This is it. New Japan's biggest event of the year: Wrestle Kingdom. This post will be updated match by match as the show progresses.
Let's Do This!
Pre Show
Gauntlet Match for the #1 Contendership for the Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships
Most Violent Players (Togi Makabe and Toru Yano) and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb and David Finlay vs. Chaos (Hirooki Goto, Beretta and Chuckie T.) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. The Elite (Hangman Page, Yujiro Takahashi and Marty Scurll)
Part 1 of Gauntlet: The Elite vs. Nagata, Cobb, and Finlay
The Elite start us off along with Nagata, Cobb, and Finlay. Per usual for Wrestle Kingdom, the wrestlers come out through the massive crowd.
The bell rings. Scurll and Nagata begin the match. Old School vs. New School here with Nagata not falling for Scurll's usual tricks, including the finger break. Jeff Cobb and Hangman get the tag. Running Shooting Star by Hangman followed by a mix of apron kick and Running Shooting Star on the apron by Scurll and Page, respecively, on Cobb. Buckshot Lariat in the ring by Page. Cobb catches Page and powers him down.
David Finlay and Yujiro get the tag. Fisherman Buster on Finlay get a 2. Urinage backbreaker by Finlay. Chase Owens gets involved, but he gets knocked down by accident. Yujiro gets upset with Page, but he gets rolled up by Finlay.
The Elite is eliminated.
(Owens and Yujiro seemed upset with the other members of the Elite. Looks like the seeds are planted for The Elite leaving and Owens/Yujiro rejoining the main Bullet Club.)
Part 2: Chuckie T, Beretta, and Hirooki Goto vs. Nagata, Cobb, and Finlay
Brawling ensues. Nagata takes down Goto and goes for the armbar but it's broken up. Massive chaos. Big knee by Beretta. Dives on Finlay and Cobb by Best Friends, including an impressive moonsault to the floor by Beretta. Yuji Nagata takes Ushigaroshe by Goto. Tag to Chuckie T who continues to work on Nagata. Beretta gets involved too for the double team. Apparently, there was a tag. Nagata hits an exploder on Chuckie T and fights off Beretta. Tags to Cobb and Goto. Cobb explodes with a flying back elbow. Big twisting back suplex by Cobb followed by a moonsault. Pin is broken up. Cobb almost gets pinned, but Nagata breaks it up. Goto and Cobb beat each other up. Tag to Chuckie T. Beretta gets back in for the double team. DOUBLE BACK SUPLEX by Cobb.
Cobb tags in Finlay. Flying back elbow by Finlay. But he gets massacred by Chuckie T in the corner. Package Piledriver only gets a 2 as Nagata breaks it up. Chuckie T's moonsault misses, and Finlay rolls him up for a 3!
Finlay has scored the elimination both times so far.
Best Friends and Goto are eliminated as SUZUKI'S THEME HITS!
Part 3: Suzuki-Gun (Suzuki and K.E.S.) vs. Nagata, Cobb, and Finlay
Suzuki and K.E.S. indeed march with intent as Kevin Kelly says. People are about to suffer! KAZE NI NARE! Brawling starts us off. Nagata and Suzuki face off in the center of the ring. Hard slaps and strikes in the center of the ring by both men. Exploder suplex by Nagata gets a 2. Suzuki gets the Rear Naked Choke in and backs Nagata into the Suzuki-Gun corner. Tag to Smith, but Nagata finds a way to get to Cobb for the tag.
Cobb suplexes Smith, but he misses the moonsault. Saito Suplex gets a 2 as Nagata and Suzuki brawl on the floor. Archer and Finlay are tagged. Finlay runs into the boot of Smith! KILLER BOMB! 1-2-3!
Finlay, Cobb, and Nagata are eliminated.
Part 4: Makabe, Yano, and Taguchi vs. Suzuki-Gun
(Hey, The Immigrant Song rip-off is playing this time. That'll probably be edited out later.)
Suzuki-Gun attack them coming towards the ring and throw them around ringside. SUZUKI SLAPS KEVIN KELLY! DON CALLIS IS OUT OF HERE! Back in the ring, Suzuki goes after Taguchi and begins the strikes. Tag to Smith. Tag to Archer who continues to go to work on Taguchi. Archer does The Undertaker rope walk and tags Suzuki followed by a forearm on Taguchi. Suzuki asks Taguchi to hit him. Hip Attack misses initially, but he gets Suzuki on the second attempt.
Makabe is tagged in. Running clothesline and ten punches in the corner by Makabe. Running boot in the corner and PK by Suzuki. Makabe and Suzuki exchange forearms in the middle of the ring. BIG FOREARMS by both men. Suzuki massacres Makabe with a hard shot, and Makabe likes it! Big clothesline by Makabe knocks down Suzuki. Tag to Yano! Oh no!!! Yano gets a corner pad off, but Smith boots him down. HART ATTACK by K.E.S. only gets a 2. Another double team only gets a 2. Sidewalk Slam/Leg Drop off the corner only gets a 2. Hip attack by Taguchi is stopped. Suzuki and Makabe go at it in the ring. Hip Attack to Suzuki by Taguchi! Yano avoids Killer Bomb and goes for the double low blow, but it is blocked. Makabe double clotheslines K.E.S. DOUBLE LOW BLOW BY YANO. Rollup on Smith gets a 3!
Winners: Makabe, Yano, and Taguchi
Match Grade: B-. Fun opening match to get the crowd warmed up for the main show. Surprised that Suzuki-Gun did not win this, but this was a really good showing for all of the teams. The ridiculous amount of talent on this roster (even without The Elite) just demonstrates how far New Japan Pro Wrestling has come.
After the match, Suzuki starts ripping up the ringside area around the English Announce Table. Tomorrow night, Makabe, Yano, and Taguchi will challenge for the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Championship. So, we may see Taguchi Japan and CHAOS share championships.
Big announcements
G1 SUPERCARD IN APRIL!
G1 CLIMAX 29 KICKS OFF IN DALLAS, TX THIS YEAR!!!!
2020: NEW JAPAN WILL BE DOING 2 TOKYO DOME SHOWS BACK TO BACK NIGHTS (1/4/20 and 1/5/20)
(This is huge on a bunch of fronts. Obviously, New Japan is looking to really push their international presence with these shows and another show announced for the UK. And as far as the Tokyo Dome shows go, I am anxious to see how New Japan does a double shot at the Tokyo Dome. Will this mean Wrestle Kingdom becomes a 2-night event?)
Main Show
Never Openweight Championship
Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
THIS IS HOW YOU START A SHOW! Folks, I apologize in advance for not adequately calling all of the action here as this is going to likely be too much. Will Ospreay comes out first down the impressive walkway and entrance set-up. Kota Ibushi comes out with a big firework going off, popping up like Rey Mysterio. Lord, be with both these men and us. May this awesomeness not completely blind us.
The bell rings. They collide in the center. Quick offense back and forth with both men avoiding the other's big moves. Big dropkick catches Ospreay running towards Ibushi. Ospreay is on the floor now. IBUSHI GOES FOR GOLDEN TRIANGLE, BUT OSPREAY KICKS HIM IN MID FLIGHT ON THE APRON! Cartwheel Moonsault from the ring to the floor by Ospreay on Ibushi! 2 count back in the ring. (I missed a lot of reversals and counters as they were moving too fast.)
European uppercuts by Ospreay now followed by a backbreaker. Ospreay and Ibushi are now exchanging blows in the center of the ring. Snap Rana by Ibushi puts Ospreay down and to the floor. Ibushi hits a SPRINGBOARD CORKSCREW MOONSAULT TO THE FLOOR ON OSPREAY! Ospreay is rolled back in and Ibushi hits his Springboard Missile Dropkick. Chaos Theory (Rolling German Suplex) gets a 2 on Ospreay. Ospreay catches Ibushi with a roll up for a 2. Ospreay hits a rolling kick back on Ibushi. Snap Slam by Ibushi is met with a corner kick by Ospreay for a 2.
Ibushi and Ospreay trade shots in the center of the ring. Straight shot to the heart by Ibushi knocks down Ospreay. Insane series of reversals by both men eventually leads to a Spanish Fly by Ospreay to Ibushi. (God, this is amazing so far. Great start for this show.) Ospreay kicks Ibushi in the back of the head. Stormbreakeris reversed into a Snap Rana Roll Up for a 2. Long Dart by Ibushi avoided by Ospreay. BOMAYE!!!! Ospreay looks like he is out cold. LAST RIDE POWERBOMB! 1-2-Kickout by Ospreay. (Either that was great selling by Ospreay... or I don't want to even think the other possibility.) Ibushi gets caught on the corner, and he's hung upside down in a Tree of Woe. Ospreay slaps Ibushi in the corner. Ibushi is firing back. NOW OSPREAY JUST KICKS THE HELL OUT OF IBUSHI'S HEAD WHILE HE'S UPSIDE DOWN! Ospreay sets up Ibushi in the corner. Ibushi fights out of a Stormbreaker attempt on the corner. DOUBLE STOMP ON THE BACK OF OSPREAY! Ibushi is bleeding from the mouth as he hit his chin on the ringpost being set up from the Tree of Woe position.
DEADLIFT GERMAN SUPLEX FROM IBUSHI IS COUNTERED BY OSPREAY LANDING ON HIS FEET! Robinson Special by Ospreay! Oscutter blocked! Straight Jacket German Suplex only gets 2 for Ibushi! Kamigoye misses! Both men are exchanging blows in the center of the ring! BIG LARIAT BY OSPREAY! Stormbreaker reversed eventually into a TOMBSTONE PACKAGE PILEDRIVER FOR A 2! Kamigoye misses again! Superkick by Ospreay! BIG RUNNING FOREARM TO THE BACK OF IBUSHI'S HEAD! Ibushi may be out. Ospreay gets Ibushi up! STORMBREAKER! 1-2-3!
Winner: Will Ospreay (NEW NEVER Openweight Champion)
Match Grade: A+. I absolutely loved that match. These two just completely tore down the house for about 20 minutes. Ospreay showed a new mean streak in the process of finally winning the NEVER Openweight Championship. We knew Ibushi and Ospreay were going to put on a show, but this got to a level of hard-hitting action that I don't think any of us expected.
Medical staff and Young Boys are checking up on Ibushi and put him on a stretcher to get him out of the ring. Hopefully, this is a storyline and not an actual injury. One has to wonder as that hit was pretty brutal to the back of Ibushi's head towards the end.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi and Shingo Takagi)
Good luck to these guys in trying to outdo that opening match. Insane stat here: Suzuki Gun (Kanemaru and El Desperado) have been champions since March 6, and they only lost 4 matches last year total.
The bell rings. Brawling starts us off. 3K establishes control early on by knocking everyone to the floor. 3K dives out onto LIJ on the floor. Kanemaru and Desperado catch 3K in the ring and go on the attack. YOH gets double teamed by Suzuki-Gun but kicks out at 2 on a pin attempt. Desperado and YOH are in the ring now for their teams. Desperado has the advantage and tags in Kanemaru. Kanemaru continues the attack. YOH hits a Dragon Screw and thrust kick to get the tag to SHO. SHO goes on the attack against Suzuki-Gun. AJ Styles' Duck Under Dropkick by SHO. Shingo tags himself in to fight SHO. Exchange of blows from both men with Shingo getting the advantage. Double German Suplex to Kanemaru and Shingo by SHO. Impressive. All men are in the ring. Jumping knees by 3K. Running clotheslines by 3K to Shingo in the corner. Double team offense gets a 2 only for 3K.
Backstabber/Dropkick by 3K to Shingo. Shingo gets a Double Pumping Bomber on 3K. Shingo catches SHO alone. BIG LARIAT by Shingo only gets 2. Shingo grabs SHO and hits LAST OF THE DRAGON! 1-2-3! NEW CHAMPIONS!
Winners: Bushi and Shingo Takagi (NEW Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: C+. The effort was definitely there. But there was too much going on and not enough rhythm or storytelling being told. It was a bunch of high-impact spots and some cool offense, but there seemed to be no substance to what was going on. LIJ begins what I expect will be a big night for them with a Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship victory.
British Heavyweight Championship
Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
Taka gives up the big introduction for ZSJ including the polling of the fans. "Ishii Tomohiro, COME OVER HERE!" I love Ishii's entrance. It's simple, but you know this badass is coming to hurt someone.
The bell rings. ZSJ goes right after Ishii. Both men miss big moves. Backdrop Suplex by Ishii. Ishii is caught in an armbar by ZSJ. Ishii can't get to the rope, but he finally does get there. (ZSJ's prediction of tapping out Ishii in 1 minute has failed.) ZSJ stomps on the tricep of Ishii and goes back to work on that arm. Ishii fires back with forearms to ZSJ, but Sabre locks in an impressive double armbar on Ishii. But Ishii gets that foot on the rope again to break it up. ZSJ paintbrush kicks Ishii to anger him. Ishii gets up and eats some European Uppercuts. Ishii goes to strike, but ZSJ grabs the arm, goes into an armbar, and transitions into an Ankle Lock. Ishii reverses into an Ankle Lock of his own. Enziguri by ZSJ. Ishii gets him off and launches ZSJ with a shoulder tackle.
Ishii chops ZSJ in the corner repeatedly. Ishii now clotheslines ZSJ and nails a suplex. He puts ZSJ on the corner and climbs up. Suplex off the corner by Ishii, but ZSJ grabs the arm and does an armbreaker wrench after the move. ZSJ continues to twist and torture Ishii's arm. Great series of reversals by both men leads eventually to an Octopus Lock by ZSJ followed by a Code Red for a 2 count. PK by ZSJ. Zack Driver is blocked by Ishii. He kicks at Ishii, but Ishii is just getting angry. CHOP TO THE THROAT OF ZSJ! Powerbomb Roll Up by Ishii only gets a 2. Headbutt by Ishii after a series of strikes by ZSJ. LARIAT! 1-2-kickout by ZSJ. Rear Naked Choke by ZSJ. Ishii flips out. Sliding Lariat misses by Ishii. European Clutch only gets 2. Sliding Knee by Ishii. Hanging Guillotine by ZSJ. A lot of counter wrestling going on here. Ishii is caught in a DOUBLE Octopus Lock working on both arms of Ishii! ISHII SUBMITS!
Winner: ZSJ (NEW British Heavyweight Champion)
Match Grade: B+. Another really good match from ZSJ and Ishii here. These guys just continue to have great chemistry, which is something you say a lot about matches involving Tomohiro Ishii. The man does not get enough credit as a great wrestler in this company. As for ZSJ, this is a huge victory for him on a big stage like Wrestle Kingdom. Here's hoping it is the beginning of bigger things for ZSJ in New Japan going forward.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Sanada and Evil) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)
Kevin Kelly discusses The Elite's big developments in America. But that doesn't mean their business in NJPW is over, according to him. But "do they deserve to be here?" This is regarding their involvement in this match involving the Tag Team Champions (G.O.D.) and the winners of the World Tag League (Sanada and Evil). Evil comes out dressed in a silver version of his usual attire along with a light-up symbol on his right hand. G.O.D. come out to new theme music along with Fale and Jado.
(So many wrestlers aren't working this show, including Fale and Liger. That just shows that NJPW has a deep enough roster to take the loss of The Elite, perhaps better than ROH can at this point.)
The bell rings. Nick and Tama start us off. Tama offers a handshake. Tama is a "good guy," according to him. Nick Jackson tags in. Evil offers his hand to tag himself in and pulls Tama out of the ring. Chaos ensues as Matt Jackson gets slammed on the runway, and EVIL JUST RUNS 30 YARDS TO CLOTHESLINE HIM. Back in the ring, Tanga Loa tags himself in and goes after Evil. G.O.D. double team Evil and clear the ring of the other teams. G.O.D.'s double team attempt gets interrupted by The Bucks who go on offense. They double team Evil in the ring with a flurry of high-impact aerial assaults. 2 count only though on the pin attempt. Matt Jackson now locks in a Sharpshooter on EVIL. Nick hits a diving attack on Sanada. G.O.D. refuse to directly interfere, but they help EVIL get to the bottom rope. Matt goes for the superkick, but Evil avoids it and hits a clothesline. Tag to Sanada.
Sanada is fighting off both The Young Bucks and G.O.D. He hits four dives in a row taking out both teams!!! A bunch of tandem offense going on between all three teams with each getting a moment of dominance. Matt Jackson is on the top rope as LIJ goes for a double suplex. G.O.D. catch them and go Tower of Doom on their 3 opponents. But that leaves Nick Jackson room to do a 450 Splash on Sanada. Jado is in the ring with Fale and a Cane. Grenade avoided. Double Superkick on Jado. Fale knocks both of the Bucks down. But Evil takes Fale out. G.O.D. avoid Magic Killer. Bucks are back in this match. Superkick! Meltzer DRIVER... NO GUN STUN!!!! Skull End and Everything is Evil! MAGIC KILLER on Matt Jackson! MOONSAULT BY SANADA! 1-2-3! NEW CHAMPIONS!
Winners: Evil and Sanada (NEW Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: B. Frantic match here with all the teams hitting big moves. At least with this match there seemed to be a good bit of storytelling going on, and The Bucks do the honors likely on their way out of the promotion. Meanwhile, the night for LIJ continues to look very good.
IWGP United States Championship
Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
Here's the ironic thing: Cody faced Juice at Wrestle Kingdom 11. Now, 2 years later, Cody will be facing Juice one last time (at least for NJPW) in Wrestle Kingdom 13. Cody comes out flexing and taunting everyone every few steps. Classic heel stuff here.
The bell rings. Cody and Juice go at it immediately with Juice getting the early advantage. Juice jumps off the top rope, but Cody reverses it. But Cody gets caught in Juice Box moments later. Cody is being covered by his wife to avoid Juice jumping off the top rope. Cody throws Juice shoulder first on the apron into the ring post sending Juice to the floor.
Cody sends Juice into the ring and continues to work on the shoulder. Rick Martel Jumping Jacks. Juice gets speared and assaulted by Brandi Rhodes. The referee catches her and throws her out! PULP FRICTION COUNTERED INTO CROSS RHODES! 1-2-KICKOUT! Cody stomps down on Juice. Den's Fire countered. Pulp Friction countered again. Cross Rhodes on Cody! 1-2-Kickout. You can hear Cody call a spot in the ring. Disaster Kick by Cody. Pulp Friction by Cody. 1-2-Kickout.
Cody whips Juice with his weight belt and slaps his head. Juice starts fighting back. Left Hand of God countered with a superkick by Cody. Left Hand connects on Cody. Another one now by Juice. Pulp Friction! A second Pulp Friction! 1-2-3!
Winner: Juice Robinson (NEW U.S. Champion)
Match Grade: C. That's being generous. This wasn't really much of a match here compared to some of the other ones both Juice and Cody have had in the past. This was basically a smoke-and-mirrors show/intermission for those watching live. The positives of this are that Juice gets the U.S. Championship back, and Cody did do the honors on his way out of the promotion. The Elite has been swept tonight (including Ibushi). Juice is now a 2x US Champion, and I see only bigger and better things for him in 2019.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
Kushida (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
A mini Kushida comes to the aisleway. A Doc Brown look-a-like (I think it's Taguchi again; it is) comes out and puts mini-Kushida on a box. He presses a button. Smoke flies up, and a grown up Kushida takes the kid's place once the smoke clears. Cool entrance for Kushida. (For those of you who don't know, Kushida has a crush on the Back to the Future movies and worked with Taguchi in the Doc Brown gimmick back in Wrestle Kingdom 10 when he defeated Kenny Omega.)
The bell rings. Early feeling out process by both men ends with Kushida getting a kick to the arm of Ishimori. Another exchange leads to the Cartwheel Dropkick by Kushida. Kushida continues to work on the arm of Ishimori. But Ishimori works in a crossface. Kushida gets his foot on the rope for the break. Hard chops by both men. Springboard Seated Senton by Ishimori on Kushida. Sliding German off the ropes by Ishimori. Ishimori goes for a 450, but he gets caught into an armbar by Kushida. Both men counter each other back and forth at slow and fast pacing. Ishimori gets caught in an awkward situation with his feet on the referee, and Kushida kicks the head of Ishimori.
Running kick to the back of the head by Kushida is met with a double knee to the face of Kushida. More counter wrestling here as Kushida gets the Hoverboard Lock in barely. He rolls Ishimori into the center of the ring. Ishimori rolls back in the center of the ring. Death Valley Driver by The Bone Soldier of The Bullet Club. Running knee into the corner by Ishimori into the head of Kushida. Bloody Cross countered into Back to the Future by Kushida. But he can't hit the second one. Both men exchange hard blows. Ishimori has the advantage. Bloody Cross! 1-2-3. New Champion.
Winner: Taiji Ishimori (New Jr. Heavyweight Champion)
Match Grade: B. Good decent match here with Ishimori hanging in with one of the great Jr. Heavyweights in NJPW history. These guys could have probably used a few more minutes to really put their stamp on this show. But for what it was, it was a fun Jr. match for the big show.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
Gedo comes out with Jay White in white. I thought Gedo was barred from ringside. Apparently not. Okada comes out in classic Rainmaker music with money coming down the Tokyo Dome. The classic Okada trunks are back too.
The bell rings. The crowd is cheering wildly (for a NJPW crowd) for Okada. White catches Okada chasing after him and takes the offense early on. Big boot by Okada. Sliding dropkick to the head of White. (Chono and Makabe are on commentary for the Japanese feed.) Gedo trips up Okada enough for White to take advantage and throw Okada upside down into the corner. Saito Suplex over the top to the floor by White. White goes to the floor and begins the typical attacks, including throwing Okada into the guard rails and the ring apron.
White and Okada are back in the ring. Another Saito Suplex in the ring gets a 2 for White. White establishes control of the match. Okada starts fighting back with strikes. Slaps by White to Okada. Okada responds back with slaps of his own. Big lariat by Okada. Okada gets a DDT in for a 2. Okada puts White on the corner and dropkicks White, sending White to the floor. White is booted over the barricade to the floor. Gedo attacks Okada to a chorus of boos! Gedo is thrown over the barricade. OKADA HITS THE RUNNING CROSSBODY OVER THE RAIL TO BOTH WHITE AND GEDO!
Back in the ring, Okada slams White and goes up top. Elbow drop to White. RAINMAKER POSE! Rainmaker blocked by White. Flatliner and a German Suplex by White. Rock Bottom/Urinage by White for a 2 count. Blade Runner escaped by Okada. Big clothesline by White. Gedo gets a chair and puts it on the apron. Gedo distracts the referee while White goes for the chair shot. White is thrown into Gedo. 2 Dropkicks by Okada. Saito Suplex from White puts Okada on his head. Kiwi Crusher by White ALMOST gets the 3, but Okada kicks out. Blade Runner signaled, but Okada escapes. TOMBSTONE by Okada! (Looks like White might have tweaked his knee in this match. May just be good selling, but don't be surprised if something develops from this.)
Hard chops and strikes by both men. Dropkick avoided by White. Blade Runner avoided. Dropkick by Okada! Rainmaker Pose again! Rainmaker avoided. Blade Runner escaped. Tombstone countered by both men. Counters by both men over and over again. SPINNING RAINMAKER! RAINMAKER COUNTERED INTO BLADE RUNNER!!! 1-2-3!!!
Winner: Jay White
Match Grade: A-. That was a great match, and it gives Jay White a HUGE WIN in his career. He's now defeated Okada at Wrestle Kingdom on the biggest stage in New Japan. White didn't seem overmatched at all in this match. Instead, White looked like he belonged. Now, even more so than his run in the G1, this establishes Jay White as a main event star in New Japan and a future IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
NO DQ Match
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
Loud "NAITO" chants for his entrance. May not be as loud as last year, but it was noticeable. Naito and Jericho's blood feud is emphasized by the English Commentary Team. Judas still sounds awesome in an arena as Jericho makes his entrance. "God, I love this version of Chris Jericho"- Me since 1998. But this version may even be better than The List Jericho.
Naito jumps Jericho from behind. The brawl is on in the floor. Jericho is whipped into the guardrail and choked by a camera cable. Jericho is smacked head first into the table. The bell rings. Both men are on the runway now. Naito nails Jericho with a piledriver! This is the polar opposite of how Dominion started from what I remember. Naito is just dominating Jericho (as he should, to be honest). Naito rolls Jericho back into the ring. Naito pulls a Yano and pulls a corner pad off. He whips Jericho multiple times with it. Jericho and Naito tease whipping the other into the exposed corner. Hurricanrana by Naito followed by the Tranquilo pose. Naito gets clotheslined to the floor. Tranquilo pose momentarily, but he goes to dive at Jericho. Jericho nails him with a Kendo Stick in mid flight. More Kendo Stick attacks by Jericho in the ring. One more attack by Jericho diving off the corner onto Naito's shoulder.
Naito is now being choked by Jericho and the Kendo Stick. Naito starts fighting back, but he takes another shot from the Kendo Stick. Springboard Dropkick to Naito on the apron by Jericho. VINTAGE JERICHO! (Wait. Wrong company.) Jericho takes a camera and shows off Naito. Lol. Suplex on the floor by Jericho. They are fighting into the commentary section. Naito and Jericho are no at the English Commentary Table. Jericho DDTS Naito HARD!!! SPIKE DDT ON THE TABLE! (Naito just pulled a RVD sell, just without jumping up in the air.) Naito is thrown over the rail. Jericho rings the bell to mockingly end the match. The crowd boos. The referee says that the match continues.
Naito is back in the ring. Jericho is on the corner. Flying Crossbody off the top only gets a 2. Jericho continues to work up the crowd like a master. Lionsault by Jericho. 2 count. Back suplex by Jericho with the "Come On Baby" pose afterwards. Jericho is loving this moment as he continues to egg on the crowd to get involved. Naito starts firing back. Flying forearm by Naito. Back elbow by Naito and a sliding dropkick. Jericho kicks Naito in the face several times, but Naito just spits in his face. Neckbreakers by Naito only get a 2 count. More spitting by Naito along with an LIJ salute. Corner slingshot dropkick caught by Jericho. WALLS OF JERICHO! The crowd is rooting for Naito to get to the ropes, but Naito is able to counter Jericho out of the move. Enziguri by Jericho. Codebreaker Blocked. Swinging DDT by Naito.
Naito may be going for Destino. Nope. Gloria! 1-2-Kickout by Jericho. Desti-NO! Jericho counters back into the Walls of Jericho! "ASK HIM!" Jericho yells. Jericho pulls Naito to the center of the ring. Naito gets a Kendo Stick and starts smacking backwards onto Jericho's back to break the hold. Naito is smiling as he has control of the Kendo Stick. Smack! Naito works on Jericho with the Kendo Stick to the back and the midsection of Jericho. Naito is motioning for the baseball shot. CODEBREAKER! 1-2-KICKOUT by Naito! What a match! (Good No DQ match here. They aren't relying too much on the stipulation, but instead, they are using it to garnish the already awesome match they have set up.)
Jericho goes to use the Kendo Stick, but he puts it down. Instead, he throws a bunch of chairs into the ring from underneath it. Chair to the midsection and back of Naito! Jericho goes for the powerbomb on a stack of chairs, but Naito hits a DDT on a chair!!!! Naito clears the ring! CODEBREAKER BY NAITO!!!! 1-2-KICKOUT! Naito grabs the Kendo Stick and climbs the corner, but Jericho throws a chair up on Naito on the corner. Jericho grabs Naito, but Naito reverses into a German Suplex on the chairs! DESTIN-NO! LOW BLOW TO NAITO! CODEBREAKER!!! 1-2-KICKOUT BY NAITO!!!!
Jericho gets a steel chair. No. He throws the chair down. He grabs the Intercontinental Championship and runs into the ring. He charges Naito, but he's elevated into the exposed corner! DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 1-2-KICKOUT BY JERICHO!!!! WHAT?! Naito goes for the Intercontinental Championship, and he looks to use it as a weapon! HE NAILS JERICHO WITH IT!!!! DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 1-2-3! WHAT A MATCH!
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (New Intercontinental Champion)
Match Grade: A+. 22:35 of pure carnage and great storytelling. Naito gets his revenge and a great victory by vanquishing Chris Jericho finally. Both men did an excellent job here working the crowd and the stipulation to perfection. Naito looked like a bonafide superstar here regardless of promotion. Jericho continues to prove that age is just a number with some amazing work here.
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tanahashi gets a remixed entrance here wtih a 20 to represent his 20th year in pro wrestling. If the night is any indication, this should be a win for Tanahashi. The Elite lost every match so far, and every championship has changed hands on this show thus far.
Kenny Omega comes out to new entrance music too along with a One-Winged Angel outfit. Interesting. He's cornered by The Young Bucks. Is this is new NJPW theme or his first AEW theme for when he makes the jump? :)
The bell rings. And the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 13 is underway. Omega and Tanahashi vie for the advantage early on, each trying to get a tie-up going. Slap to Omega by Tanahashi. Tie-up. Tanahashi is in the ropes. Omega just does a light slap. Tanahashi does a hard slap. It's on. Tanahashi avoids One Winged Angel and gets in a Cobra Twist. Tanahashi is flipped out of it by Omega. Tanahashi goes after the leg of Omega, twisting at it on the mat with a kneebar. Omega slaps Tanahashi several times and gets to the rope. Tanahashi goes back to work on that leg with kicks. Uppercut by Tanahashi, but he runs into the knee of Omega.
Omega goes after Tanahashi now with hard kicks to the back and midsection of The Ace. Boot choke by Omega in the corner. Running Backbreaker by Omega for a 2. Omega goes back to work on the back of Tanahashi with hard forearm strikes. Tanahashi fights back but eats a classic Omega chop. Another big forearm to the back of Tanahashi. Kicks to the back of Tanahashi. Back suplex by Omega sends Tanahashi to the floor. Suplex on the edge of the ring apron by Omega. HARD CHOP by Omega. Tanahashi gets whipped into the rail, but he meets Omega with a dropkick. His back hit the ringpost on the way down. Omega drives the back into the edge of the ring. 10 minutes have passed.
Tanahashi is slammed on a table in the commentary section. One of the poor Japanese commentators is down. Omega does a moonsault off the rail onto Tanahashi. Then he pulls up the commentator and holds his head up in a mocking apron. Omega pulls out a table and mocks Tanahashi's comment about Omega being "graceless." Tanahashi fights back into the match and looks at the table. He slides Omega back in the ring while still looking at the table at ringside. Both men are back in the ring slugging it out. Tanahashi takes the hard chops from Omega, but he refuses to go down! Tanahashi connects with a Flying Forearm.
Tanahashi builds momentum. DRAGON SCREW to the leg of Omega. Running dropkick now to Omega. Bodyslam and a Somersault Senton off the corner by Tanahashi. He gets caught with a hard chop by Omega and a Kotaro Crusher. Tanahashi goes out of the ring at 15 minutes. Rise of the Terminator is stopped by Tanahashi doing a running dropkick in the ring. The crowd is booing. Snap Rana by Omega sends Tanahashi back outside. Rise of the Terminator signalled again. He connects, but Omega connects HARD on the runway. His leg hit Tanahashi right in the face. Omega rolls Tanahashi back in the ring. Omega climbs the corner. Flying Missile Dropkick off the top to the shoulder of Tanahashi. Snap Dragon connects. Tanahashi gets right back up. A second Snap Dragon. Tanahashi comes back up. V-TRIGGER! One Winged Angel avoided. Twist and Shout denied. You Can't Escape. Omega tweaks the knee. REVERSE DRAGON SCREW OFF THE CORNER ON THE BAD LEG OF OMEGA! Damn! (Great storytelling so far.)
Twist and Shout by Tanahashi. Cloverleaf on Omega. Callis puts over how hard it is to lock in this hold. Omega's bad knee is suffering, but Tanahashi's bad back may not allow him to get the maximum impact of the move. Tanahashi sits down on the move. Omega rolls out of position. But Tanahashi hits STYLES CLASH! He climbs up the top rope! HIGH FLY FLOW INTO THE KNEES OF OMEGA! Who does that hurt more: Omega or Tanahashi at this point? Omega is in pain from using his knees.
The crowd is clapping along with The Bucks. Omega charges, but he misses Tanahashi with V-Trigger. Instead he hits the corner hard with his knee. Omega is on the apron. Omega is caught again with a Dragon Screw on the middle rope. Tanahashi charges Omega and hits SLING BLADE ON THE FRAME OF THE RING! The Ace is dominating this match now. He puts Omega on the table and climbs the top rope!!!! HIGH FLY FLOW MISSES AND TANAHASHI GOES THROUGH THE TABLE! Callis kills it on commentary calling Tanahashi a "Sanctimonious SOB." Lol. 25 minutes have passed. Omega puts Tanahashi back in the ring.
Omega pulls Tanahashi on the middle rope and nails a Double Stomp on the back of Tanahashi. POWERBOMB Roll Up only gets a 2. A second one only gets a 2. A 3rd one only gets a 2. Tanahashi continues to keep going despite taking all this punishment. Omega chokes Tanahashi. V-Trigger countered with SLING BLADE by Tanahashi! Tanahashi is smiling. Omega gets back up. They exchange blows in the center of the ring. Hard slaps by Omega to Tanahashi. Tanahashi responds. Knees to the ribs of Tanahashi at the 30 minute time period.
German Suplex by Omega. Tanahashi just gets right back up. Another hard chop by Omega. SLING BLADE by Omega! He now is going up top for High Fly Flow! HE CONNECTS! Tanahashi kicks out at 1!!!! He's back up on his feet. V-Trigger! Tanahashi finally goes down. Hard slap by Tanahashi. Standing V-Triggers. Tanahashi grabs the knee again and dropkicks Omega's other knee. REVERSE RANA by Omega! Omega is struggling to get up. He signals for one more V-Trigger. He connects! Tanahashi takes a knee to the face. REVERSE RANA OUT OF ONE WINGED ANGEL BY TANAHASHI!
Tanahashi pulls up Omega. Snap Dragon Bridge! 1-2-Kickout! He climbs up the corner. Tanahashi HIGH FLY FLOW to a standing Omega! HIGH FLY FLOW AGAIN! 1-2-KICKOUT! I bought that as the finish. 35 minutes have passed. Tanahashi is going back up the corner again slowly. Running V-Trigger by Omega. Omega has Tanahashi on the corner and climbs up the corner. SNAP DRAGON OFF THE CORNER ON TANAHASHI WHO ROTATES TO LAND FACE FIRST! Omega signals for V-Trigger again. IT CONNECTS! ONE WINGED ANGEL REVERSED AGAIN BY TANAHASHI! SLING BLADE! He climbs back up the corner! HIGH FLY FLOW! 1-2-3!!!! NEW CHAMPION!
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi (NEW IWGP Heavyweight Champion)
Match Grade: A. Another great match here with Omega doing an absolutely great job on his way out of the promotion. Tanahashi still has it to tell a great story in the ring, and he was able to keep up with Omega. I kinda figured that this was going to be the finish given what has happened in the last couple months, but that doesn't mean this wasn't a great match to get to the final result. Well done by both men.
Tanahashi gets the IWGP Heavyweight Championship for the 8th time. Tanahashi gets on the mic and cuts a promo. He thanks the fans for being there. He didn't think he would be on this stage again. But thanks to Shibata and his friends, he has the energy to be back. And the fans more importantly helped him. He doesn't have enough power to perform for the fans. He'll do one song for the fans. Air Guitar!
Show Grade: B+. The show had a few gems on it, including the last three matches and Ibushi/Ospreay. But there were a few matches in the middle that were saddled by time constraints (the tag title matches and Ishii/ZSJ, which could have used a few more moments). Then there's Cody vs. Juice which honestly disappointed the hell out of me. And with The Elite leaving the promotion (which seems to be official with Omega losing), it creatively saddled the show somewhat. But in my opinion, this show's gems outweighed the negative aspects. So, Wrestle Kingdom 13 gets my approval. If you want several great wrestling matches with no waste of time in 4 hours, you won't find many better than this.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
Comments
Post a Comment