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RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN'S NJPW ON AXS TV REPORT 3/20 - advance review of Friday's episode with Nakamura vs. Tanahashi from WK8

Mar 20, 2015 - 6:40:48 AM
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By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

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RADICAN’S NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING ON AXS TV REPORT
ADVANCED REVIEW OF EPISODE 10
AIRDATE MARCH 20, 2015


[ FYI: This episode will air on March 20 on AXS TV at 9:00 p.m. EST and 6 p.m. PST. Video Preview HERE ]



The tenth episode of NJPW on AXS TV features IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura facing Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 8.

Tanahashi cut a promo with subtitles. He said he was a one-of-a-kind talent and this was Jan. 4, 2014 at the Tokyo Dome.

They went to some clips from the Nakamura-Tanahashi match before going to a sit down interview with Tanahashi. He said he had lost to IWGP Hvt. Champion Kazuchika Okada on Oct. 14, 2013 and didn’t know where he was headed. Footage was shown with Okada hitting the Rainmaker to beat Tanahashi. He said he knew his path when Nakamura called him out on Nov. 9. He said he’s proud of the special feeling people get when he faces Nakamura. Tanahashi talked about how their match had been voted into the main event by fans. Tanahashi talked about how his style used to contrast his, but now he’s come over to his side and is a man of the people. He said there was always a rivalry between his style and Nakamura’s strong style. He said the moment Nakamura yelled out Yeah-O, he broke out of the spell of strong style. This was an excellent introduction to the match featured on this episode.

Mauro Ranallo and Josh Barnett introduced the show and Ranallo mentioned that the show had 35,000 fans in attendance. Tanahashi made his elaborate entrance coming out on a platform with Marty Friedman playing his entrance music on guitar. Barnett said Friedman used to be the lead guitarist in Megadeath and had made his home in Japan for the last 10 years. The announcers mentioned that Friedman is in a Japanese rock band. The announcers mentioned this is the first time the IC Title had headlined Wrestle Kingdom. Tanahashi played some air guitar with Friedman and they made their way down the long entrance ramp. Barnett said that although Tanahashi said Nakamura had gotten away from strong style, he would see something different once they got into the ring tonight. Ranallo mentioned that Tanahashi comes in with the possibility of losing the big one three times in a row and this time he doesn’t walk into Wrestle Kingdom with the confidence that holding a title brings.

Ranallo mentioned that Tanahashi has lost two Nakamura twice in title matches in the past at Wrestle Kingdom. The level of detail the announcers go into to set the stage for the matches featured on these shows is tremendous.

Ranallo talked about how Nakamura’s reputation had elevated the reputation of the IC Title and it was now being defended in the main event.

Nakamura made his ring entrance complete with pole dancers and a contortionist. Nakamura lifted one of the dancers over his head and posed with her. Ranallo said this was as big as it gets on the Japanese wrestling scene. He said this was the best feud between the best wrestlers of this generation. He mentioned they had met in the ring over 200 times, but this was their 15th singles encounter with Tanahashi holding an edge with a record of 8-6 in their matches. Nakamura danced his way down the long entrance ramp.

Stand Hanson held up the IC Championship in the middle of the ring before the match began and the fans applauded.

Back from commercial, the match was set to begin. Ranallo mentioned it had been a long time since they had met one-on-one.

IWGP IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

The fans fired up before the match started. Tanahashi tried to pump up the crowd. Nakamura offered a clean breaker during the early going and then did his signature clean break. The pace picked up and both men avoided strikes before coming to a stalemate. Tanahashi got the upper hand and began going after Nakamura’s leg with several kicks and stomps. Tanahashi went for a cross body, but Nakamura got his knee up and smiled as Tanahashi rolled around in pain. Tanahashi tossed Nakamura to the floor and dropped him chest-first over the barricade. Nakamura made a cocky cover on Tanahashi back inside the ring for a 1 count. Tanahashi tried to fire back, but caught a huge kick to the chest that sent him flying into the corner. Nakamura did his signature vibration boot in the corner, but Tanahashi lifted his leg and eventually hit a dragon screw before they went to commercial break.

Back from the break, Tanahashi was still in control. Tanahashi sit his signature summersault senton off the second rope for a 2 count. Nakamura whipped Tanahashi into the corner and charged at him, but Tanahashi kicked his legs out from under him and went back to work on his leg. Ranallo mentioned again that the fans had voted this match into the main event of Wrestle Kingdom, which spoke to the popularity of these two wrestlers. Nakamura fired back and caught Tanahashi with a spin kick that left both men down on the mat. Nakamura hit a big knee to the chest and grabbed a front choke. Nakamura began hitting a series of Pride style knees to Tanahashi. He then picked him up and dumped him down to the mat for a 2 count. Barnett said he wished knees and soccer kicks would come back to MMA, which was pretty funny. Nakamura hit some big kicks in the corner and connected with the vibration boot. He then strutted across the ring, but missed a running knee strike. Tanahashi missed a cross body and Nakamura connected with a series of running knees. Nakamura eventually missed a running knee and Tanahashi went for a dragon screw through the ropes, but Nakamura hit an enzuguri.

Nakamura went to work on Tanahashi on the outside whipping him into the barricade and then nailing him with a big knee to the back. Nakamura hung Tanahashi upside down across the apron and went for a diving knee drop, but Tanahashi got out of the way. Nakamura sold his knee. Tanahashi went up top and hit the high fly flow to a standing Nakamura on the floor. Tanahashi tossed Nakamura back into the ring and they went to a commercial break.

Back from the break, Tanahashi hit a dragon screw around the ropes on Nakamura. Nakamura surprised Tanahashi with a triangle. Ranallo mentioned that that Nakamura had a 5-1 record in MMA> Tanahashi began to fade, but then got up to his feet. He eventually countered the hold into Texas cloverleaf. Nakamura struggled, but managed to get to the ropes. Nakamura tried to fire back on Tanahashi, but he caught him with a German with a bridge for a 2 count. Tanahashi went up top, but Nakamura nailed him with a kick to the head. Tanahashi tried to skin the cat back into the ring after falling off the top, but Nakamura caught him with a back cracker. Both men were slow to get to their feet. They got up and began exchanging hard blows. Both men continued to trade blows at a rapid pace and the fans fired up. Tanahashi hit a pair of hard slaps. Nakamura hit a huge knee strikes and began stomping on Tanahashi’s head over and over and then he nailed him with some big kicks to the head. The ref backed Nakamura away, but Tanahashi fired back and went after Nakamura. Nakamura popped up from a dragon screw and hit a Boma Ye to the back of Tanahashi’s head and both men were down. Nakamura got up and went back on the attack. He hit his signature reverse power slam and shook some feeling into his leg. Nakamura set up for the Boma Ye in the corner and Tanahashi tried to surprise him, but Nakamura got out of the way. Tanahashi eventually hit the sling blade and both men were down. Tanahashi crawled towards the rope and began slowly climbing them. Nakamura popped up and cut him off. Nakamura lifted Tanahasi onto his shoulders. Tanahashi went for a sunset bomb and Nakamura tried to fight out of it. He eventually grabbed the ropes and then drove Tanahashi face-first into his knees with a code breaker variation. Tanahashi popped up and surprised Nakamura with a dragon suplex for a 2 count. He then hit the high fly flow, but Nakamura kicked out at the very last second and the fans gasped. They went to commercial break once again.

They came back from the break and Ranallo mentioned the past IC Champions since the belt was established in 2011. Nakamura surprised Tanahashi with a big kick and hit the Boma Ye off the top. He followed up with another running Boma Ye and Tanahashi kicked out at the very last second. Nakamura sold shock and set up in the corner. He charged at Tanahashi. Tanahashi kicked his leg out from under him. Nakamura shook off a shot to the leg and went after Tanahashi, but eventually ate a dragon screw. The fans fired up as Tanahashi slowly set up another Texas cloverleaf. Nakamura struggled towards the ropes, but Tanahashi dragged him away. Nakamura screamed in pain and the fans fired up. Nakamura escaped, but Tanahashi tied up his legs and hit a Styles clash variation. Tanahashi went up top once again. He hit the high fly flow on a kneeling Nakamura. Tanahashi hit the traditional high fly flow to become the new IWGP IC Champion. Tanahashi, with the win, became the seventh IWGP IC Champion according to a graphic on the screen.

After the match, Stan Hanson presented Tanahasi with the IWGP IC Title. The singing woman announced Tanahashi as the new IWGP IC Champion. Tanahashi posed for the crowd and Nakamura was shown being helped to the back. He played to the fans while selling pain.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi to become the new IWGP IC Champion – This was an amazing match that holds up in the ****1/2 star range. It was a little slow to get going, but once they began going back and forth with Tanahashi working over Nakamura’s leg over and it over it got really good. Barnett and Ranallo add so much to the presentation that it makes this must-see TV. The NJPW big show presentation for WK is incredible.

They went to the press conference after the match. Nakamura said the IC Championship he held was set out on a bright light today. He said he tried to shine the light, but was blinded by it. He said everyone is looking for something beyond ordinary and today history changed. He said a new ear starts today.

They went to Tanahashi cutting a promo in the ring. He said to the fans from the third floor that he’s glad he kept believing in pro wrestling. He said he will continue to energize the pro wrestling industry and thanked the fans. Tanahashi then did his signature show closing guitar solo routine. He then called for Freidman to come out and he came out to the stage and began playing a riff while Tanahashi played air guitar in the ring. Tanahashi tossed his guitar out of the ring and got on the mic and said that was his new piece and the fans laughed. Friedman then played Tanahashi out as he posed for the fans. Tanahashi went up to the stage and played air guitar with Friedman.

Tanahashi got back on the mic on the stage and said these are his last words for the day. He said to everyone in the Tokyo Dome, he loves them. Fireworks then went off and Friedman played his guitar once again. The stage closed in front of Tanahashi and he got down on his side to wave goodbye to the fans.

Tanahashi was shown backstage at his press conference after the match. He said he admired Nakamura and mentioned that the IC Title had started at the bottom and come all the way to the main event of the Tokyo Dome. He mentioned several wrestlers were stars, but in 2014 he will lead the company.

They showed Nakamura talking in a sit down interview setting. He said it was nostalgic to face Nakamura. Clips from the match played as he talked about how energizing it was to wrestler Nakamura. He said it reminded him why he kept believing in wrestling. He said he didn’t fallow in Nakamura’s footsteps, but they both kept believing in wrestling and he’s happy for that. He talked about the end of the show and how he thought the fans couldn’t hear him, so he put it down. He talked about the crowd going silent and he was able to shout I love you. He said it was great to hear 30,000 fans shout it back at him.

Ranallo closed the show saying that Okada and Tanahashi remained the two-headed monster of NJPW and were destined to meet again.

Overall thoughts: (10.0) – This was another masterpiece of an episode from NJPW on AXS TV. Ranallo and Barnett did a masterful job setting the stage for the rivalry between Tanahashi and Nakamura. Coming out of this episode you will be filled with so much information and statistics about the rivalry between these two that your head just might explode. It really was a treat watching the introductory video packages that set the stage for this match, especially the sit down segment with Tanahashi.

Ranallo and Barnett did a great job of breaking down the action during the match between Nakamura and Tanahashi at WK 8. This match was incredible and had a big fight feeling, but Ranallo and Barnett took viewers inside the ring and really got the important talking points across about the match.

I highly urge people to set their DVRs for this show. The match is amazing, but Ranallo and Barnett really enhanced it alone with the AXS production elements. Big thumbs up!

***

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