Tanahashi’s team winning again, probably no more shots for House of Torture. Not really sure what House of Torture is supposed to do next, though. We’re seeing Narita go after Moxley and the IWGP World title, Jack Perry is technically back in AEW, Evil and Yujiro could try for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag titles but you know they’d lose to Bishamon. I’ve been thinking that House of Torture should join Jack in AEW for this stretch until Forbidden Door, have some interactions with The Young Bucks and Kazuchika Okada or something like that.
Really fun Best of 5 series, and it was hilarious that Yota beat Gedo so easily. Great wins for Gabe and Takagi going into their NEVER Openweight Championship match. For a moment, I thought LIJ was winning, given how badly the War Dogs beat up Naito with the help of their new pal, Jake Lee, a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and a big name in Pro-Wrestling NOAH. But then in the end, Finlay found a way to win against Hiromu, keeping him strong as he probably moves up from midcard titles to world title. If we go by the math, Takagi should win the NEVER Openweight title match, but it’d feed Gabe’s story better if he did get the title.
As for Hiromu, he probably gets a strong showing in Best of the Super Juniors, but since his streak of tournament championships was broken, who knows if he gets another one or if he puts someone else over.
My Score: 8.8/10
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A high risk Collision!
Mitchell’s WWE SmackDown Results & Report! (4/19/24)
Prepare for Backlash!
