By Sean Radican, Torch columnist

RADICAN’S NJPW POWER STRUGGLE PPV REPORT
NOV. 8, 2014
OSAKA, JAPAN

(1) The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs. Forever Hooligans (Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov) vs. Taka Michinoku & El Desperado. Romero stopped Koslov from going for a dive during the early stages of the match because he didn’t want him to get hurt. They ended up arguing and hugged. The Young Bucks then ran into the ring and hit a double superkick and hugged each other. Michinoku and Desperado stopped the Young Bucks from going for a double dive and wiped them out on the floor before getting back into the ring and hugging each other. Young Bucks ran wild and played to the cameras, as this match continued to be all action. Matt mocked Koslov’s dancing kicks and kicked him several times before telling him to suck it before nailing him with a light kick to the head. Koslov mounted a comeback and tagged in Romero, who ran wild hitting a missile dropkick on Michinoku and Desperado. He then wiped out everyone with a series of clotheslines and the fans really fired up. Desperado and Koslov eventually held the Young Bucks up on their shoulders and Romero hit a double doomsday device, but the pin got broken up. The action continued at an incredible place until the Young Bucks won with more bang for your buck on Michinoku.

Nick dedicated the match to Dave Meltzer after getting the win. The Hooligans got on the apron and jawed with The Young Bucks after the match, but ended up walking away.

Winners: Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson

Star rating: (***1/2) – This was a great opening match. It was all action between the three times. Romero had an insane run at one point just taking everyone out with clotheslines and the fans went nuts. The Young Bucks hit some awesome maneuvers during the match as well.

(2) Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka. They showed the announcer looking nervous at ringside due to Iizuka’s history of tormenting him at ringside. He did not go for the announcer in the end. Sakuraba threw his mask at Suzuki and they began exchanging slaps in the middle of the ring. They ended up slapping each other at the same time and both men collapsed to the mat. Iizuka got a wire from the floor and used it to choke Yano over the ropes. Yano undid the turnbuckle pad and baited Iizuka into charging him into the corner. He moved and Iizuka connected with the exposed turnbuckles. Yano kept trying to do his pose, but Iizuka cut him off. They traded atomic drops and both men went down. Suzuki and Sakuraba tagged into the match and went at it again. They began beating the crap out of each other with slaps and then kicks. Yano tried to break up a sleeper on Sakuraba, but Suzuki tossed him into the exposed turnbuckles and applied it again. Suzuki then transitioned and set up Sakuraba for a big powerbomb, but he countered it into a pinning combination for the win.

Suzuki got on the mic after the match and yelled at Sakuraba. I believe he challenged Sakuraba to a knockout or submission match at “Wrestle Kingdom” in January. Suzuki beat up several attendants on his way to the back before leaving the ringside area.

Winners: Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba – This was short, but fine while it lasted. The match was used mostly to set up a match between Sakuraba and Suzuki at “Wrestle Kingdom” in January.

Bruce Tharpe came down to the ring waving a NWA flag. The announcer hilariously said go home to him as the fans clapped in the stands. Liger made his entrance and Tharpe cut a promo on the mic before Owens came to the ring.

(3) NWA Jr. Hvt. Champion Chase Owens vs. Jushin Liger. The fans chanted for Liger as he got the better of Owens during the early going. Liger eventually hit a running cannonball off the apron to the floor to wipe out Owens and the fans fired up again. Owens tried to beg off and offered a handshake, but ended up nailing Liger with a knee to the gut and then a dropkick. The fans booed as he mocked Liger’s signature pose. Tharpe smiled at ringside. Liger began to mount a comeback a short time later and both men were down after a double clothesline spot. Liger got the upper hand once the action resumed and they battled up top. Liger hit a big super hurricanrana and the fans fired up again. Liger went up top for a splash, but Owens got his knees up. Owens followed up with a big gut buster, but Liger kicked out at the last second. They went back and forth and both men were down after Owens countered a suplex into a brainbuster. Owens hit a couple of back breakers and went for a package piledriver, but Liger fought out of it. Liger got the upper hand again and hit a big palm strike and a brainbuster. Liger hit a second brainbuster for the win.

The fans popped big for the finish. Tharpe ran into the ring and sold shock. Tharpe walked down the aisle and yelled at the camera and the announcer shouted, “Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye Bruce Tharpe!” Liger cut a promo after in Japanese that I didn’t understand. The fans seemed to like it.

Winner: Jushin Liger to become the new NWA Jr. Hvt. Champion

Star rating: (**1/2) – The action for fine for what it was. Tharpe has a great heel act going as Owens’s manager, but Owens just didn’t do a lot for in the ring.

(4) Bullet Club (Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi) vs. Togi Makabe & Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma & Captain New Japan in an Eight-man Tag match. All 8 men began brawling right away to kick things off. Honma got the upper hand on Gallows and went for his signature headbutt off the ropes, but he got out of the way. Honma went for it again on Anderson a short time later, but he got out of the way as well. Bullet Club isolated Honma in the ring and began working him over. Honma tried to take down Fale with a clothesline, but he wouldn’t go down. The fans fired up as Honma went for another clothesline, but Fale obliterated him with a clothesline of his own for a near fall. Honma finally mounted a comeback and hit a running headbutt on Takahashi and the fans fired up. Naito got the hot tag and ran wild on Bullet Club. Makabe and Gallows went at it a short time later. Makabe got the upper hand and began working Gallows over. Gallows fired back and hit a big choke bomb on Makabe a short time later. Fale tagged in and continued to work him over. Makabe eventually caught him with a clothesline and he tagged in Captain New Japan. Captain New Japan ran wild, but Anderson tripped him from the outside. Captain ended up getting overwhelmed and Fale hit a big splash on him off the ropes, but his team made the save. The action broke down and Captain hit a big slam on Fale to end the sequence for a 2 count. Fale fired back and eventually hit the bad luck fall on Captain for the win.

Makabe got in the ring with his chain after the match and cleared the ring.

Winners: Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi

Star rating: (**1/2) – This was a basic 8 Man Tag match with the fan favorite Honma and Captain New Japan getting in some hope spots before Bullet Club ultimately came out on top.

Fish & O’Reilly came out to face Shelley & KUSHIDA for the IWGP Jr. Hvt Tag Team Titles. They wore the ROH World Tag Team Titles to the ring.

(5) IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Champions The Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA) vs. ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O’Reilly). Time Splitters cleared the ring during the early stages of the match, but ReDRagon cut them off from setting up for a dive to the floor. Fish and O’Reilly began working over Shelley inside the ring while targeting his arm. Fish flexed for the people sitting at ringside while O’Reilly continued to work over Shelley. Shelley went for a sunset flip, but O’Reilly turned it into a cross-arm bar. Shelley quickly got to the ropes to break the hold. The fans chanted for Shelley as Fish worked over his arm. Shelley nearly made the hot tag to KUSHIDA, but O’Reilly dragged him off the apron and tossed him into the guardrail. Fish kept going up top and O’Reilly would position Shelley for a move off the top, but Shelley kept moving out of the way. Fish and O’Reilly both went up top for a combination dive, but Shelley got out of the way and the fans fired up big time. Shelley wiped out ReDRagon with a double clothesline and KUSHIDA got the hot tag and ran wild. KUSHIDA set up for a dive on O’Reilly, but Fish tripped him from the outside. Fish picked up Shelley and drove him into the guardrail and O’Reilly followed up with a flying knee strike off the apron, but KUSHIDA wiped them out with a huge flip dive off the turnbuckles to the floor and the fans went nuts.

KUSHIDA began working over Fish inside the ring and went after his arm. KUSHIDA went for a moonsault, but Fish got his knees up and rolled him up for a 2 count. O’Reilly and Fish set up KUSHIDA for chasing the dragon, but Shelley broke it up. KUSHIDA and Shelley hit a combination of moves on O’Reilly and KUSHIDA ended the sequence by going for the kimura on O’Reilly. Shelley tried to keep Fish away, but he nailed him with a kick going for a dive. It looked like O’Reilly was going to tap, but Fish broke up the submission and hit a dragon screw on KUSHIDA to counter a kimura attempt. The action continued at a rapid pace. Shelley and KUSHIDA wiped out O’Reilly with a combination of moves capped by a moonsault/neck breaker combination, but he kicked out at the last second and the fans went nuts. O’Reilly and KUSHIDA went at it in the ring. O’Reilly hit a brainbuster and went for the cross-arm breaker. KUSHIDA tried to hold on, but Fish nailed him with a flying head butt. O’Reilly had the cross-arm breaker, but Shelley broke it up with a double stomp off the top. Fish and O’Reilly hit a back breaker/knee drop off the turnbuckles combination on KUSHIDA. Fish held Shelley back, but he ended up tossing Fish into O’Reilly to break up the pin. That was a great spot. Fish ended up hitting a top rope falcon arrow on KUISHIDA. Fish and O’Reilly then hit chasing the dragon on KUSHIDA for the win. What a match!

After the match, The Young Bucks and Forever Hooligans came down to the ring. Fish & O’Reilly put the titles on the mat and drew the line in the sand. Shelley recovered and began shoving everyone. Fish pointed at all three teams and it looks like we have a four-way title match at “Wrestle Kingdom.”

Winners: Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish to become the new IWGP Jr. HVt. Tag Team Champions

Star rating: (****1/2) – This was an incredible back and forth match with some many great sequences. The action down the stretch was downright mind blowing with both teams going back and forth. The precision and timing from both teams was spot on and the sequence with Fish driving Shelley into the guardrail and then O’Reilly following it up with a huge running knee off the apron to the floor was amazing, but it got even better when KUSHIDA nailed them with a flip dive to the floor right after. I can’t wait to see these four teams at Wrestle Kingdom.

(6) IWGP Jr. Hvt. Champion Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Taichi. Taguchi blew off Taichi’s offer of a handshake, so he shook hands with the ref. Taichi and Taguchi then shook hands. Michinoku wanted a handshake, so Taguchi gave him one. Desperado then got on the apron and wanted a handshake too, but he held onto his hand and Taichi blasted him from behind. Michinoku put Taguchi’s ankle between a chair on the floor and Desperado blasted it with a chair shot. Taichi then went after Taguchi’s ankle on the floor. Taguchi finally fired back with a leaping butt bump, but Taichi kicked at his injured leg to get the upper hand back. Taguchi countered Taichi and got an ankle lock, but he quickly got to the ropes. Taichi went right after Taguchi’s leg again and got a rolling leg submission. Desperado tried to hold the ropes back, but Taguchi managed to get his hand on the bottom rope. The ref kicked Taichi’s leg off the rope when he was using it for leverage to work over Taguchi’s leg. He went after the ref, but eventually apologized. He then spit on the ref when he turned his back to him. Taguchi fired up and caught Taichi with a butt bump by surprise. Taguchi hit a step-up butt bump off the ropes and the fans fired up. He sold his leg while getting a running start, but managed to nail Taichi with a huge flip dive over the top to the floor.

Taichi ended up holding the ref while he was in the ring a short time later while Desperado and Michinoku attacked Taguchi on the floor. Taguchi fired back and went at it with Taichi on the apron, but he drove him into the ringpost. He set up near a table set up on the floor and ended up hitting Taguchi with a piledriver through the table and both men were down. Taguchi struggled to get to his feet and barely beat the 20 count. Taichi immediately hit a powerbomb and folded up on top of him for a near fall. Taichi pulled his chaps off and went for a roundhouse kick, but Taguchi reversed it and got the ankle lock again. Taichi grabbed the ref and used the leverage to flip Taguchi into a kick from the apron by Michinoku. Taguchi slipped around Taichi up top and nailed him with a dropkick. He then hit a big face buster off his shoulders on Taichi and both men were down on the mat. Taichi continued to use the ref to his advantage as the match went on by pulling him in the way or grabbing him when Taguchi had the upper hand. Taguchi got an ankle lock and Taichi struggled, but eventually kicked him off right into the ref. Taguchi fended off Desperado and Michinoku when they got into the ring with the ref down. Taguchi hit a double underhook face buster, but Taichi kicked out. Please make this match end lord. Taguchi hit a big slam out of the torcher rack position. He hit another big face buster for the win.

After the match, Bullet Club came down to the ring with someone under a Bullet Club flag. Anderson got in the ring and got on the mic. He said Bullet Club had arrived and he presented Taguchi the brand new Bullet Club member. He said he would be the next Jr. Hvt. Champion. He then introduced The Cleaner Kenny Omega. The Bullet Club members moved away and revealed Omega, who was wearing sunglasses, a long trench coat, and his hair was died dirt white. Omega also had a tooth pick hanging out of his mouth. Omega got on the mic as Taguchi looked surprised. He said he told everyone he wanted to be in NJPW, but he lied. He said he didn’t want the lion mark and he only wants their money. He said he also wants Taguchi’s title. He said he was in NJPW to clean up the Jr. Hvt. Division. Omega said it would start with Taguchi. He concluded by saying that is real. Taguchi swiveled his hips and appeared to agree to the match at Wrestle Kingdom. Taguchi got on the mic and said, “Kenny I can’t understand English.” He agreed to the match in Japanese.

Winner: Ryusuke Taguchi to retain the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Championship

Star rating: (*) – DO NOT WATCH THIS MATCH! The constant interference and ridiculous ref bumps killed my enjoyment of this match. The post-match angle with Omega was very cool. I love Omega’s action hero look straight out of the 80s.

A highlight package for the Styles-Yoshitatsu match aired that focused on Jarrett’s involvement with the Bullet Club in recent months and the lead in to the match between Styles and Yoshitatsu. Yoshitatsu was shown saying Styles is not special.

Styles came out first with Jeff Jarrett and Scott D’Amore, who was holding a guitar case. Yoshitatsu came out next wearing a mask that matched his gear. The announcer went crazy discussing his return to in-ring action for NJPW. Yoshitatsu took off his mask and was wearing face pain on the right side of his face. The ref wanted to eject Jarrett and D’Amore and Styles told him that they’re good people. The ref let them stay. The fans chanted for Yoshitatsu.

(7) A.J. Styles vs. Yoshitatsu. Yoshitatsu had the upper hand early, but Styles tripped him face-first into the apron. They ended up going back and forth on the outside. Tatsu sent Styles into the ring and went up top, but Jarrett tripped him when the ref wasn’t looking. Styles went right to work on Tatsu and hit him with a back breaker. Styles grabbed a chin lock and talked trash to Yoshitatsu. He struggled in the submission and tried to get to the ropes, but Styles let go of the hold and nailed him with a stomp to the back. Yoshitatsu ducked a charge in the corner and eventually caught Styles with an enzuguri. Both men began trading forearms in the middle of the ring. Tatsu eventually ended the exchange with a big kick to the chest and a running elbow off the ropes. They battled up top, but Styles slid under Yoshitatsu and tripped him into the turnbuckles. Styles then hit a springboard forearm for a 2 count. Yoshitatsu blocked a Styles clash attempt and hit a sit out slam. He went up top again and Jarrett went for his legs, but he kicked him off and nailed Styles with a spin kick off the top for near fall. Tatsu went to bounce off the ropes, but D’Amore tripped him and Styles hit the bloody Sunday DDT. He then hit the Styles clash and Yoshitatsu took it right on his head. Styles covered Yoshitatsu for the win.

After the match Styles held Yoshitatsu and Jarrett slapped him. D’Amore gave Jarrett the Bullet Club guitar. He then helped Styles hold Yoshitatsu. Jarrett ended up blasting him with the guitar until Naito, Honma, and Tanahashi ran out to make the save.

Styles and Naito went face-to-face and began arguing. Styles backed away and pointed at Naito before leaving the ring, so it looks like we could have another match for Wrestling Kingdom on our hands. Naito got on the top rope and invited Styles into the ring. Styles teased getting into the ring and rolled into the ring before sliding out the other slide. Styles headed to the back as Naito smiled.

Winner: A.J. Styles

Star rating: (**1/2) – The action was fine for what it was, but Yoshitatsu didn’t come off like he was a big deal wrestling Styles in this match. I get that the Jarrett gimmick is new to Japanese fans, but it’s hard to have to watch him do his tired gimmick in NJPW. The post-match to set up Naito-Styles was a nice result to the post-match attack on Yoshitatsu.

(8) NEVER Openweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hirooki Goto. Both guys traded forearms and went head-to-head. Goto finally took Ishii down with a shoulder tackle off the ropes. Both men didn’t take long to resume exchanging blows as they went back and forth trading chops. Ishii eventually hit a chop to the throat and Goto collapsed to the mat. Ishii peppered Goto with some light kicks to the head and he got pissed. Ishii hit a big forearm off the ropes and nailed Goto with a series of forearms, but he absorbed them all and decked Ishii with a big punch. Goto fired back and hit a Saito suplex for a 2 count. Goto nailed Ishii with several big forearms and Ishii just glared at him and told him to bring it. Ishii nailed Goto with a huge forearm that sent him down to the mat. Ishii then hit a big Saito suplex that was good for a 2 count. Goto mounted a comeback and eventually took down Ishii with a big clothesline off the ropes. He followed up with an Angle slam variation for a 2 count. Both men began exchanging big clotheslines, but neither man would go down. The crowd fired up as they continued to exchange clotheslines. Good grief they’re killing each other. Goto hit a huge clothesline and Ishii staggered and went down on a knee. Goto nailed him with a clothesline, but Ishii got up and returned the favor. Both men then hit clotheslines at the same time and went down in a heap. Wow, just wow. Amazing exchange there.

Both men got up and they went at it again. Ishii countered a clothesline. He eventually lifted Goto onto his shoulders and hit a DVD into a neck breaker. Ishii went down to the mat momentarily before going back after Goto. Ishii hit a huge powerbomb and folded up on top of Goto for a leverage pin for a near fall. They ended up going up top and Ishii hit a huge superplex. He crawled over to Goto and covered him for a near fall as the crowd and announcers went nuts. Goto blocked a brainbuster attempt. Both men jockeyed for position. Goto eventually caught Ishii coming off the ropes and hit a DVD into a neck breaker of his own and both men were down. The fans fired up with both men down on the mat. Ishii was bleeding from the mouth. Both men crawled towards each other before exchanging forearms from their knees as the fans fired up. They got to their feet and continued to exchange blows. Ishii hit several left and right forearms, but Goto sent him down to the mat with a head butt. Goto no-sold an enzuguri a short time later and both men went for clotheslines at the same time and connected several times, but neither man would go down. They yelled at each other and hit another double clothesline. Goto finally decked Ishii with a huge running clothesline for a near fall. The fans fired up as Goto lifted Ishii for a big move, but Ishii slipped out. Goto lifted Ishii up above his head twice in the Razor’s edge positon and dropped him over his knee. Ishii got up and hit a head butt, but Goto nailed him with a huge clothesline for another 2 count. Man oh man this match is nuts. Ishii slipped out of a suplex attempt and hit several head butts to deck Goto. Goto was on his knees and Ishii charged at him, but Goto caught him with a lariat. Goto charged at Ishii, but got decked with a clothesline. Goto kicked out at one, so Ishii nailed him with a huge running lariat for a near fall. What a war! Ishii lifted Goto up and hit a brainbuster for the win. This was an incredible match.

Makabe checked on Goto after the match and Ishii stood over him and held the NEVER Openweight Title up. Ishii and Makabe exchanged words as Ishii held his title before Ishii backed away and left the ring.

Winner: Tomohiro Ishii to retain the NEVER Openweight title.

Star rating: (****3/4) – This was an incredible match. Goto and Ishii went to war and they beat the living hell out of each other with some huge exchanges of strikes and big moves. The intensity these two men showed in this match was off the charts and Ishii’s facial expressions are great. This is a must-see match.

Okada and Tanahashi went face-to-face before their tag match began. Tanahashi told Ibushi he would start against Okada and the crowd gasped.

(9) Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI. Tanahashi and Okada went back and forth during the early stages of the match. Tanahashi got the upper hand and tagged in Ibushi after working over Okada’s arm. Okada teased going at it with Ibushi, but ended up tagging in HASHI. They had a great fast-paced exchange that ended with Ibushi wiping out HASHI with a huge kick as he came off the ropes. The action broke down and everyone ended up going at it on the outside. Okada booted Tanahashi over the guardrail with a running kick and HASHI sent Ibushi into the ringpost on the other side of the ring. Once the action settled down, Okada and HASHI began working over Ibushi inside the ring. The fans tried to rally behind Ibushi, but Okada knocked him off the apron with an elbow. Ibushi fired back and hit a huge dropkick to cut off HASHI. He made the hot tag to Tanahashi, who ran wild. Okada and Tanahashi went to a big strike exchange in the ring a short time later and the fans fired up. Tanahashi eventually blocked a big boot attempt from Okada and hit a dragon screw. He went up top for high fly flow a short time later, but HASHI grabbed his leg. Okada hit a neck breaker variation on Tanahashi a short time later, but Ibushi wiped him out. Ibushi went for a moonsault, but Okada got his knees u and hit a DDT. Okada hit an elbow off the top and signaled for the Rainmaker, but Tanahashi broke it up.

Okada caught Tanahashi with a tombstone piledriver and then wiped out Ibushi with a sick dropkick. Ibushi took an incredible bump. Okada went for the Rainmaker on Ibushi, but he ducked it and hit German. HASHI tagged in and went at it with Ibushi. HASHI hit a big neck breaker on Ibushi, but only got a 2 count and the fans fired up. HASHI eventually caught Ibushi with a huge powerbomb and rolled over him into a bridging pin for a near fall. He went up top and hit a swanton, but Tanahashi broke up the pin. HASHI hit a wheelbarrow and Okada turned it into a DDT on Tanahashi. They went for the same move on Ibushi, but he countered it and hit a standing corkscrew press on Okada for a near fall. Ibushi wiped out HASHI with a high kick followed by a Liger bomb for a near fall. Ibushi then went up top and hit a phoenix splash on HASHI for the win. The second half of this match was excellent.

Okada stood over Tanahashi on the outside after the match and displayed his G1 Title shot briefcase. He did the Rainmaker pose as Tanahashi looked on from the floor while wearing his IWGP Hvt. Title.

They aired a highlight package that was really good chronicling Nakamura and Shibata’s history in NJPW when they younger. They went forward to this year and showed highlights of their excellent match during the G1 Climax Tournament.

Both men went face-to-face during the formal introductions. Nakamura ran to the ropes and hit his pose when he was introduced.

(10) IWGP IC Champion Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Katsuyori Shibata. They traded leg submissions on the mat during the early going. Both men ended up on the ropes. Shibata went for a stomp when he got up, but Nakamura rolled to the outside. They went to a big exchange of kicks in the middle of the ring. Shibata went for a running kick with Nakamura down on the mat, but he rolled out of the way for another stalemate. Nakamura did his signature rope break, but Shibata grabbed a guillotine. He ended up knocking Nakamura off the apron with a running boot a short time later. He then nailed him with a huge kick that sent Nakamura over the barricade and onto the announce table. Shibata got a leg submission on Nakamura inside the ring. Both men yelled at each other as Nakamura tried to break free of the modified figure 4. He eventually managed to get to the bottom rope, but Shibata grabbed a half crab and began kicking him in the head before releasing the hold. Shibata began hitting Nakamura with some light kicks and he got mad. Both men began exchanging forearms as the fans fired up. Shibata set up for his signature dropkick in the corner, but Nakamura surprised him with a high knee. Nakamura took control of the action. He nailed Shibata with a big knee strike and set up for Boma Ye, but Shibata got out of the way. They went back and forth and Shibata grabbed a sleeper and transitioned it into a double arm submission from the back mount. Nakamura screamed and tried to get to the ropes. He eventually got to the ropes to break the hold.

Shibata nailed Nakamura with forearms and uppercuts in the corner. Nakamura slumped in the corner and ate several forearms. Shibata set up and hit two of his signature dropkicks. Nakamura ducked a running kick from the seated positon and caught Shibata with a dropkick and both men were down. The fans fired up with both men slow to recover. Both men began exchanging blows from their knees. They got up and continued to exchange blows. They continued to go back and forth until Nakamura hit a leg lariat and a suplex. Shibata no-sold it and hit a German and both men were down on the mat once again. Shibata grabbed a chin lock in the middle of the ring, but Nakamura fired up and hit a kick to the head off the turnbuckles. He set up for Boma Ye, but Shibata nailed him with a dropkick. Both men were slow to get up once again. Both men got up and began exchanging blows, but Shibata hit a vicious kick to the head for a 2 count. They exchanged some big punches, but Shibata hit the GTS out of nowhere for a near fall. Shibata went for the penalty kick, but Nakamura caught his leg and hit a shining wizard to the front and back of Shibata’s head. He then hit Boma Ye for the win.

Nakamura cut a promo after the match and the fans were into what he was saying. Ibushi ran down and nailed Nakamura with a snap German. He mocked Nakamura’s catch phrase. Ibushi appeared to challenge Nakamura for the IC Championship. Nakamura agreed and confetti shot into the ring.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura to retain the IWGP Hvt. Championship

Star rating: (***3/4) – This was a really good main event. The match seemed to drag at times, but it got really good during the second half with both men having some big strike exchanges. The crowd got into the match, but it didn’t have huge heat like Goto vs. Ishii earlier in the card. I was expecting more out of the match given their previous match at G1 earlier this year.

Overall thoughts: (8.5) – This was a really good show. It dragged in places, but the show set up the “Wrestle Kingdom” card nicely with several of the matches featuring angles to set up matches for the “Wrestle Kingdom” PPV in January. ReDragon-Time Splitters and Ishii-Goto are must see matches that really bolstered the card.

The opening Three-Way tag did a good job of setting the tone for the card, but unfortunately the three matches after it weren’t anything special. The show really picked up with an excellent match that saw ReDragon beat the Time Splitters for the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Team Championship. These two teams tore the house down with some fantastic exchanges and they set up a Four-Way match for the Tokyo Dome after the match was over with O’Reilly & Fish defending against The Young Bucks, Forever Hooligans, and The Time Splitters.

The Taguchi-Taichi match was my least favorite match on the show and it just drove me crazy with all of the ref bumps and interference. Taguchi doesn’t have much charisma, but I did enjoy the post-match angle with Kenny Omega being revealed as the newest member of Bullet Club. Omega has a cool new look and I’m looking forward to seeing him for Taguchi for the Jr. Hvt. Title at “Wrestle Kingdom.”

The Ishii-Goto match for the NEVER Openweight Championship stole the show. These two had a brutal all-out war. Both guys really went all-out in this one with headbutts and stiff forearms and chops. It was uncomfortable to watch at times, but this was an excellent example of what NJPW brings to the table in terms of presenting credible matches that don’t come across like simulated fights. This is another match well-worth seeking out. They set up Makabe as Ishii’s next challenger at the Tokyo Dome, but I would have loved to have seen Goto get a rematch. He sure as heck deserved it after this match.

The main event was a very good match. It started slowly, but Nakamura and Shibata had some great hard-hitting exchanges late as both guys eventually went back and forth landing their signature offensive sequences. They had some good near falls down the stretch before Nakamura put Shibata away with the Boma Ye. The post-match angle to set up Ibushi-Nakamura for the IC Championship at “Wrestle Kingdom” was nicely done and it’s a match I’m looking forward to.

Overall this show not only provided some really good in-ring action, but it also served as a great way to set up “Wrestle Kingdom” in January. There were several very good matches on the card and although this card wasn’t at the level of some of the best shows during G1 this year, it’s well-worth checking out, especially if you’re considering ordering “Wrestle Kingdom” on PPV in January.

***

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