This is the big rematch from the G1 Climax. That night, Ishii and Omega had another classic encounter with Ishii pulling the big win against the World Champion. Now, a month plus later, Ishii gets his opportunity to become the IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Looking at the card, there isn't much else going on except a NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship Match. So, as I have done with other house shows and with the G1, I am going to focus more on the top few matches. But I will do my best to provide some detail on the undercard.
Here's the card:
- KUSHIDA, Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO, YOH & Rocky Romero)
- Toa Henare vs. Bad Luck Fale**
- Michael Elgin and Ayato Yoshida vs. Killer Elite Squad
- Will Ospreay and Best Friends vs. Bullet Club Elite (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, and Kota Ibushi)
- NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship
Bullet Club OGs (Guerrillas of Destiny and Taiji Ishimori)(c) vs. Taguchi Japan ( Ryusuke Taguchi, David Finlay, and Juice Robinson)
- Gedo, Hirooki Goto, and Toru Yano vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- Los Ingobernables De Japon (Naito, EVIL, SANADA, BUSHI) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., TAKA Michinoku, and El Desperado)
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Great Bash Heel (Honma and Makabe) vs. Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, and Jay White
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Let's Do This...
1) KUSHIDA, Tiger Mask & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO, YOH & Rocky Romero)
- YOH and Liger start us off. The past facing off against hopefully the future. Liger is still amazing. Having watched the first Nitro from 1995 recently, I can tell you that he hasn't missed too many steps.
- RPG 3K worked as heels for most of the match with Liger having to fight out of a triple team (including using a SHOTEI!) before tagging in KUSHIDA.
- Sho with an impressive maneuver getting KUSHIDA up deadlifting him into a spinning gutwrench powerbomb.
- Tiger Mask gets triple teamed by RPG 3K. Tiger Mask gets help from his partners and eventually puts away Rocky Romero with a Tiger Bomb and a Tiger Suplex.
Winners: Tiger Mask, Jushin Liger, and KUSHIDA
Match Grade: C. Decent enough opener. There wasn't much to really enjoy out of this other than enjoying the greatness that is Liger at 53 still doing great things. He is the Ric Flair of NJPW... and by that, I mean timeless.
2) Toa Henare vs. Bad Luck Fale
- Henare jumps Fale before he enters the ring. The bell rings. (No ring announcer bump tonight.) Henare tries to clothesline Fale down to no effect. He goes after the knee of Fale to chop him down. But Fale only goes to one knee. A shoulder tackle doesn't even do it. Henare goes off the top with another shoulder tackle and finally gets Fale down for a 2 count.
- BUT Henare makes a mistake of trying to pick up Fale. Fale splashes him in the corner, inverts him with a big clothesline, and nails the Grenade for the 3.
Winner: Bad Luck Fale
Match Grade: C. This match was short and harmless. But it wasn't that great while it lasted. Still, it made Fale look like a monster and Henare like a young rookie making critical errors. So, storytelling wise, this worked.
3) Michael Elgin and Ayato Yoshida vs. Killer Elite Squad
- KES spends a good deal of the match beating up Yoshida. Kevin Kelly puts this over as aggression over being on the shelf for 5 months, getting angrier and angrier about not being in the Tag Team Championship picture.
- Yoshida kicks out of an impressive double team popup powerslam by KES. Little things like that add up to make someone look good even in defeat.
- BIG MIKE gets the tag and goes to work on KES with a good mix of power moves and strong style.
- Yoshida gets the tag back in and faces off with Davey Boy Smith Jr. (DBS Jr. looks like his father more and more with each passing year.)
- Smith hits the powerslam (ala his father) for a 2 before Elgin breaks it up. He gets one of his own. Seconds later, the Killer Bomb hits from KES for the pin on Yoshida.
Winners: KES
Match Grade: C. Again, another average match here. KES is an underrated tag team, and I hope to see more of them going forward.
After the match, KES beats up some Young Boys. I mean, come on. They're Suzuki-Gun. Suzuki would beat up KES for not beating those kids up.
4) Will Ospreay and Best Friends vs. Bullet Club Elite (Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, and Kota Ibushi)
- Funny stories being told on both sides in the early going. Ospreay tries to get a hug from the Best Friends, who only give him a pat on the shoulders. Meanwhile, Yujiro and Chase try to get Ibushi to do a Triple Team, but Ibushi waves it off. (Ibushi is the one guy in Bullet Club Elite who tries to play by the rules 24/7.)
- We get another great sequence between Ibushi and Ospreay in the middle of this match. CAN WE PLEASE GET THIS MATCH? Or is NJPW afraid our brains might explode in the presence of its awesomeness?
- It's funny. When I was a kid, whenever someone floated over the top turnbuckle to land on their feet, I would think "Ah. That's like Ric Flair." Now, when Baretta gets thrown on the top turnbuckle, sits down, and flips back into the ring, I think "That's the Shawn Michaels spot!" In 20 years, when someone comes out and keeps winning despite getting booed mercilessly, I will think "Hey. That's the Roman Reigns spot!"
- DUDE BUSTER leads to a 3 for Ospreay and The Best Friends.
Winners: The Best Friends/Will Ospreay
Match Grade: B-. That's for the two fun stories being told on both sides and the great interactions between Ospreay and Ibushi. IF Omega and The Bucks leave NJPW, I want this in a main event match in New Japan going forward.
5) NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship
Bullet Club OGs (Guerrillas of Destiny and Taiji Ishimori)(c) vs. Taguchi Japan ( Ryusuke Taguchi, David Finlay, and Juice Robinson)
- Funny entrance by Taguchi Japan. They were all dressed as Rugby players, and Taguchi kept throwing the football into the front row for fans to throw back to him. Lol.
Taguchi and Ishimori start us off here. Taguchi with kicks to Ishimori in the corner and a little Rikishi Stinkface action. Ishimori and Taguchi dodge a bunch of each other's moves, and we have a standoff. They're now doing a pec off. Tags to Loa and Juice for each man. Juice and Loa collide in the center in a shoulder tackle. Arm drag and dropkick by Juice. Tag to Finlay who legdrops Loa. Tag back to Juice who jumps off the top with a double axhandle. Juice does the jabs to Loa and hits a spinebuster. Clotheslines in the corner to Loa. CANNONBALL. Battering Ram (with Taguchi wearing the Rugby helmet) by the other two men on each of the BG OG wrestlers, except Loa. Loa throws Juice in the way of the third Battering Ram.
Juice is thrown over the top to the outside, smacking against the rails. Loa bodyslams Juice on the outside which gets a thunderous sound. Back in the ring (5 minutes now), Loa tags in Tonga. Tonga works on Juice with a flying back elbow for a 2. Tag to Ishimori. Neck snap by Ishimori. Tag back to Loa. Loa hits an impressive delayed vertical suplex for a 2 count (Taguchi broke it up). Tag to Tonga. STINGER SPLASH by Tonga. Tonga goes to hit Taguchi in the corner, hurts his hand against the helmet, and gets backdropped.
Tag to Taguchi. Funky Weapon Hip Attack misses. Tag to Loa. Double headbutt to the head of Taguchi hurts the Tongans since Taguchi still has the helmet on. Hip attacks to all three of the BG OGs in the ring now. Taguchi tags in Finlay. Triple team attack to Loa in the corner. Multiple clotheslines, elbows, and hip attacks in the corner. They ram Loa into Taguchi's ... hips... in the corner for a 2. BC OGs throw out Taguchi and Juice and begin working on Finlay. Random attacks by all six men on the other. Finlay rolls up Loa for a 2.8. Stunner blocked by Loa who hits APE.... (Rikishi Driver). 1-2-3. Champs retain.
Winner: BC OGs (Still Champs)
Match Grade: B-. This wasn't a bad match. Fast paced and plenty of action. This is the type of insanity you would expect from a competitive six man tag match.
6) Gedo, Hirooki Goto, and Toru Yano vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Match get started once Goto gets attacked by Taichi while coming into the ring. They work on the outside while Iizuka and Yano go back and forth. Eventually Goto, Gedo, and Yano triple team Iizuka. Then, Taichi and Goto continue to brawl on the outside. All six men are brawling on the outside now. Taichi takes a guard rail and chokes Goto with it. Iizuka attacks Gedo now in the ring. Taichi gets tagged in and continues the assault on Gedo. He tags back in Iizuka who gets the muzzle taken off. He now starts biting Gedo. Now, he's trying to bite the ref, Yano, and Goto. He's even biting Gedo's boot when he tries to kick him. Now, he's biting Gedo's fingers and choking Gedo's throat with a rope. Gedo gets Iizuka off of him and superkicks him.
Goto gets tagged in as does Taichi. Goto gets Taichi with a clothesline. Running spin kick and a Saito Suplex by Goto for a 2. Taichi thumbs the eyes and nails a clothesline. Taichi catches Goto with a front enziguri. Goto has a cut on his head. Double team attack by Kanemaru and Iizuka on Goto. Taichi hits a buzzsaw kick for a 2 broken up by Gedo. Suplex battle by Kanemaru and Goto. Ushigaroshe. Thrust kick by Gedo. GTR! 1-2... Taichi kicks the refereee and attacks Goto with the mic stand. He's softening him up for the title match on Monday. DQ is called.
Winner: Goto, Gedo, and Yano (DQ)
Match Grade: D-. This just didn't work for me as a match or for the storyline. This has just been rinse and repeat with this match and this storyline for a week now. It was just put together to advance a storyline, and I don't think anything really changed after this match.
Last Ride PowerBomb to Goto by Taichi and attacks to the Young Boys for trying to break it up.
7) Los Ingobernables De Japon (Naito, EVIL, SANADA, BUSHI) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., TAKA Michinoku, and El Desperado)
I love Suzuki's entrance. It's so simple but engaging at the same time. He walks to the ring like he's ready to destroy someone, and you believe it. The fans know he's a rule-breaker and a heel, but they continue to cheer the man nonetheless because they know he's a shoot badass. Taka gives us the always-fun introduction for Zack Sabre Jr. "BUSHI, SANADA, EVIL, y NAITO, LIJ, COME OVER HERE!!!"
And here they come! And Naito's got the business suit on. He's all business tonight. Classic entrance for LIJ (just wish Hiromu were around to be part of it). Suzuki is just waiting to pounce on Naito as soon as he goes through the ropes. Naito gets through the ropes and his entrance without a beatdown. Shocker. Naito turns his back to take off the entrance gear, and... THERE'S THE SNEAK ATTACK! I would have been disappointed if Suzuki hadn't done that. Lol.
Naito and Suzuki are the focus of the camera now as they are fighting on the outside of the ring. Suzuki whipped into the guard rail. Back in the ring, double dropkick by Sanada on Desperado and Sabre. Paradise Lock on Taka and Desperado. Tag to EVIL. Evil attacks Desperado, and he tags in Naito. Double team rollup into a dropkick by Sanada and Naito. Naito with a reverse surfboard on Desperado. Tag to Bushi who gets a dropkick off the second rope and a BUSHI-ROONI!!!! Bushi gets attacked by Suzuki who traps the arm and does his over the top rope armbar. Suzuki and Naito are fighting up the entrance ramp. Snapmare by Suzuki and a RUNNING PK!!! Bushi gets rammed into the rail by the English Announce Team by Desperado. Suzuki has a chair and gets Naito in the gut with it. Naito is put on the chair, and Suzuki just kicks Naito sending him falling back over the chair. Now, Suzuki is resting on the chair mocking Naito with his own Tranquilo type pose.
Back in the ring, Sabre and Taka tag back in and out attacking Bushi. Suzuki tags in to torture Bushi. Bushi with thunderous chops on Suzuki who no sells it and knocks over Bushi. Armbar and twist by Suzuki. Naito walks in and just spits at Suzuki's face. Then he rakes his boot over his face. They're brawling in the ring despite Naito not being legal. Slingshot Dropkick blocked by Suzuki. They're fighting on the apron. Gotch Style Piledriver blocked by Naito. Suzuki blocks a neckbreaker on the apron. Suzuki now choking Naito on the apron. He refuses to let go! He hung him like on a noose with Naito's legs flopping in the air. Naito falls to the ground. Suzuki tags in Sabre.
Sabre continues to work on Bushi now. Suzuki is still stalking Naito who is on the ground recovering. Ankle lock by Sabre on Bushi now, who hits an enziguri to Sabre. And he nails another one to a running Sabre. Tag to Evil. Evil fights off a triple team with a flurry of offense. Suzuki continues to stalk Naito on the floor. Sabre chops down Evil with a low kick to the leg and a PK kick. Arm twist by Sabre. EVIL rakes the eyes, puts Sabre's leg in the ref's hands, and hits a gut kick to Sabre. Running Clothesline. Darkness Falls countered into an Octopus Lock. Evil gets to the ropes. Tag to Taka. Quadruple Team by Suzuki-Gun. Naito is back in the ring and breaks up a submission hold by Taka. Suzuki grabs Naito and gets a sleeper hold refusing to let go. Sanada, Bushi, and Evil triple team Taka, but Suzuki only cares about torturing Naito. Bushi nails a suicide dive to Desperado on the outside while Suzuki again refuses to let go of his sleeper hold. MAGIC KILLER by EVIL and Sanada. Evil gets the pinfall for his team.
Winner: LIJ
Match Grade: B. This was a fun match. Again, whenever these two teams go at it, it's awesome. This was no different. And the attention given to Suzuki and Naito definitely increased my anticipation of the big match on Monday.
After the match, a bunch of Young Boys are trying to pull Suzuki off Naito. And they succeed. Back in the ring, Sabre and EVIL are in each other's face. Suzuki pounces back on Naito to get a sleeper in. The Young Boys again pull Suzuki off. They bring a stretcher out for Naito. Naito refuses to be taken out. He instead decides to walk back with help from his LIJ colleagues.
8) Hiroshi Tanahashi & Great Bash Heel (Honma and Makabe) vs. Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, and Jay White
Tanahashi and Okada continue to build towards their big rematch at the end of this tour with Tanahashi putting up his title shot at Wrestle Kingdom in the attempt to FINALLY pin Okada. It's been almost 4 years since Tanahashi last beat Okada, and Tanahashi wants to beat Okada before he goes on to main event Wrestle Kingdom.
Tanahashi and Okada start us off again here. Thunderous "Tanahashi" chant. Jay White tags himself in before anything even happens. White says "Why do you always get to start? I BEAT YOU!" to Okada. Good heel heat for White. Hair pull by White during a tie-up. Chops in the corner by White followed by an uppercut. White walks into a back elbow followed by a springboard backwards body press. Tanahashi gets White in the corner and tags in Honma. Honma works on White. Shoulder tackle. Chop. Chop. Bodyslam by Honma. He misses the headbutt fall.
White throws Tanahashi back and forth... ribs first into the apron, back first into the rail. White drags Honma into the corner and tags in HASHI despite the fact that Okada wanted the tag. Chops by Honma to Hashi who chops down Honma. Back in the corner, Okada gets tagged in. Okada goes to work on Honma with kicks in the corner. Slam by Okada and a slingshot senton follows up. Tag to White by Okada (reluctantly, I might add). BIG CHOP by White to Honma. Honma trying to fight off, but White fights back. But a flying headbutt by Honma out of the corner to White gets him down. Makabe is tagged in.
Makabe hits a big powerslam on White. Clothesline in the corner. White gets out of the way and tags in Okada (who isn't exactly ready). Running clothesline in the corner and a standing ten punch by Makabe. Big clothesline lariat by Makabe for a 2. Backdrop out of a piledriver position by Okada. Okada with a back elbow into the corner and a DDT on Makabe for a 2. Okada tries to Tombstone Makabe, but Makabe gets out and knocks down Okada. Tanahashi gets tagged in. TWIST AND SHOUT by Tanahashi! SLING BLADE! 1-2-Yoshi-Hashi breaks it up. Tanahashi climbs up, but he gets met on the corner with a dropkick by Okada. Tombstone avoided by Tanahashi, but he couldn't avoid the dropkick by Okada. Okada tags in Yoshi-Hashi. Headhunter by Yoshi-Hashi. Big chop in the corner. White's got a chair and is ordering Hashi to use it in front of the referee. Tanahashi runs White off the apron and hits a Dragon Screw on Hashi's leg. 3-1 attack by Tanahashi's team. Honma gets the falling headbutt on White. Tanahashi climbs up, but White throws Tanahashi off before High Fly Flow.
Okada and Hashi work on Tanahashi. Okada accidentally hits Hashi with a big boot. He gets held down while Tanahashi rolls up Yoshi-Hash for a 3. Okada tries to explain himself to Yoshi-Hashi, but Hashi doesn't want to hear it. Wow.
Winner: Tanahashi, Honma, and Makabe
Match Grade: C. This was much more about the storyline than it was about an actual match. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not something to go out of your way to see. CHAOS continues to disintegrate slowly. (Maybe we're getting White vs. Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 13.)
9) IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Ibushi comes out with Omega. Omega shows off the title to Ishii before the match. The bell rings...
Omega and Ishii stare off in the center of the ring. Ibushi has joined the Japanese Announce Team for the match. Collar and Elbow tie up by both men. They both break it up. Another one. Headlock by Omega. Ishii throws him off. Shoulder tackle. No one falls down. Another one. No one goes down. Eye rakes by Omega. Ishii knocks down Omega. Drop toe hold by Omega. Fast paced action and misses by both men. Forearm exchanges by both men. DDT by Omega.
Kick to the back of Ishii by Omega. Another one. Neckbreaker by Omega gets a 2. Chinlock on Ishii, pulling on his neck. 5 minutes have passed. Omega continues to attack and kick Ishii. Ishii psyches up after getting rammed head first into the corner. Omega knocks him back down and kicks him in the corner, choking him on the bottom rope. Ishii thrown into another corner. Flying back elbow by Omega, but Ishii catches Omega running and hits a big powerslam. Big chop by Ishii x 3. Forearms and chops by Ishii in rapid succession. Omega gets Ishii up. You Can't Escape, but Ishii gets out of the way of the moonsault part. Snap Rana by Omega sends Ishii to the outside. Rise of the Terminator CONNECTS! Love that dive. Kenny asks for the replay to the cameraman, and Kenny gets it. Lol.
Both men back in the ring, and Omega hits the Kotaro Crusher. He signals for the V-Trigger, but Ishii gets right up and fires forearms. Ishii runs into a big boot, but Ishii gets right back up and dumps Omega to the outside!!! Ishii throws Omega into the rail. BIG CHOPS by Ishii now to Omega. Omega fires back with another couple chops. Back and forth chops. (Side note: I have headphones on while watching this. These chops are SICK!) Omega tells the English Announcers to move!!!! (10 minutes have passed.) Ishii and Omega continue to brawl. Omega goes for the Rail Moonsault, but Ishii gets him on his shoulders. Omega fights out. ISHII WITH A SICK SNAP SUPLEX ON OMEGA ON THE FLOOR!!! Ishii throws Omega back in. Omega dropkicks Ishii back off the apron to the floor. Another one by Omega sends Ishii back into the guard rail. Omega goes back out after Ishii. Omega puts Ishii on the table. He's smacking Ishii with chops and shots to the head. Omega climbs back in the ring. Oh My God! OMEGA SPRINGBOARDS OFF THE TOP ROPE, DIVES, AND NAILS ISHII WITH A DOUBLE STOMP CRACKING ISHII AND THE TABLE IN THE PROCESS!!!! Ishii is screaming in pain!!! Omega goes back in the ring and the count is on. Ishii gets back up and gets back in the ring at 18.8.
Suplex into the Knee by Omega on Ishii. Omega misses the V-Trigger. Ishii gets a Saito Suplex on Omega. Chops in the corner by Ishii on Omega. Omega spits back at Ishii. Chops to the throat by Ishii now. 15 minutes have passed. Omega throws Ishii into one corner, but Ishii rams at Omega with a shoulder tackle sending Omega flying back into the corner. LAST RIDE STACK POWERBOMB for a 2 by Ishii. Sliding Lariat misses. Omega chops Ishii and kicks him into the corner. V-Trigger misses. Omega is on the corner now. He's trying to kick Ishii away. Forearms by Ishii and kicks by the elevated Omega. Slap to the face of Ishii. Kicks by Omega are met with a headbutt by Ishii. Ishii is climbing up the corner. He has Omega up, and HE DRILLS HIM WITH A SUPERPLEX!!!!! 1-2-KICKOUT!
Standing Lariat missed. German Suplex by Omega. Ishii bounces back up and hits one of his own. Ishii goes for another one, but Omega lands on his feet. V-TRIGGER!!!! Forearms to Ishii now. Ishii is starting to psyche up. SNAP DRAGON by Omega. V-Trigger!!!! Omega gets Ishii up for One Winged Angel, but Ishii fights out. Omega hits Ishii with HIS OWN BRAINBUSTER!!! 1-2-KICKOUT. 20 minutes have passed.
Ishii is on his knees, and Omega continues to nail him with V-Triggers. Omega goes back for a full running V-Trigger, but Ishii collapses. Omega gets him in light for another standing V-Trigger. Omega gets another V-Trigger to the back of Ishii's head in the corner. He gets Ishii on the top turnbuckle. He's going for the Snap Dragon, but Ishii blocks it by locking his feet and later using the back of his head on Omega. Omega climbs back up again, but he gets knocked down. FLYING V-Trigger up to Ishii. Omega climbs back up again! He gets Ishii up on his shoulders on the corner. One Winged Angel blocked by Ishii. ISHII HITS A JUMPING HURRICANRANA OFF THE TOP ROPE ON OMEGA, SENDING HIM TO THE FLOOR! THE STONE PITBULL IS A DAMN LUCHADOR TONIGHT!!!!
Running clothesline in the corner by Ishii. Both men fighting in the center of the ring. Headbutt by Ishii. Omega crumbles to the mat. He signals the finger gun to Omega's head and HITS HIS OWN FRIGGING V-TRIGGER!!!! BIG RUNNING LARIAT! 1-2- CLOSE KICKOUT!!!!!! THIS IS AWESOME! He's going for the brainbuster, but Omega gets out. LARIAT BY OMEGA! ONE WINGED ANGEL AVOIDED BY ISHII! BRAINBUSTER AVOIDED BY OMEGA! REVERSE RANA BY OMEGA!!! THEY ARE BOTH DOWN! 25 minutes have passed!!!
They're both wobbling on their feet. Forearms exchanged by both men. Ishii misses an enziguri. Snap Dragon and a V-Trigger by Omega gets a 2. (I'm exhausted watching this!) Omega gets Ishii up for One Winged Angel. Ishii fights out, but he gets a German for his trouble. V-TRIGGER INTO THE CORNER! He goes to get Ishii up, but Ishii turns around and hits a VICIOUS LARIAT!!!!!!!! Sliding Lariat connects! 1-2- 2.8 ONLY! Ishii runs into the ropes. V-Trigger! Omega runs back to the ropes. LARIAT BY ISHII!!! ISHII runs back to the other ropes, stops midway, and catches Omega running back with a huge lariat!!! He goes for the Brain Buster, BUT OMEGA REVERSES INTO A SITTING TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER!!! 1-2-2.9 KICKOUT BY ISHII!!!
Omega gets Ishii up on the ropes. He pulls down his own kneepad. HE HITS ISHII SO HARD WITH THE V-TRIGGER THAT HE SENDS HIMSELF OVER THE TOP ROPE TO THE FLOOR!!!! ANOTHER V-TRIGGER! 1... ISHII KICKS OUT AT 1!!! ISHII IS DAZED! Another V-Trigger! ISHII with an Enziguri! Ishii gets caught with another V-Trigger. JAY DRILLER (BUTTERFLY PILEDRIVER) GETS A 2 ONLY! 30 MINUTES HAVE PASSED! Omega is back up. Running V-TRIGGER with the Exposed Knee! ONE WINGED ANGEL! 1-2-3. OMEGA WINS!
Winner: Kenny Omega (Still IWGP Heavyweight Champion)
Match Grade: A+. This was incredible. Ishii and Omega have insane chemistry, and this was just another classic in a series of classic matches. Ishii deserves a lot of credit here. While Omega is indeed The Best Bout Machine, Ishii absolutely brings it in big time matches. I hope this isn't the last time we see this match.
After the match, Ibushi puts the championship on Omega with the referee's help. Ishii is on the outside trying to get back up. Ishii is walking back to the locker room to a round of applause from the audience.
Omega gets on the mic and speaks Japanese to the audience. He talks about how he thought that he was the best in the world. But he may not be. Ibushi beat the best. Omega says anytime anywhere for Ibushi's shot at the belt. Ibushi says we should keep our promise. Omega says he will keep his promise. Regardless of where he is going, the Golden Lovers will stay together. Ibushi and Omega do the Goodbye and Good Night together.
Show Grade: C+. The show itself was decent but unremarkable except for the awesome main event. My recommendation is to skip the rest of the show and just watch the main event. It is indeed incredible and deserves your attention.
I will attempt to find time to cover the Destruction show on Monday (if nothing else than the two main event matches that evening). Until next time, take care of yourselves. And spread some awesomeness.
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