Here's the card (according to WrestlingInc.com):
* Tetusya Naito (c) v. Taichi - IWGP Intercontinental TItle
* SANADA & EVIL (c) v. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr. (IWGP Tag Team Titles)
* Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (c) v. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles)
* Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yoshi-Hashi v. Jay White, Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
* Ryuske Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe v. Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tanga & Tango Loa
* Tiger Mask & Manabu Nakanishi v. Shota Umino & Ayato Yoshida
* Ren Narita & Horoyoshi Tenzan v. TAKA Michinoku & Takashi Iizuka
* Toa Henare v. Yota Tsuji
I'll be a little brief on the undercard matches and save deep analysis for the last few matches.
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NJPW New Beginning 2019 - 2/3/19
NJPW WORLD (njpwworld.com)
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NJPW New Beginning (Night 2- 2/3/19)
Sapporo, Japan
1) Toa Henare v. Yota Tsuji
A basic battle of the bulls here as both men have similar body types. A basic battle of strength and size here. Henare and Tsuji trade moves back and forth, including bodyslams. Boston Crab by Tsuji gets nothing as Henare gets to the ropes. They continue to trade offense back and forth, each looking to strike the other down for good. Henare gets a good headbutt in and a big lariat which gets a good 2 count. Urinage/Rock Bottom gets the win.
Winner: Toa Henare
Match Grade: C-. An ok match. Again, with a Young Lion involved, you are just looking at the prospect of what they can do. In this case, Tsuji showed some promise but still needs some work.
2) Tiger Mask & Manabu Nakanishi v. Shota Umino & Ayato Yoshida
Tiger Mask and Unimo start off for a few minutes. Then Yoshida and Nakanishi take their turn. Nakanishi uses his size advantage to knock down Yoshida a couple times, including with a spear. Tiger Mask and Nakanishi take turns beating down on Yoshida. Enziguri to Nakanishi (a weak one by the way as Nakanishi clearly had his arm up to block the impact of the move) allows Yoshida to tag in Unimo. Unimo tries several times to slam Nakanishi, but Nakanishi responds with one of his own and a splash. Moments later, Unimo gets his slam on Nakanishi. Tiger Mask and Yoshida get the tag. Yoshida gets a Rear Naked Choke on Tiger Mask, but Nakanishi interferes. Moments later, Tiger Mask gets a leg lock on Yoshida, but Yoshida gets the ropes. Tiger Driver. 1-2-Unimo breaks up the pin. Butterfly Suplex off the top of the corner. 1-2-3.
Winners: Tiger Mask and Nakanishi
Match Grade: C. And that's for Unimo and Yoshida who looked really good in this match. Nakanishi and Tiger Mask didn't really do much to add to this match other than bounce the younger wrestlers around. Tiger Mask got some nice moves in towards the end of the match. But Unimo and Yoshida were the definite workhorses of this one. Good prospects here.
3) Ren Narita & Horoyoshi Tenzan v. TAKA Michinoku & Takashi Iizuka
Once again, we get the Iizuka entrance that shows off empty seats there are in the crowd. This time, they start from the very top of the building and go to the floor. (Not as many empty seats as there were for yesterday.)
Tenzan wants Iizuka to shake his hand, but Iizuka attacks him instead to start this off. Brawling all around ringside and into the audience. Rinse and repeat from yesterday. Narita and Taka start the match in the ring. Narita has to fight off both Taka and Iizuka. Iizuka beats down on Tenzan some more on the floor and once again into the audience. Iizuka gets tagged in and the muzzle goes off. Cue the biting which Narita and Tenzan get. Eventually, Tenzan gets the tag. Chops from Tenzan and the hissing from the crowd. Iizuka and Taka team up on Tenzan, and Narita eventually saves Tenzan from more punishment. Taka knocks Tenzan off the corner with a kick. Iizuka shoves the referee down and hits Tenzan with "the iron glove" for the DQ.
Winners: Tenzan and Narita
Match Grade: D+. I feel like I watched this match yesterday. Very similar structure to the other Iizuka vs. Tenzan tag match from yesterday.
Iizuka gets the mic and wraps the cord around the throat of Tenzan. They throw Tenzan over the ropes to hang him using the cord. Again, Iizuka and Taka go through the crowd. Apparently, this is Iizuka's farewell tour as he's retiring on the 21st. It looks to me like they are setting up a match with Tenzan as his opponent.
4) Ryuske Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe v. Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Tama Tanga & Tango Loa
Taguchi and Ishimori start off the match to preview their match at the end of this tour. Taguchi gets the advantage, causing Ishimori to tag in the newly rebranded "Good Guy" Tama Tonga. Tonga argues with Honma, and Yujiro tags himself in with disgust towards his Bullet Club brother. Honma goes to do the headbutt, but Tonga gets in the way of Jado hitting Jado with the kendo stick. During that distraction, the rest of Bullet Club beats up on the other team. Tonga and the referee are talking as Jado jabs Honma with the kendo stick.
Back in the ring, Bullet Club tags in and out to attack Honma. Tonga plays the "insincere apologist" really well as he gets one punch in on Honma and tags himself out in disgust for his actions. They do the same thing again, but the B.C. refuse to tag in until Tonga gets the dropkick in. Honma gets the headbutt on Yujiro. Tag to Makabe. Makabe does the lariat and ten punches routine to Yujiro in the corner. G.O.D. get the double dropkick on Makabe.
Makabe fights off Yujiro and tags in Taguchi. Hip Attacks to Yujiro. Yujiro gets to Ishimori for the tag who goes off on Taguchi with his speed. Bloody Cross is countered with an ankle lock by Taguchi, but Loa breaks it up. Jado gets a kendo stick shot on Taguchi's head, but Taguchi kicks out. Hip Attack by Taguchi leads to a tag to Yano. Loa is in for B.C. The corner pad is ripped off by Yano, but he gets whipped into it. Tonga goes nuts on Loa for whipping Loa into that corner. B.C. attacks Yano in the corner with Tonga screaming in defiance as he gets whipped into Yano with a Stinger Splash. Moments later, Tonga refuses to hit Yano with a kendo stick. Yano low blows both Loa and Tonga. Roll-up to Loa leads to the 3.
Winners: Ryuske Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano, Togi Makabe
Match Grade: C+. This was much more entertaining than it had any right to be. And Tama Tonga's antics had a lot to do with that. The gimmick he's doing right now is hilarious. Good back and forth action towards the end, and Yano was used perfectly as the hot tag to end the match for his team.
5) Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yoshi-Hashi v. Jay White, Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Bad Luck Fale is no longer "The Underboss." He is now "The Rogue General." Jay White goes down the aisle reminding everyone that Tanahashi tapped out. When Tanahashi comes out, White continues to remind the announce team and Tanahashi himself of that tap out.
Okada uses his speed early to cause Chase Owens to get splashed by accident by Bad Luck Fale. Triple Team by Okada's team to Owens. White and Tanahashi eventually start going at it. Tanahashi sells the anger and frustration of wanting to make White suffer. White catches Tanahashi on the ropes and chop blocks him. White shoves the referee down while Bullet Club beats down on the faces. White attacks the leg on the ring frame and throws Tanahashi against the guard rail. White continues to attack the leg of Tanahashi. Bullet Club now takes turns beating up on Tanahashi in the corner. White does a Single-Leg Crab on Tanahashi which Yoshi-Hashi helps break up. Owens now gets tagged in. Tanahashi is so angry at White that he continues to attack him in the corner instead of making the tag to his own partners. Evenutally, Tanahashi tags in Okada.
Okada uses his speed to beat down on Owens. Flapjack to Owens. Tombstone avoided. Reverse DDT/Elbow Drop by Owens. Fale is tagged in. Running splash in the corner followed by another one in the center of the ring. Okada gets the slam in on Fale. He goes for the Tombstone, but that's just not happening. Backdrop to Fale. Tanahashi and Yoshi-Hashi take the fight to B.C. Flying Elbow Drop to Fale. Rainmaker Pose. Samoan Drop by Fale. White runs in and attacks okada. (I guess he's legal. The camera never showed it.) White Noise/Neckbreaker by Okada. Tag to Yoshi-Hashi. Head Hunter to White. Suplex into a Rude Awakening by Hashi only gets 2. Gedo pulls Hashi's leg bouncing off the ropes. Triple Team Splashes into the corner on Hashi by Bullet Club. Death Valley Driver by White only gets a 2. 15 minutes have passed. Everyone comes in and hits moves on the opponents. Lariat to White by Hashi. Karma only gets 2 for Hashi. (The crowd was loud for that.) Hashi goes up high and sentons into the knees of White. Choke into a suplex by White. White looks at Tanahashi who is being held back. TTO to Hashi. Hashi taps out as Tanahashi can only watch.
White refuses to release the hold until Tanahashi kicks him. Gedo attacks Tanahashi, and The Ace decks him. Kick to the leg of Tanahashi. Blade Runner. White holds up the IWGP Heavyweight Championship over Tanahashi.
Winners: Bullet Club
Match Grade: B+. Again, Jay White continues to look awesome here. The TTO is only a couple days old, and it is becoming a signature hold of White's that I hope he continues to use in the years to come. Good action here with everyone getting some moves in. Yoshi-Hashi deserves some credit too as the crowd was invested in seeing him get the upset pin in this match. I've been really hard (deservedly so, for the record) on Hashi, but there's no doubt that crowd was rooting for him.
And now, we get to the Suzuki-Gun vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon portion of this show as Suzuki-Gun looks to take some gold away from their rivals.
6) IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles
Shingo Takagi & BUSHI (c) v. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
The bell rings. Kanemaru and Shingo start us off. Wild misses by both men, but Shingo gets a Tilt-A-Whirl Powerslam in early. Bushi and Desperado get the tag. Desperado goes for the mask immediately. Bushi returns the favor. Dropkick by Bushi after a few blocks from both men. Shingo and Bushi tag back in and out to continue working over Desperado. Bushi goes over the ropes, and Kanemaru uses that opportunity to throw Bushi into the rail and do the running leg drop on the floor.
Now Bushi is being beat up by Desperado who goes again for the mask. The violence goes out to the floor (it's a Suzuki-Gun match. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT?!) as Kanemaru uses a rail to twist Shingo's leg up. Meanwhile, Desperado works on Bushi in the crowd. Bushi gets in the ring at the count of 14 for Kanemaru to continue the beating. Kanemaru and Desperado continue to beat up on Bushi while Shingo still tries to get up in his corner. Flying Hurricanrana off the corner by Bushi to Desperado. Enziguri to Desperado.
Tag to Shingo. Shingo sells the leg after a slam to Kanemaru, but he continues the fast-paced offensive flurry to his opponents. Desperado spears Shingo down (who was hobbling in the ring). Shingo hits some hard attacks on Desperado and tags in Bushi. Bushi hits a missile dropkick and the Bushi-Rooni. Double Team by LIJ. Kanemaru and Desperado get the advantage by double-teaming both Shingo and Bushi. Bushi and Desperado trade kicks back and forth. Swinging Neckbreaker by Bushi. Tag to Kanemaru and Shingo. Hard chop and back suplex by Shingo. Shingo is still having a hard time with the leg. Dropkick to the knee by Kanemaru. Tilt-A-Whirl DDT by Kanemaru. Kanemaru nails a moonsault off the corner. 2 count. Deep Impact is blocked into an overhead suplex by Shingo. Overhead Toss by Shingo. 15 minutes have passed.
Pop-Up Death Valley Driver by Shingo. 2 count only as Desperado breaks it up. Bushi and Desperado fight on the floor. Face-First Plant by Shingo to Kanemaru. Shingo gets the runnin
g lariat to Kanemaru, but Desperado pulls the referee out. Steel chair is brought in by Desperado. MIST TO KANEMARU BY BUSHI! Desperado gets taken out by Bushi. Another running lariat by Shingo gets a 2. Rebellion (A Double Team Codebreaker) by LIJ gets the 3!
Winners: Shingo and Bushi (Still IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions)
Match Grade: B+. Very good match here with Shingo doing a good job selling the leg after the outside assault. The Desperado vs. Bushi segments were also very well done and should result sometime in the future in a Mask vs. Mask match. All four men performed well in this.
Desperado goes after LIJ. They turn the tide, and Bushi rips off Desperado's mask. It gets thrown into the crowd.
7) IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
SANADA & EVIL (c) v. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki and Sabre waste no time jumping LIJ to start the match. The violence goes out to the floor. Sanada sends Suzuki into the guard rail as Sabre works on Evil in the ring. Evil tags in Sanada to double up on Sabre. Sanada tries to lock Sabre in the Paradise Lock, but Sabre is too good to let that happen on the first attempt. Suzuki catches Sanada and does an armbar over the ropes. Suzuki goes to work on Evil into the crowd and into the seats. Suzuki throws rails and chairs on top of Evil. He's smiling and laughing while doing this. Sabre tortures Sanada with submission holds in the crowd. Sanada barely gets in the ring by 19. He runs in to the waiting arms of Sabre who starts twisting the arm and fingers of Sanada. Suzuki tags in and continues the work on Sanada. (At one point, Suzuki and Sabre trade arm locks and boots on Sanada.) 5 minutes have passed as Suzuki just decks Sanada with a forearm. Cue evil smile.
Suzuki gets an armbar on Sanada. (The thing that should scare everyone about Suzuki is that he's "working" this match. But he's legitimately beat Ken Shamrock twice in shoot fights. Suzuki is what gives Freddy Krueger nightmares!) Tag to Sabre who continues the work on the arm of Sanada. Meanwhile Suzuki is torturing Evil in the LIJ corner with an armbar on him!!!!! He's twisting the fingers of Evil and bending the wrist back! Meanwhile Sanada finally gets to the ropes to get out of the torturous hold by Sabre. Sanada fights off both Sabre and Suzuki. Tag to EVIL!
Evil comes in and starts working on Sabre. Evil just overpowers Sabre with a Fisherman Buster. Suplex by Sabre and a Neck Crank using the feet. Lariat by Evil. Darkness Falls is avoided. Leg Sweep by Sabre. Tag to Suzuki. Running boot to Evil in the corner. PK. 1-2-Kickout. Kick to the midsection by Evil. Tag to Sanada. Suzuki avoids the Springboard Attack. Double team by Suzuki and Sabre. Stereo PKs. 2 count. Evil and Sanada double team on Suzuki. They call for the finish. Magic Killer stopped by a spear to Evil by Sabre. Stereo Submissions by Suzuki and Sabre. Sanada is in a deep ankle lock. Suzuki has it in for the longest time before Sanada gets to the ropes. (He was close enough to get it a good minute before he actually did.
Rear Naked Choke followed by a pair of PKs by Suzuki and Sabre. 15 minutes have passed. Gotch Style Piledriver and Zack Driver both countered into the TKO and Darkness Falls. Magic Killer to Suzuki! 1-2-Sabre breaks it up. Skull End on Suzuki! EVERYTHING IS EVIL ON SABRE! Suzuki gets out. Gotch Piledriver avoided. MAGIC KILLER TO SUZUKI! MOONSAULT! 1-2-3!
Winners: Evil and Sanada
Match Grade: B+. Another quality match here between Suzuki-Gun and LIJ. Very good work by all four men. Evil and Sanada work really well together as a team, but you have to wonder when these two will be given a serious push in the singles division. And while Minoru Suzuki is in his 50s, he's showing that he can still put on good performances like this. And what I said about Evil and Sanada can easily be said for Sabre as well. At some point, NJPW needs to give Sabre more. He won the New Japan Cup last year but hasn't done much since except spoil Naito's G1 Climax hopes last August.
8) IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Taichi
Iizuka attacks Naito as he comes down the aisle with a step ladder. Naito is out. Iizuka continues to press the ladder into the head of Naito as Young Lions try to pull Iizuka off of him to no avail. Taichi just acts surprised, but not upset, in the ring. Iizuka finally lets go. Taichi goes out and holds up Naito for another smash. White Noise/Black Mephisto on the ramp by Taichi. Taichi takes the belt and holds it up in the ring. Naito is not moving on the ramp. A bunch of Young Lions and NJPW staff check on Naito who does not move.
Taichi gets on the mic. He declares the match over. He tells the crowd to go home. This is it. On the ramp, Naito is being brought past the ring to the back by the Young Lions and NJPW officials.
Taichi goes outside and tells Makabe and Chono to go home (both are on Japanese commentary). Taichi is just standing in the ring wondering what is going on. Taichi gets on English commentary and declares himself champion. Kevin Kelly asks if there's going to be a match or not.
Finally, the ring announcer gets some information as Taichi poses the Tranquilo pose with Taichi. The announcement is that Naito is being checked on by doctors backstage. Please be patient. Red Shoes and the NJPW Chairman are coming out. Some discussion is going on. Red Shoes (the ref) comes in and refuses to give it to Taichi. Bushi is helping Naito to the ring. Naito rolls in. He demands for the bell to ring.
The bell rings. Naito fires off at Taichi who no sells every punch. Naito crumbles to the mat. Taichi asks Naito to hit him harder. Taichi just smiles. One blow to the back of the head just sends Naito crumbling to the mat. One-Legged Dropkick by Naito. Taichi is first to his feet and mocks Naito. Naito pulls himself up on Taichi, but Taichi just kicks him down. Taichi has the officials ask Naito to give up. Tranquilo Pose by Taichi. Naito starts firing back with a Reverse DDT/Neckbreaker followed by a Dropkick. Naito gets up but gets hit with a lariat sending Naito on the back of his neck on the ring frame. Taichi goes under the ring and pulls out a table. The referee waves it off, but Taichi sets it up nonetheless on the floor. Naito fights off an attack by Taichi. PILEDRIVER BY NAITO TO TAICHI OFF THE APRON THROUGH THE TABLE ON THE FLOOR!!!!! The odds have just been rendered even.
Naito gets in the ring at 14. Taichi rolls back in the ring at 18. Naito hits a hurricanrana off the top rope! 1-2-KICKOUT! Gloria blocked. Leaping Enziguri by Taichi. Back Saito Suplex by Taichi. Now, Taichi shows off the tights. Clothesline to Naito. 2 count only. Submission headlock by Taichi. He transitions to a pin attempt. 2 count only. Powerbomb turned into a Hurricanrana by Naito. Pop-Up Spinebuster by Naito. Gloria is blocked again. Swinging DDT by Naito! Gloria connects this time! 1-2-Kickout! Iizuka is back out and gets knocked to the floor. Naito throws him into the guard rail. Young Lions are dragging Iizuka and Bushi to the back. Taichi has the belt! Naito avoids it and hits an enziguri. Naito now has Taichi's mic stand! To the side of the head of Taichi! Naito is not done! Taichi holds on to Naito's leg, but Naito hits him with it again. Taichi uses a chair on Naito!!!! HE BREAKS IT OVER NAITO'S HEAD!!!! (Red Shoes is down on the floor. That's why there was no DQ.)
Taichi screams. Saito Suplex! 1-2-Kickout by Naito! Naito sells a "No One's Home" stare into space. Taichi picks him up again. Black Mephisto blocked. REVERSE RANA BY NAITO! Naito runs at Taichi! Low Blow! Gedo Clutch almost gets the 3 for Taichi. Superkick by Taichi! 1-2-KICKOUT! Last Ride Powerbomb avoided! LOW BLOW BY NAITO! DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! TAICHI KICKS OUT AT 2!!! 20 minutes have passed.
Naito calls for the end. Destin--- NO! ANOTHER REVERSE RANA BY NAITO! Taichi is done! Driver by Naito. 1-2-KICKOUT! DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! 1-2-3!
Winner: Tetsuya Naito (STILL IWGP Intercontinental Champion)
Match Grade: A. The best match I've ever seen Taichi have just happened. The opening drama before the match was a little much for me in terms of time. But once the match itself got going, it had tons of drama, action, and near falls. Taichi is made in this match going forward as far as being taken seriously as a competitor. As for Naito, the man does not get enough credit for being a good storyteller. He sold every move Taichi did and was a master during the beatdown by Iizuka.
LIJ comes out to check on their leader as Taichi is being helped to the back. Naito cuts a promo about going after the World Title while still holding the Intercontinental Championship. He does the LIJ salute at the end still including Hiromu. (Here's hoping Hiromu is able to come back.)
Show Grade: A-. This was a better show than the one from yesterday. The LIJ vs. Suzuki-Gun matches all delivered some quality wrestling. The build of Tanahashi-White was very well done. The overall feel of the show flowed much better, and the card itself was better constructed in my personal opinion. Having several title matches does help its cause undoubtedly.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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