We've got a lot going on for this show including the introduction of a new LIJ member, EVIL vs. Sabre, the finals of the Jr. Heavyweight Championship Tournament, Tanahashi vs. White, and the Triple Threat match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Here we go...
1) IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
Kanemaru and Desperado (c) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask
A bunch of brawling early on as Suzuki-Gun's Desperado and Kanemaru attack Liger and Mask coming out. Mask takes a lot of the heel work by Suzuki-Gun as they have him isolated in the ring. Liger slowly gets back to his own corner on the outside. Finally, Tiger gets the heels off of him. In comes Liger with a bunch of Shoteis for the heels. Liger gets the hurricanrana in off the corner. (I just recently reviewed Liger's match with Rey Mysterio from 1996. Given his health issues at the time, Liger looks a lot better today.) Headbutt by Mask coming off the corner gets a 2.
Desperado comes in and hits a brainbuster and a spear for a 2 count. Liger takes a double team by the tag champs. Tiger Driver by Tiger Mask only gets a 2. The English announcers put over the Jr. Tag Team Tournament starting on the 16th. BIG DOUBLE ARM BUTTERFLY SUPLEX BY MASK for a 2. Kanemaru spits whiskey in the eyes of Tiger Mask. Liger comes in attacks the heels. Somersault Senton on the outside by Liger. He hits the rail. Tiger Suplex by Tiger Mask to Desperado, but no referee there to make the count. Liger gets hit with the Whiskey Bottle. Low blow by Desperado to Tiger Mask. The referee is dragged in. Tiger Mask gets hit with a Spinning Pedigree by Desperado. 1-2-3.
Winners: Kanemaru and Desperado (still IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: C. An alright opener, but the match never really got into another gear. Still, the goal was likely to keep the titles on Suzuki-Gun's Jr. Tag Team Champions. Mission accomplished.
2) Great Bash Heel (Honma and Makabe) vs. Juice Robinson and Toa Henare
Henare takes a lot of the offense early on from GBH. And Honma misses his headbutt drop again. Juice comes in and begins his work on Honma. Henare gets tagged back in soon thereafter. Honma however powers Henare into a suplex. Makabe gets the tag and so does Juice. Ten punches in the corner by Makabe. Juice runs into a shoulder tackle for a 2 count. Juice charges Makabe in the corner. CANNONBALL! Full Nelson Bomb by Juice for a 2. Honma gets tagged in. He knocks Juice down and hits the headbutt drop finally. He goes for a top rope version, but Juice throws him off. Tag to Henare. Big lariat by Henare for a 2 count. Diving headbutt by Honma. Tag to Makabe. Makabe and Henare go back and forth with hard hitting strikes. Double Lariat by GBH. Headbutt drop and King Kong Knee Drop for a 3.
Winners: GBH
Match Grade: C. Another average tag match to start the show. I know Honma had dealt with some health issues. So, it is good to see him in the ring, although he still seemed to have a little bit of ring rust.
3) Bullet Club Elite (The Young Bucks, Hangman Page, and Chase Owens) vs. Bullet Club OGs (Guerrillas of Destiny, Bad Luck Fale, and Taji Ishimori)
The OGs come out to the original Bullet Club theme. The Elite come out to the Young Bucks' new NJPW theme.
Things deteriorate quickly. Elite take the advantage. Bucks double-team Ishimori. The Bullet Club Elite continue to press the attack, but the OGs return to their gang up style and torture the Elite on the outside. Tama Tonga gave the camera a view I did not care to see. And now, Matt Jackson is taking a lot of offense from the OGs. Tama takes off Matt's weight belt and throws it out. I thought that was going to go worse. No. Tama decides to kick and drop elbows on Jackson's bad back. Fale now stands on Jackson's back with Ishimori jumping on Fale to add even more weight. Stinger Splash by Tama Tonga now to the back of Matt Jackson. Matt avoids a double team by the G.O.D. and fights off Tama.
Page and Ishimori get tagged in. Running attacks to Ishimori and Loa in the corners. Dropkick into a mooonsault. Fale runs in to break up the count. Fale gets knocked outside. Page moonsaults off the top rope onto the OGs on the outside! Ishimori gets thrown back in. Tag to Owens. Oh boy. Pin's coming soon. Ishimori gets 4-1 attacked. Springboard backbreaker to Ishimori by Owens for a 2. Ishimori doesn't get a good handspring elbow in, but they sell it anyways. Tag to Tama Tonga. Buckshot Lariat by Page to Tama. Everyone is running in to hit their moves. Corkscrew Plancha by Ishimori onto the Bucks outside. Owens almost gets Tonga with a rollup. G.O.D. has Owens isolated in the ring. He fights them both off, but he takes a 3D/Gun Stun. 1-2-3.
Winners: Bullet Club OGs
Match Grade: B-. Fun tag team match all things considered. I think it's pretty clear that NJPW is heating up the Bullet Club OGs not only for the storyline but in case The Elite end up leaving New Japan and going to the WWE. Then, the OGs will just end up being Bullet Club period.
Bullet Club OGs continue to press the attack after the match. Tama goes after all of them around the ring.
4) CHAOS (Ishii, Goto, and Ospreay) vs. Suzuki-Gun (Suzuki, Taichi, and Iizuka)
If you thought this would begin with a brawl... YOU WERE RIGHT! The wild Suzuki-Gun presses the attack early on. Iizuka and Goto are in the ring first. And frankly, there's a lot of chaos (no pun intended) going on. Taichi gets triple teamed by CHAOS at one point. Armbar on Goto over the ropes by Suzuki. It's a year later, and these two are still going at it. Ishii and Suzuki go over by the announce tables. It's Suzuki's Greatest Hits tonight as he hits Ishii with chairs. Iizuka goes to work on choking and assaulting Goto. Goto almost gets counted out, but he rolls back in.
He gets assaulted in the Suzuki-Gun corner. The mouth guard is off Iizuka, and he's biting into the head of Goto on the outside of the ring. And he does it in the ring. He decides to go into CHAOS corner and bites into both Ishii and Ospreay. He's going after the referee to bite him. Suzuki comes in and calms things down to methodically attack, torture, humiliate, and desecrate Goto. Goto gets a brainbuster on Suzuki.
Tag to Ishii and he charges right at Suzuki. Strong style wrestling here with Ishii now humiliating Suzuki. Suzuki is now smiling and angry at the same time. Strong strikes by Suzuki now. Ishii is firing back. GREAT back and forth sequence here that ends with a flying tackle sending both men down. Tag to Ospreay and Taichi. Ospreay hits his big flying forearm strike. Ospreay continues to show the world that he is on a whole other level as far as aerial specialists are concerned. But Taichi catches him with a kick. Triple team now by Suzuki-Gun. Ishii and Goto save the match. Taichi does his tights gimmick. Big back and forth by Taichi and Ospreay. But Suzuki-Gun continues a triple team attack. Taichi goes to hit Ospreay with the title, but he eats a Spanish Fly. Goto gets Iizuka with a Ushigaroshe. STORMBREAKER BY OSPREAY! 1-2-3! He just pinned the NEVER Openweight Champion TAICHI!
Winner: CHAOS
Match Grade: B-. Another fun match on this show. Ospreay beating Taichi is going to lead to a fun NEVER Openweight Championship match in a few weeks in all likelihood.
Suzuki shows off his Rev Pro Championship to Ishii. He goes to attack Ishii. But the Young Boys hold him back. AND YOUNG BOYS MUST SUFFER!!!!! Chair shots and kicks for these fools.
5) CHAOS (Okada, Yano, Roppongi 3K) vs. LIJ (Naito, SANADA, BUSHI, and X)
We get a video for LIJ showing Naito walking in a bar of some sort. The rest of LIJ are around a table drinking and playing gambling games. I think this is the same video that NJPW released a week or two ago. Thank God Chris Charlton is there to tell us what Naito is saying. Hiromu is not being replaced. This is a new member of the group that will be waiting for Hiromu with the other four.
EVIL, BUSHI, SANADA, HIROMU, Y NAITO! NOSOTROS LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON! On a roulette table, the ball lands on 6.
Here comes LIJ (which despite its loss of Hiromu seems to be the most stable group in New Japan at the moment, though an argument can be made for Taguchi Japan). Here comes BUSHI. Then SANADA. THEN NAITO. LOUD NAITO CHANTS. Naito is wearing the classic suit with cape. Buenas Noches! Naito introduces the new LIJ member. Naito thanks the fans for waiting and teases who the new member is. HERE HE COMES. "The Dragon"...(RICKY STEAMBOAT?!) No. That's not him. It's Dragon Gate's Shingo Takagi. I have no idea who he is, but the crowd sure did. And that's all that matters.
Okada's team makes their entrance. I can confirm Naito's saying: There's no way this guy can replace Hiromu. He's too big to be a Jr. Heavyweight in this company. Shingo and YOH starts the match. Impressive start for the new member of the LIJ stable. Yano gets put in the Paradise Lock around the bottom rope. Takagi gets a big exploding suplex on YOH. Now, Sanada is in and YOH gets put in the Paradise Lock. Double kick by Sanada knocks both men out of the lock.
BUSHI now goes to work on YOH. Naito tags in and gets involved. YOH hits a Dragon Screw on both Naito and Bushi. Tag to Okada. Okada goes after all of LIJ. DDT for Naito. Kip up. And there's a flapjack as well. Naito hits his corner leg trip, jumping dropkick. Double team by BUSHI and Naito. Okada and Naito do their usual awesomeness. Flying forearm by Naito eventually. Tag to Bushi and SHO. 3K attacks Bushi with a double team. But Sanada breaks it up. Tag to Takagi. GORY SPECIAL INTO A FACEPLANT by Takagi! 2 count. LIJ comes to the aid of Takagi when CHAOS starts interfering. BIG LARIAT BY TAKAGI! LAST FALCONRY (Fireman's Carry into a Side Michinoku Driver). 1-2-3!
Winners: LIJ
Match Grade: B-. A good display for the newest member of LIJ. I still don't believe that this guy is someone the English team believed could be a Jr. He's way too big to be in that division. Takagi though was impressive and should be someone that will add to LIJ. This isn't a Paul Roma/Jeff Jarrett in the Horsemen situation.
6) EVIL vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
It's Zack Sabre Jr. TIME! Everything is NOT Evil. Come OVER HERE!
Evil comes out with druids dragging him in his throne to the ring. Good Old Evil has his scythe with him. This is a big event in EVIL's history. EVIL made his debut here 3 years ago. EVIL rises from his chair and starts going to enter the ring. One of the druids attacks EVIL! He's got a leather jacket on and the IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON! OH MY GOD! EVIL is getting destroyed. EVIL gets thrown into the ring. Loud Y2J chant. Clothesline to EVIL. CODEBREAKER!!!!!
The mask comes off, and it is CHRIS JERICHO! Jericho has struck again! Sabre says this is a waste of his time at ringside. Jericho grabs his title (the one Naito lost to him) and DECKS EVIL WITH IT! (Ironic that Naito thought that the title was garbage, treated it as garbage, and kept saying that the title shouldn't exist. And now, Jericho not only destroyed Naito for it. But now he's assaulted his stablemate with it.) The referee won't start the match despite Sabre's demands. EVIL is being checked on by the medical staff. The referee waves off the match. NO CONTEST. Sabre is going nuts on the referee, the trainer, and the Young Lion. Sabre now kicks at the limp body of Evil. Armbar and Wristlock to EVIL. EVIL is now defenseless and can't even scream due to being hurt.
HERE COMES NAITO. NAITO AND ZSJ are going at it!!!! Swinging DDT to ZSJ. Naito does the tranquilo pose. Sabre is losing it at ringside. Naito checks on EVIL.
Winner: NO CONTEST
Match Grade: N/A (A for Shock Value). I love this. Jericho continues to do whatever the hell he wants, when he wants to. He's now assaulted EVIL out of nowhere. Naito now has a gripe with both Sabre and Jericho going back to Dominion. EVIL will want his revenge on Jericho too. This could be a tag team match in a month possibly.)
7) IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Marty Scurll vs. KUSHIDA
Scurll and KUSHIDA start off slow here with some grappling. Kushida rolls around the ring so much that Scurll can't keep up. Kushida again gets an advantage on the ground, but Scurll gets the fingers to break a hold. Scurll and Kushida continue to reverse and roll through each others attempts. Kushida after about 10-12 flips on the ground almost gets a 3 count on Scurll. Apron kick by Scurll. Woop Woop. Chops by Scurll on the floor. Both men back in the ring. SURFBOARD by Scurll. Kushida gets to the ropes. DDT by Kushida.
Kushida now starts rolling on offense. Cartwheel dropkick by Kushida. Armbreaker on the shoulder by Kushida. Kushida is on the apron. Scurll is down on the mat. Kushida climbs to the top of the corner. Scurll catches him with an uppercut. He climbs up with Kushida. SUPERPLEX!!!! Kushida almost rolls into it for the 3, but Scurll kicks out. Blows being exchanged by both men. Rollups by both men. A LOT OF 2 counts. Scurll almost gets a 3 on the last one. Kushida now kicks at the arm of Scurll. Nice reversal of a Handspring kick into a backslide pin by Scurll. 2 count only. Knees to the face by both men. Double forearm shot by both men. Both men continue to fight until they both deck each other with right hands to crash down on the mat.
Scurll gets caught with a cartwheel kick in the ropes. Scurll's outside. Kushida climbs up the corner. Scurll climbs up as well. Double Wristlock by Kushida. DIABLO ARMBAR by Kushida as both men crash to the mat. Scurll hits the catapult into the bottom rope on Kushida. Scurll gets sent face first into the corner pad. Back to the Future reversed into the CHICKEN WING! KUSHIDA IS FADING! He rolls through. Chicken Wing by KUSHIDA. BUT NOW DOUBLE WRISTLOCK BY SCURLL!!!! Awesome. Kushida is powering out. Another Chicken Wing attempt by Scurll turns into a SUPLEX by Scurll. KUSHIDA LANDED RIGHT ON HIS HEAD! YIKES!
Scurll goes for Graduation. Kushida gets Scurll up for White Noise and connects. BACK TO THE FUTURE countered into an arm stomp by Scurll. Scrull has done too much damage to Kushida for him to lock in a Hoverboard Lock. Back to the Future rolled through by Scurll for a 2. POWERBOMB for a 2. PACKAGE POWERBOMB BY SCURLL! 1-2-KICKOUT! Scurll gets right back up. BIG LARIAT TO KUSHIDA! Graduation avoided. CHICKEN WING. AN OFF THE SHOULDERS FIREMAN'S CARRY DRIVER! BACK TO THE FUTURE! 1-2-3! NEW CHAMPION!
Winner: KUSHIDA (New Jr. Heavyweight Champion)
Match Grade: A-. Another really good match with both men countering each other's big moves towards the last 5-10 minutes. Kushida now has never lost 1-1 to Marty Scurll. There's a storyline for you for the Jrs. to continue with. Really nice rollup sequences throughout the match. Really good counters. I bought into Scurll possibly winning this several times. Well done.
8) Tokyo Dome IWGP Heavyweight Championship Shot
Hiroshi Tanahashi (current holder) vs. Jay White (w/Gedo)
White is wearing all red. Charlton points out that his outfit seems to be a callback to a "former leader of CHAOS." (ie Shinsuke Nakamura)
Tanahashi walks out alone to face White who has Gedo with him.
The bell rings. White takes a break at ringside, saying he controls the match. Smart heel tactic actually. White comes back in. Tie up to start us off. White feigns a clean break before attacking Tanahashi as he was grabbed by Gedo on the outside. He whips Tanahashi in the rail in front of the English Commentary team.
Tanahashi whips him into one of his own and dropkicks him over it. Tanahashi goes after Gedo. In the ring, White chopblocks Tanahashi who was going after Gedo. White now goes to work on the leg of Tanahashi AND PLAYS AIR GUITAR ON IT! WOW! Ringpost to the leg now by White followed by Gedo using the briefcase on it behind the referee's back.
The story here is that while Tanahashi continues to try to fight off White and Gedo, they are proving to be too much.
White stops an offensive attempt by Tanahashi and continues to torture him on the ropes. White is just mocking Tanahashi and slapping him in the back of the head. Tanahashi gets a Dragon Screw on White's leg. The Ace is trying to get some momentum going against White. Senton Somersault off the corner for a 2. Inverted Dragon Screw now by The Ace. Kick to the knee by White. Back suplex over the top to the floor now to Tanahashi. He landed on his butt coming down to the apron. The Ace's back gets rammed into the rail repeatedly by White before getting rolled back into the ring.
White's got the chairs. He tries to bring one in, but the ref stops him. Dragon SCREW by Tanahashi. White's on the floor. TANAHASHI HITS A HIGH FLY FLOW OFF THE TOP TO THE FLOOR ON WHITE! WOW! Both men get in the ring. Flatliner and German Suplex by White. Both men are down fror a moment. White still has Gedo on the outside to help him out, while Tanahashi only has his Fighting Spirit. The trading of forearms is taking place. Back and forth attacks by both men. They are doing a crazy series of reversals here. WOW! Both men elbow the other. White stays standing. TWIST AND SHOUT by The Ace! Another one. A third one is countered into a twisting suplex by White. Really good match here.
TWIST AND SHOUT by The Ace! SWING BLADE!!! Gedo gets knocked off the apron. Dragon Suplex to White for a CLOSE 2 count. Tanahashi is climbing up the corner. HIGH FLY FLOW TO A STANDING WHITE! HE GOES BACK UP! HIGH FLY FLOW!!!! 1-2-GEDO PULLS OUT THE REFEREE!!!! Gedo goes to hit Tanahashi with brass knuckles. Tanahashi fights him off. LOW BLOW BY WHITE! White goes for the chair. HE GOES TO SWING AT TANAHASHI! LOW BLOW BY THE ACE! He has the chair in the ring. Slam to White on the chair. HIGH FLY FLOW LANDS RIGHT ON THE CHAIR!!!!! WHITE MOVED OUT OF THE WAY! White has the chair now. HE FLINGS IT RIGHT INTO TANAHASHI'S FACE! Gedo gets the referee! He's rolled back in. He's going for Blade Runner. NO! ROLLUP! 1-2-3! TANAHASHI WINS!
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (still contract holder)
Match Grade: A. That was awesome. What a story being told there with Tanahashi fighting a handicap match the entire time. This may be Jay White's best match in his career as he played the heel role to perfection here.
After the match, White attacks Tanahashi and any Young Lions who try to help him. Blade Runner stopped AS OKADA HAS COME TO TANAHASHI'S AID! WOW! White jumps Okada from behind. Okada fights him off. Gedo attack Okada. Okada turns around and decks Gedo!!!! Jado stops Okada from hurting Gedo. He's playing peacemaker. HERE COME THE BULLET CLUB OGs. They are circling the ring. White comes back through the barricade. Jado and Gedo have been help up. STUN GUN TO OKADA! JADO and GEDO are laughing. It's a GANG ATTACK on Okada!!!! Jay White is invited in the ring. Blade Runner to Okada. HE PUTS UP THE TOO SWEET WHILE DOING THE MOVE! JAY WHITE, GEDO, AND JADO HAVE JOINED BULLET CLUB OGS!!!!!! Tanahashi comes back in to check on Okada. Wow. Who would ever think we'd see all that?
Now there's a definitive heel faction in NJPW: The Bullet Club OGs. White, Gedo, and Jado have defected completely from CHAOS. So, there is no more CHAOS Civil War. BUT now everyone will be going after the OGs. And it is making strange alliances such as Okada and Tanahashi. (ala WCW during the nWo storyline).
9) IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Kota Ibushi vs. Cody
It's a Bullet Club Elite Civil War here. Cody comes out with both of his championships looking to add a third title to his collection. The Young Bucks are out to support everyone. Hugs and handshakes all around by the combatants.
Bell rings. Only the 3rd Triple Threat IWGP Heavyweight Championship match ever is happening now. Triple Tie Up. Ibushi takes a dive while Cody and Omega go at it. Cody kicks Omega out of the ring. It's now Ibushi and Cody. Cody gets dropkicked out of the ring. Ibushi goes to dive, and Omega gets in the way. Cody stops any violence between those two. The Golden Lovers doubleteam Cody. But they stop each other from getting the pin. Back and forth action here so far as Cody has reasserted control of this match. He sends Ibushi gutfirst in a suplex to the floor.
Again, Cody is working on both men. After finishing with Omega, he goes out to fight Ibushi. Ibushi sends Cody into the rail, and CODY FLIPS IBUSHI OVER THE RAIL INTO THE ENGLISH ANNOUNCE TABLE AND FRONT CHAIRS! Ibushi's grabbing his right knee. The Bucks are checking him out while Cody goes back to work on Omega. Snap Rana by Omega. Cody is out. Rise of the Terminator... CONNECTS on Cody. Omega almost clipped his ankles on the railing. Wow. Ibushi is back in the ring. You Can't Escape... OMEGA ALMOST PUTS IBUSHI IN ONE WINGED ANGEL. Ibushi gets down, and Omega looks like the kid who was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Great back and forth action here with Ibushi now getting to show his athletic skills. Cody tells Kenny to help him take out Ibushi. Kenny and Cody go to suplex Ibushi, but Cody betrays him and rolls him up for a 2.
Cody and Kenny are now going at it. Figure Four by Cody to Omega. They are decking each other in the move. Ibushi goes after both guys. Omega gets an ankle lock on Ibushi for a second. Standing Moonsault on Omega for a 2 which Cody breaks up along with the hold. COOL sequence. Standing Moonsault into Knees by Kota/Cody. Snap Dragon to Kota. Fireman's Carry into a knee neckbreaker. Snap Dragon now to Cody a few moments later. Springobard dropkicks to both Cody and Omega by Ibushi. Wow. Hammerlock DDT by Cody. Cody seems to be heeling it up here to play the antagonist somewhat. Incredible action here as Cody ducks a move from Kota and dives at Kenny on the outside. He stops the Golden Triangle from Kota. KENNY POWERBOMBS CODY THROUGH THE ENGLISH ANNOUNCE TABLE! (Hilarious moment. Kenny tells the English announce team. They go "Move? OH (BLEEP!)! OH (BLEEP!)!" And as I type that, KOTA CORKSCREW MOONSAULTS ONTO KENNY FROM THE RING ON THE FLOOR!
(This is a completely different kind of awesome compared to the Tanahashi/ White match.)
Ibushi and Omega are going to go at it. Kenny is getting himself hyped up to face his friend. They trade blows with the crowd eating it up. It's already at the 15 minute mark?! These guys are killing each other. Ibushi is the faster striker, but Omega gets the most impact out of one chop. Snap Dragon to Ibushi. V-TRIGGER! REVERSE SNAP RANA DOES NOTHING TO IBUSHI! LARIAT BY IBUSHI!
Kota goes to the top, but he GETS PUSHED OFF TO THE FLOOR BY CODY! Cody now climbs the corner. CANADIAN DESTROYER TO KENNY! 1-2-KICKOUT! Omega gets Cody into the corner. V-TRIGGER TO THE BACK OF THE HEAD! Cody is put on the corner. Omega climbs up. He's going for a Snap Dragon off the corner. Omega is knocked off. Ibushi climbs up to German Suplex Cody. Omega and Ibushi are fighting over who gets to destroy Cody!!! OMEGA BUCKLE BOMBS IBUSHI INTO THE BACK OF CODY! Good God. Omega got something on Ibushi for a 2 count. Cody is in the Tree of Woe now. V-Trigger to Ibushi. One Winged Angel reversed. LONG DART TO KENNY INTO THE TREE OF WOE'D CODY! WHAT THE HELL?!
Ibushi hits a Springboard Sunset Flip Bomb to Ibushi who German Suplexes Cody over the ropes to the mat. V-Trigger Party!!!! Cody and Ibushi each get one. Cody powerbombs Kenny... INTO A GERMAN SUPLEX BY IBUSHI! God, this is insane! (A "This is Awesome" chant would be happening if this were anywhere but Japan.) Disaster Kick to Kenny on the apron. Cody goes under the ring and gets a table. He sets it up on the floor. Kenny is put face first on the table. Omega gets pushed off the ropes and through the table. The back of his head looked to hit the bottom bar of the barricade! Yikes!
SUPERPLEX BY IBUSHI TO CODY. Cody rolls through for a 2 count. (He won the US Title last week by doing that!) Ibushi and Cody are going to war. POWERBOMB by Ibushi for a close 2 count. Kamigoye avoided. Straight Jacket suplex by Ibushi. KAMIGOYE! 1-2-OMEGA GRABS THE REFEREE'S HAND AND STOPS IT FROM HITTING THE MAT FOR THE THREE!!!! WOW!!! Ibushi is in shock. Omega is trying to apologize to Ibushi. And he just screwed up. Ibushi is not hearing anything Omega is saying. Chop to Omega. It's on!!!! They're going at it. Cody gets involved, and Ibushi just absolutely decks Cody with a chop to the face. Ibushi is just losing it. Omega has to grab Ibushi's leg and roll on the mat just to stop Ibushi from striking him. Ibushi is now doing the ground and pound! CLOSED FISTS! 30 MINUTES!
BOMAYE!!! 2 count for Ibushi only! Kamigoye blocked by Cody who pulls Ibushi out. CROSS RHODES! 1-2-DOUBLE STOMP BY A FLYING IBUSHI TO OMEGA!!!!! CODY AVOIDED IT. Ibushi gets thrown out! CROSS RHODES! 1-2-KENNY KICKS OUT AT 2.95!!!!!! Ibushi is now back in the ring. VERTEBREAKER TO IBUSHI! 1-2-OMEGA PULLS CODY'S LEG OUT BARELY! Cody is getting a chair now. He throws it down. He gets a title belt instead (his own US Championship). He throws it away and grabs the chair. He goes to hit Omega, but he can't do it. He'll stomp him though. Ibushi stops him and kicks him in the head. REVERSE RANA BY OMEGA! JAY DRILLER! 1-2-KICKOUT! IBUSHI KICKED OUT! V-TRIGGER!!!!!! ONE WINGED ANGEL CONNECTS!!!! CODY CAN'T BREAK UP THE COUNT! 1-2-3! HOLY FREAKING GOD! WHAT A MATCH!
Winner: KENNY OMEGA (STILL IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
Match Grade: A+. GO WATCH THIS MATCH. This may be the greatest Triple Threat match I've ever seen. Each man had a ridiculously close near fall in this one. I thought Cody had it near the end here. In fact, Ibushi had a couple really great close falls too. The action was non-stop from beginning to end.
Omega is crying over the fallen body of his friend. Cody helps Kenny get Ibushi to sit up. Omega does the ceremonial hand raise, but he goes right back to check on his friend. Omega tells Cody to get back in the ring. He isn't leaving alone. Omega will not leave without Cody or Ibushi. He's telling Ibushi to stand up. Kenny says the Tokyo Dome match is set now. He tells Ibushi and Cody that he loves them. The Bucks get a hug in too. HERE COMES TANAHASHI! Tanahashi looks like he's been through hell tonight too... because he has. He barely makes it to the ring. He tells Tanahashi that they're both tired. Just say it already basically. Tanahashi is "mad." "Everyone applauded, but this is New Japan Pro Wrestling. This ain't it." "Let's put it all on the line at the Tokyo Dome." Omega says "Maybe at Tokyo Dome, they'll be chanting "Go Ace." But tonight, here, they are chanting GOOD BYE (smooch) and GOOD NIGHT! BANG!"
And just like that, the build to Wrestle Kingdom 13 has started.
Show Grade: A. Very good second half of this show. The undercard was very much hit or miss with me. But once you get to the CHAOS vs. Suzuki-Gun match onwards, this is an excellent show that gave us a lot. We have a new LIJ member, a new Jr. Heavyweight Champion, a Chris Jericho run-in and Naito/Sabre confrontation, a great match between Tanahashi and White, a BIG reveal of defections from CHAOS to Bullet Club OGs, an AMAZING Triple Threat Championship match, and the beginning of the build for Tanahashi vs. Omega. So, go look for this show and watch from Suzuki-Gun/CHAOS on.
Take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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