Andrew’s NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya Results & Match Ratings: 1.30.2021

New Japan did take a few interesting steps in the lead up, between a tag match time limit draw, weaponry and pride used to change stipulations, but the buzz is considerable low for this show. Aside from the main event, but that was sold off the competitors and didn’t really need any help.

Shingo Takagi and Hiroshi Tanahashi battling it out for the NEVER Openweight Title is big news. Especially if Ibushi gets his way and combines the Intercontinental and Heavyweight; that means the NEVER or United States would have to be elevated.

Does the NEVER get the head start on proving it can be a number 2 belt in the company?

Ratings:

• Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL w/Dick Togo: Yano wins via Rollup @7:46 – **
• LIJ (SANADA, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs Kota Ibushi, SHO, Tomoaki Honma & Master Wato: SHO wins via Shock Arrow @11:32 – ** ½
• Loser Can No Longer Use Mongolian Chops: Great O-Khan vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan: O-Khan wins via Dominator @12:45 – *** ¼
• No DQ: Satoshi Kojima vs Will Ospreay: Ospreay wins via Stormbreaker @16:57 – *** ¾
• NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi: Tanahashi wins via High Fly Flow @35:40 – ***** – TITLE CHANGE!!!

Results:

Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL w/Dick Togo

So Okada opens things up to try and coerce EVIL into a singles match. This whole thing was EVIL trying to only take advantageous moments, with Dick Togo and Yujiro doing most of the real work. Yano did his usual shtick, so we knew how this would end up.

Lots of shenanigans between Yano and Dick Togo interfering often. The match ends with Yano pointing out Togo having the Pimp Cane, ref distraction, pushing Yujiro into Togo, Low Blow, Rollup. Well I guess Okada wins, so EVIL should grant him the singles match….soon enough.

LIJ (SANADA, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI) vs Kota Ibushi, SHO, Tomoaki Honma & Master Wato

BUSHI and Wato start, which helps out Wato since you can tell he’s still all butterflies when the matches get big. After the initial back and forth, Honma comes in to get his ass kicked by everyone and their baby sister.

We got a few glimmers of SANADA and Ibushi, with SANADA trying to put Ibushi in the Paradise Lock, Ibushi fights off and we don’t see the embarrassing spot on our new Capital G God. SHO doesn’t do a ton with Hiromu, but he sends the message after hitting the Powerbreaker on BUSHI and then finishing things with Shock Arrow while staring down the Junior Champion.

Solid enough, but there wasn’t a ton of extra work to be done, outside of getting Wato more reps in because he gets exposed when the stage gets big.

Loser Can No Longer Use Mongolian Chops: Great O-Khan vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan

Not gonna lie, El Phantasmo being on English commentary for this show is pretty damn awesome. He’s a great heel commentator.

O-Khan charges up the ramp to attack Tenzan before the entrance is over, but Tenzan catches him with a Shoulder Block and we get a Pier 6 Brawl. We saw a few bigger moves from the turnbuckles from Tenzan, to get across the importance of this match. Aside from Avalanche Mongolian Chop he also hit the Avalanche Knee Drop straight into the back of O-Khan’s head.

There was the expected Mongolian Chop off, which Tenzan seemed to usually get the best of, but O-Khan just had more in the tank. Brainbusters and Anaconda Vice couldn’t keep O-Khan down. Tenzan tried to re-fire after getting insulted by O-Khan using the TTD again; O-Khan catches the charging Tenzan and finishes him with the Dominator.

No DQ: Satoshi Kojima vs Will Ospreay

A big story through this match was really every time Ospreay tried to introduce new weapons, they got turned around on him more often than not. Early on getting Backdropped through a trash can, then Kojima lariated Ospreay off the top rope through a broken ladder he had draped earlier in the match.

The ladder spot was huge since Ospreay wasn’t moving even at 12, but Kojima stopped the count because he wanted to inflict more punishment. Kojima with a Brainbuster on chairs, a Koji Cutter, but every time he went for the Cozy Lariat without the elbow pad, Ospreay found a way to duck it. Ospreay finishes his dodging with throwing a chair at Kojima, then running his elbow into the chair, following with Hidden Blade and then Stormbreaker.

Ospreay bumped hard, this was a really fun match and the fact that Ospreay won off of a last second surge of adrenaline after getting screwed by his own match stipulation made for an entertaining story.

NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

This had a great build with Tanahashi employing his strategy early. He started chipping away at Shingo legs with Dropkicks, Dragon Screws and generally trying to take away the power base of Takagi. In typical Shingo fashion though, he remains defiant and stubborn. Going for Death Valley Drivers, Made in Japan, Pumping Bombers and continuing his power game, hampered however, not ineffective.

Shingo sells his legs wonderfully with hitches in the giddy up, stumbles and double clutches on catching Tanahashi. Tana almost had Shingo dead to rights when he locked in the Cloverleaf, but hitting the High Fly Flow to the prostrate Takagi jarred some life back into him, so the Ace missed the second High Fly Flow.

This was a war, also the longest NEVER championship match in the history of the title. Lariat trades, strike trades, great fighting spirit and strong style from both men. Tanahashi counters Last of the Dragon with a Slingblade, hits one High Fly Flow followed by a Dragon Suplex Hold, but Shingo kicks out. So the Ace goes up once more, hits the finish and wins the NEVER Openweight Championship!

Great show of respect after by Shingo and both immediately motion for 1 more match between them.

Overall Score: 8/10

Well New Japan has been in a weird spot since the build for Wrestle Kingdom wasn’t lauded, but many of the matches were. This has a similar feel where the lead up for the matches seemed generally uninteresting (hence no coverage of the Road to shows), but damn did this pay off. Between ELP being an amazing heel commentator, Tenzan and Kojima showing up in their bigger matches and getting a Tanahashi air guitar concert after a MOTY contender match. Hot damn, this paid off where it needed to and then some.

TenCozy eating both loses does great to establish the United Empire as a force, but also made the veterans look good in defeat (Kojima more than Tenzan). Should be fun to watch Tenzan or a partner catch him mid wind up for Mongolian Chops since he can’t do those anymore. Also should be interesting to see who the United Empire set their sights on next. Possibly the Tekkers if they lose their rematch?

Of course the main event stole the show. Shingo proves why he’s so good and Tanahashi shows he’s not completely washed up yet. I enjoyed this because Shingo carried parts of the match which took it away from the usual Tanahashi style. So the fact there was a give and take in who was leading in the dance, made it much more fun to help prove Tanahshi isn’t done yet.

Damn good show, amazing main event. Great start to the New Beginning shows!