Andrew’s NJPW Sengoku Lord Results & Match Ratings 7.25.20

Sengoku Lord, started as a promotional title for the Sengoku Enbu mobile game, hell some of us may remember when Ryusuke Taguchi portrayed Sengoku Enbu for a while back in 2018. So even though it’s not considered a big show historically, these have been elevated, and this card looks solid.

With how they’ve build Shingo’s newest challenge, Yujiro trying to drag down Okada and Hiromu trying to deal with family betrayal…this is a heavy storyline show.

OH! Before we jump into the show, New Japan showed this new graphic for NJPW Strong, a show on Friday’s at 10 eastern, on NJPWWORLD.com. No clue what exactly it is…but it could be interesting.

Now on to the show!

Ratings:

• Yuya Uemura vs Taiji Ishimori: Ishimori wins via Yes Lock @8:00 – **
• Toru Yano, Gabriel Kidd & Tomohiro Ishii vs Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi: Makabe wins via German Suplex Hold @10:25 – ***
• SANADA, BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito vs SHO, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto: SANADA wins via Skull End @10:30 – ** 1/2
• Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs DOUKI, Taichi, ZSJ, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Minoru Suzuki: Ibushi wins via Kamigoye @12:55 – ** 1/4 
• Yujiro Takahashi vs Kazuchika Okada: Okada wins via Cobra Clutch @13:45 – ***
• NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs El Desperado: Shingo retains via Last of the Dragon @17:05 – ****
• IWGP Intercontinental & Heavyweight Double Gold Match: Hiromu Takahashi vs EVIL (c): EVIL retains via Everything is Evil @33:55 – **** 1/4

Results:

Yuya Uemura vs Taiji Ishimori

Aside from Yuya wavering during a Springboard Crossbody (he saved it, but it was noticeably almost a botch), the match wasn’t offensive. The main problem with the match is the fact that these two are very clunky together. Everything looked to take an extra second or a lot of double clutching or mishandling of sequences. Not saying it always needs to be smooth, but extra time or extra attempts at grabbing an arm break immersion as much as a Triple Lindy off the balcony.

So the match never looked overly competitive, even when Taiji got caught a few times. Glad it was the opener.

Toru Yano, Gabriel Kidd & Tomohiro Ishii vs Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima & Ryusuke Taguchi

Well Gabriel Kidd going right after Makabe made this match more interesting than it had any rights to be. Taguchi and Yano added their usual comedy effects, hell Taguchi actually got the Double Irish Whip into his Butt play to go off without a hitch. So it was just a surprising match all around.

Since it started around Makabe and Kidd, it ended with those two, and the Young Lion brought it fairly well to the Unchained Gorilla. He had a few decent upset spots, and even got the advantage in a few strike exchanges. Eventually though, he just pissed off Makabe too much, so he put the young wrestler in his place.

After the match Makabe stared down Kidd for a while. Kidd fought back to his feet to continue to be defiant, and it seems like Makabe challenged him to a singles match to prove himself. That could be interesting.

SANADA, BUSHI & Tetsuya Naito vs SHO, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto

Well, this was a match. SANADA got to be cute with the Paradise Lock, which he hasn’t really done a lot since the return from hiatus. As for the rest of the match, sure it wasn’t bad, but there’s not much to work with. Maybe we’ll see Goto and Naito work toward something, maybe YOSHI-HASHI will try to prove himself in the future with a win over Naito or something. But for now…this did nothing really.

IF it did anything, it just makes me wonder what they’re doing with SHO since YOH is injured. After taking Shingo to his limit for the NEVER Openweight title, SHO gets tapped out by Skull End. So I’m not sure if this is their way of trying to keep him in the Junior Division by having him pick up losses to heavyweights.

Match was decent enough to get us to intermission, but nothing special. Though after the match Naito continues to abuse the referee and even SANADA attacks him a little. So it gets the point across that even though they are fan favorites, LIJ is not a face stable.

Video package hypes up Summer Battle in Jingu Stadium on August 29th. Only the second time they’ve done a show there, and the first time since 1999.

Master Wato, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs DOUKI, Taichi, ZSJ, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Minoru Suzuki

Okay, unpack the cluster time! ZSJ and Taichi are still saying that Tanahashi isn’t a worthy partner for a challenge, so this is of course furthering that storyline. Wato has had his issues with DOUKI and Kanemaru, with Kanemaru getting the better of him. Suzuki wants a one on one fight with Nagata, and the grandpa throwdown is the best thing in this match. Tenzan made the save for Wato when he was getting jumped, so Tenzan is basically along for the ride to watch Wato’s back.

Much like the stories, Nagata versus Suzuki is what we all want. Their constant ignoring of everyone else, and everyone letting them just hit each other, is the most entertaining portion of the past tag matches. Interactions with Taichi/ZSJ and Tanahashi/Ibushi are fun, but a little played out already. Wato is getting build as a decent mid carder or eventual Junior threat. This match really just suffered from clunky spots and bad pacing.

There was a stacked Senton spot for Tanahashi, where Kanemaru was ontop of Taichi, and it looked like Tana kinda missed. A lot of the everyone slide in and get your crap in moments seemed awkward and off by a few beats. While it was still entertaining for the story implications, the match was a forgettable cluster.

Yujiro Takahashi vs Kazuchika Okada

Yujiro came out with a believable plan to try and drag Okada down to his level. A decent bit of powdering to lure out the Rainmaker, gave a few openings to Yujiro. This was a much slower match than we’ve come to expect from Okada, but at the points Yujiro was leading, it makes sense. His offense has never been very high energy since adopting the Tokyo Pimp persona.

Yujiro did counter the Cobra Clutch a few times by biting Okada’s hand, so that was clever and falls into kit perfectly. Gedo did try to get involved with the wrench, which allowed Yujiro to hit Okada with the Pimp cane, and then Miami Shine…but only for two. There were a few teases to Pimp Juice, and Yujiro got closer than I think most of us were expecting, but Okada winning was pretty widely anticipated.

One of Yujiro’s better matches in a few years, but that’s also not saying much.

NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs El Desperado

Desperado continued his plan from New Japan Road, and focused on Shingo’s left knee. Dragon Screws, Knee Breakers, Chairs to the knee, Stretch Mufflers, Indian Deathlocks…all of Despy’s offense was focused on the injured leg and trying to take the base away from the power fighter. It was a great plan, that Despy played into really well through the match.

Shingo’s selling is amazing, where he knows how to sell awkward movements in the ring, he sent a message to Desperado early in the match when he had him in the ropes, blocked a kick, grabbed both legs and Double Dragon Screwed Despy from the ropes to the mat. This was fun to watch since it told a great story of Desperado trying to methodically cripple the champion, while peppering in cheating tactics, with Shingo fighting from underneath most of the match.

He only needed to hit it once, and once he did, Shingo retained the title after Last of the Dragon. The beauty in this match is Shingo’s ability to sell the injury and the story. Always making sure to sit out on certain moves, to alleviate pain on his knee, leaning to the good side to carry the burden of weight and moving around the ring, sometimes scooting around the ring, because he really couldn’t move well. Desperado did well, but these last few matches really help to get across how fantastic Shingo is at everything.

IWGP Intercontinental & Heavyweight Double Gold Match: Hiromu Takahashi vs EVIL (c)

Hiromu cuts deep immediately as he comes out with the jacket that EVIL was holding while he was injured. So that tells you exactly where his head’s at with how betrayed he feels. EVIL continues to not go back into Awesome Kong’s closet, so he looks much better. Dick Togo comes out as his second, looking really sharp. White suit, black shirt, plum tie, shades and a black beret…they come off like a meme with a dad trying to teach the kid about fashion, but the kid just learned about Hot Topic. Personally amusing, but it brought my interest up immediately.

As for the match, it built slowly in a beautiful way. EVIL controlled a little bit of the early goings, including hitting his Homerun Chairshot, but Hiromu started building momentum. It seemed like Hiromu was pulling a lot of inspiration from all over the place. After countering a Darkness Falls attempt on the apron, Hiromu hits the Death Valley Driver on the apron. This was a great turning point, where even the fans in attendance became more animated.

After a big Senton to the outside that wiped out two Young Lions and EVIL, Dick Togo starts making his presence felt more often. Hiromu dispatches him nearly every time and starts surprising EVIL. Hiromu counters Everything is Evil is The D, a Wheelbarrow Flatliner, Victory Royal, Dragon Sleeper and generally hitting a beautifully frenetic pace. Landing Time Bomb and Time Bomb #2, it looked like Hiromu was going to actually do it; but Dick Togo pulls Red Shoes out of the ring after the two count.

From there EVIL and Dick (kek, Evil Dick…okay I’ll be an adult) hit the Magic Killer, Dick goes to the top rope, most likely to hit his Diving Senton, but Hiromu pushes EVIL into the rope to have Dick land on his…well…you know. The last glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished by EVIL hitting a low blow, Darkness Falls and then Everything is Evil.

Hiromu brought all the fight and then some that EVIL could handle, and EVIL needed a good bit of help to stop the “little brother” of his former group. Afterwards, Taiji Ishimori picks the bones and makes his challenge to Hiromu for the Junior title…and Naito eventually comes out to stop the beatdown and challenge EVIL under the pretext of “okay you had your fun, time for me to take them back”.

Overall Score: 7.25/10

The last two matches were great, and if it wasn’t for the excessive, though expected, interference, that match would’ve been much higher rated. For a show that basically has stayed on the tour because of crossover promotion with a mobile card game, this was a damn solid show. Shingo has to be an early front runner for MVP at least through Tokyo Sports, if not most other places. EVIL is doing a great job with his character progression and telling stories with his matches, instead of focusing on breakneck workrate.

Okada recently said in an interview that he doesn’t have any designs on the double championship because he feels it diminishes the prestige of the Heavyweight championship. So maybe, if Taichi and ZSJ really double down on not accepting Tanahashi’s challenge; maybe we get Ibushi/Okada as a possible challenge? Plus all of the other threads from the 10 man do bode well for future stories and tours leading toward the G1 Climax.

With the announcement of a new Friday show on NJPWWORLD and the Jingu Stadium show…it’s a good time to pay attention to New Japan.