NJPW DESTRUCTION IN KOBE REPORT (9/29) : Lansdell’s report and analysis on Naito-O-Khan, Finlay-Yoshi-Hashi, Henare-Shingo, and more

NJPW DESTRUCTION IN KOBE REPORT
SEPTEMBER 29, 2024
KOBE WORLD HALL
KOBE, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD

Walker Stewart was on commentary with Chris Charlton. A big night was scheduled with five championships on the line.

(1) YUJI NAGATA & TOMOAKI HONMA & TIGER MASK vs. SHOTA UMINO & RYUSUKE TAGUCHI & DRAGON DIA

This match was already thirteen stars before the bell rang, because Taguchi came out clean-shaven with a baseball cap and a skateboard. Dragon Dia took part in Best of the Super Juniors but didn’t really impress me during that tournament.

I can’t say my opinion changed here. After an excessive amount of butt-based storytelling between Taguchi and the opponents, Umino got the win with a Death Rider on Honma,

WINNERS: Dia, Taguchi, and Umino via pinfall in 7:00. (*3/4)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: This seemed to be done to set up a Dia/Taguchi pairing for the Super Junior Tag League. I suppose the hip attack counters could be amusing to some, but it did nothing for me. Umino is still very popular with the fans despite losing the big matches, though.)

(2) LOS INGOBERNABLES DE JAPON (Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi & Yota Tsuji) vs. UNITED EMPIRE (Jeff Cobb & Callum Newman & Francesco Akira)

The first of three LIJ vs United Empire matches on the card, and arguably the least consequential. Akira was also clean-shaven, but fortunately Newman was not. I cannot imagine that.Akira also looked to have bulked up a bit, which is interesting.

Tsuji and Cobb had some moments together, no doubt because of their recent time-limit draw. As has been the case in a lot of United Empire matches in recent months, this was a showcase for Akira until he seemed to tweak his knee. That led to Hiromu applying a standing figure four, then jumping and landing with both of Akira’s legs still tied up to secure the tapout.

WINNERS: LIJ via submission in 7:00. (***)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: A very good match given the time, and it set up a few stories. Akira got in Hiromu’s face more than once, accusing Hiromu of ducking him. The finish saw Hiromu look cold to the point of being callous, and the submission looked particularly nasty. Akira has been on fire recently, so I hope he does get to secure a win over Hiromu. Cobb and Tsuji had a time-limit draw for the TV title, and there was enough here to whet the appetite for that inevitable rematch. Dense storytelling for a seven-minute match!)

(3) HIROOKI GOTO vs. GABE KIDD

Goto’s music hit, but Gabe Kidd came down to ramp in typical Kidd style. He dragged the cameraman up the tamp and behind the curtain to show that Kidd had ambushed Goto backstage. Kidd continued the assault and tried to suplex Goto off the elevated section of the ramp. Goto fought back and brought Kidd down to the ring. Once they got inside and the bell rang, Kidd clotheslined Goto over the top to the floor.

As the commentators talked about Goto having a title shot against David Finlay, and Kidd being sent out to injure Goto, they brawled into the crowd. The referee counted in the ring. Kid took control at the count of 16 but showed no interest in getting back to the ring.

Kidd took to the mic. He said that since Goto took out his partner (Jake Lee is injured and Kidd blames Goto for it), Kidd was going to take his life (except he’s not though, is he) and demanded they restart as a no DQ match. By way of an answer Goto charged to ringside and attacked Kidd, so I guess he accepted.

They continued brawling through the crowd. Coming back to ringside, Kidd whipped Goto into the ring post. They made it back into the ring, and Kidd dropped Goto with a brainbuster. Kidd rolled to the floor and pulled a table from under the ring. He indulged his interior decoration tendencies and propped the table between apron and barricade, then tried to suplex Goto through the table. Goto blocked, kicked the table away, and tried his own suplex. Kidd escaped out the back, but ate a lariat.

A back suplex by Goto got a two-count. He tried for an ushigoroshi, Kidd tried to elbow free but Goto gutted it out and connected with the move. Kidd blocked the GTR, and both men had the same idea of running into each other with a lariat. They did it again, but the third time was the charm for Kidd as he flattened Goto. He followed up with a big slap to the face and a high-angle back suplex for a near fall.

At the five-minute mark, Kidd rolled to the floor again and brought the aforementioned table into the ring. He propped it in the corner, carefully placed Goto in front of it, and then went back outside to find…a metal spike. What is this, AEW? Kidd charged with the spike and of course Goto moved, because murder is illegal. Kidd stabbed the table, and took a second to free the spike from the wood. The delay allowed Goto to come running in with a spinning heel kick. Goto retrieved the spike, and Kidd looked terrified. Goto though shoved the spike through the table, and threw the table out of the ring. He tried for a GTR again but Kidd reversed into a rollup for another near fall.

They traded strikes, but Kidd decided to bite Goto’s forehead. Another open-hand smack led to a back suplex for a two-count. Kidd set up for a running knee, but Goto countered with a lariat! GTW…connected! 1…2…no! Goto tried again for GTR, but Kidd countered and tried a suplex. Goto blocked so Kidd tried a small package…Goto blocked again! He lifted Kidd for a suplex…Shoten Kai! GTR! 1…2…3!

WINNER: Hirooki Goto via pinfall in 9:00. (**1/2)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: Hard one to rate. The spike stuff was stupid. They had a decent storyline reason for the animosity, but there’s no way this feud should be at the attempted murder level. Not that any feud really should, but I digress. It’s not that the action was not good; moreso that it was pretty repetitive. Back suplexes and lariats have their place, but matches need more to impress these days. Goto can now look to challenge for the Global title, assuming Finlay retains later.)

(4) TMDK (Zack Sabre Jr. & Kosei Fujita & X) vs. JUST FIVE GUYS (Sanada & Taichi & Taka Michinoku)

I do love a mystery partner reveal. Somewhat surprisingly TMDK came out first, so we wouldn’t have to wait long. ZSJ and Fujita came out first, and the music hit for…Ryohei Oiwa! It seems his excursion to NOAH has finished. He was a member of the same dojo class as Fujita, so the link makes sense. He was also trained by Ogawa, who trained ZSJ. Oiwa looked to be pretty darn swole.

Oiwa started the match with Taichi and immediately looked to be at home with Taichi’s physicality. He did the lion’s share of the work, and picked up the win with a sleeper into a discuss lariat to pin Taka.

WINNERS: TMDK via pinfall in 7:00. (**)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: This was not meant to be a great match. It served to debut Oiwa and to promote the ZSJ-Sanada match. Both missions were accomplished. Oiwa showed enough to keep me interested, but not enough to sell me right away on his future prospects. That said, if I never have to hear Walker Stewart call him “Big Boiwa” again, it will be too soon.)

(5) BOLTIN OLEG & TORU YANO & HIROSHI TANAHASHI (C) vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Evil & Yujiro Takahashi & Sho) – Never Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship match

I’m sure you will be shocked to hear that House of Torture attacked the champs before the bell. They tried to isolate Tanahashi in a corner, but he fought off all three and hit a middle-rope Kevin von Erich-style crossbody to take them all down. He tagged in Yano, who immediately removed a corner pad. He tried to whip Evil to the exposed corner, Evil reversed it, but Yano put the brakes on and avoided the impact. He sidestepped a charging Evil who went chest-first into the corner. Sho and Yujiro blindsided Yano, but fell victim to some typical Yano trickery. Togo hit Yano from behind with the discarded corner pad, and the contest degenerated into a brawl with all six men on the outside.

Back inside the ring, Evil got a two-count with a foot on Yano’s chest. He tagged in Yujiro, who hit a snap mare and a basement dropkick for another two-count. Sho tagged in and continued the beatdown. Yano reversed an Irish whip and yanked Sho down with a pull of the hair, then tagged in Oleg. The big man cleaned house, sending Sho flying with a tackle and then taking Sho and Evil over at the same time with a double suplex. A scoop slam and a splash on Sho got a two-count. Sho escaped the Boltin Shake and tried a spear, but literally bounced off. It wasn’t very effective. Oleg hit the Boltin Shake at the five-minute mark.

Oleg charged Sho in the corner, but Sho moved and Oleg hit the exposed buckles. Sho laid in some ineffective chops, Oleg shrugged them off and sent Sho reeling with a single shot. Tanahashi tore off Sho’s shirt, and Oleg dropped Sho with another chop. Oleg picked Sho up from the mat to his shoulders and went for Kamikaze…Sho escaped, and Evil caught Oleg in the back with a knee. Sho dropkicked Oleg’s knee and tagged in Yujiro. Evil held Oleg in place while Yujiro hit a running boot, but Oleg came right back with a dropkick.

Tanahashi tagged in and hit a flying forearm on Yuijro. He followed up with a slam and a somersault senton for a near fall. He tried for a slingblade, but Yujiro ducked it and sent Tanahashi into the exposed corner. That corner got a lot of work in. House of Torture took out Yano and Oleg and took turns with running attacks in the corner. Sho restrained the referee while Dick Togo went for his flying crotch chop…Yano and Oleg broke it up! They held Yujiro in position for Tanahashi to hit the same shot. Slingblade connected! 1…2…Sho pulled the ref out of the ring! Togo came in with his garotte, but Tanahashi ducked it and hit a dragon screw to send Togo to the floor. Sho and Evil both tried to come in, and got dragon screws in the ropes for their efforts.

Tanahashi hit a Twist and Shout and a slingblade, then went to the top rope…Ren Narita knocked him off with that ridiculous push-up bar. He hit both Oleg and Yano as we hit the ten-minute mark, then joined Evil and Sho in stomping on Tanahashi. El Phantasmo came running down the ramp, took the push-up bar from Narita and leveled him with it. Low blow to Evil! Sudden Death to Sho! CR2 to Yujiro! Tanahashi went up top…High Fly Flow! 1…2…3!

WINNERS: Oleg, Yano, and Tanahashi via pinfall in 11:00 to retain the Never Openweight Six-Man Championships. (**1/2)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: House of Torture matches continue to be awful, and Tanahashi continues to look slow, but this was not awful. I was surprised at the retention here, but also happy to see that ELP has snapped out of his funk and come back strong, unequivocally joining Hontai. Oleg looked decent here, but otherwise it was Tanahashi’s Greatest Hits and not much else.)

(6) DOUKI (C) vs. YOSHINOBU KANEMARU – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match

Kanemaru and Douki were partners and stablemates in Suzuki-Gun, so there is history between them. Douki has had a fan-driven rise up the ladder, so a loss here would seem unlikely.

Douki got an early headscissors and springboard elbow, starting the match off at pace. They went to the outside, and Douki whipped Kanemaru into a couple of barricades. Kanemaru blocked a whip into the apron and caught a charging Douki, then dropped him knees-first onto the floor on the outside. Ouch. He slammed Douki’s knee into the floor again before going back inside and hitting a series of kneebreakers. Five of them. Just the same move, five times. Douki rolled to the floor, and the referee started his count. Kanemaru broke the count by joining Douki on the floor, then rolling him back in and wrapping his legs around the corner post.

At the five-minute mark, Kanemaru rolled back inside and kicked at Douki’s chest. Douki fired up but Kanemaru kicked his leg out of his leg. He hit a wishbone, then applied a leg lace. Douki dragged himself to the ropes for the break, but Kanemaru held on for a few extra seconds. Douki again tried to fire up and mount a comeback with some chops, Kanemaru kicked out his knee again, but Douki was able to connect with a flying chop to leave both men down. Douki did the splits to avoid a clothesline, sending Kanemaru to the outside, and Douki hit a slingshot plancha to join him. He followed up with an asai moonsault, leaving both men down on the outside.

Clutching at his knee, Douki rolled Kanemaru back inside. He hit a vertical suplex for a two-count. After a series of counters, Kanemaru blocked the Douki Chokie and got a jacknife cover for a near fall. Douki went for a slingshot DDT but Kanemaru took a step back and countered with an inverted atomic drop. Kanemaru flung Douki ribs-first into the corner post on the inside at the ten-minute mark. From the apron, Kanemaru jumped with Douki’s leg and slammed it into the floor on the outside. He rolled back in, leaving the referee to count Douki out.

Douki stumbled trying to get back in at 16, but made it back in at 18. Kanemaru went right back to the kneebreaker, then locked in a figure four. Douki was able to get the rope break, but Kanemaru again refused to release the hold. He eventually did, then went to the second rope. Deep Impact…Douki blocked it! Northern lights suplex by Douki! 1…2…Douki couldn’t hold the bridge because of the damage to his leg. I really liked that, good psychology. Douki charged Kanemaru in the corner. Kanemaru got his feet up, but Douki caught them and turned the attempted counter into a Gory neckbreaker drop for a two-count. Douki chokie locked in! Kanemaru quickly got a foot on the ropes. Douki went for suplex de la luna, Kanemaru blocked but Douki snared him in an inside cradle for a near fall. A second rollup got another near fall, and Douki transitioned to the Douki chokie.

At the 15-minute mark, Douki rolled over into the mount position while maintaining the hold. That got another two-count. Kanemaru looked to be fading when the bell rang once. Sho was at ringside and had used his wrench to distract the ref and Douki. Kanemaru sprayed whiskey into Douki’s face, apparently having taken a swig during the distraction. He hit a corner clothesline, a slam and a very pretty moonsault for a very near fall. Douki escaped out the back of a suplex and hit a German suplex! He rolled through and went for suplex de la luna…Kanemaru blocked it by attacking the knee. Kanemaru went back to the figure four, and again Douki got to the ropes.

Kanemaru went to the middle rope…and tried to hit a Deep Impact, but the timing and positioning were not great and Douki essentially bumped himself on his head. Kanemaru went for a brainbuster, Douki slipped out but jammed his knee in the process. Kanemaru went for another kneebreaker, Douki countered by using his good knee to Kanemaru’s head, then hit an enzuigiri. Again the timing seemed off as the contact was minimal. Douki ran the ropes, Kanemaru pulled the referee into his path but Douki was able to prevent the collision. He tossed the ref aside and leveled Kanemaru with a clothesline. Sho got up on the apron but Douki saw him and knocked him down, then hit a tope to the floor to take out the interloper.

Kanemaru tried to catch Douki on the way in but Douki saw it coming and hit a Daybreak DDT for a two-count. Another suplex de la luna attempt got countered into a victory roll for a two-count. Douki escaped a figure four attempt and nailed a lariat, then finally connected with suplex de la luna for the win.

WINNER: Douki via pinfall in 20:00 to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship. (***1/4)

(Lansdell’s Analysis: That was far better than it had any right to be. The thought of 20 minutes of Kanemaru would usually send me running in the other direction, but they wrestled a smart match with good psychology. Kanemaru’s offense was a little repetitive but it made sense in the context of the story. Sho’s intervention hurt the match and made Douki look stupid for not having backup, which also damaged the rating. Douki has shown that he can have this sort of feature match and make it entertaining, which augurs well for a continued run at the top.)

After the match, Sho snatched the belt from Douki and threatened to smash it if Douki didn’t grant him a title shot. Douki accepted, and Sho gave him back the belt…then cleaned his clock with a wrench. Taichi came out with a chair to prevent a further beating.

(7) HENARE (C) vs. SHINGO TAKAGI – Never Openweight Championship match

Every time these two face each other it is a brutal smashfest. I expected nothing different here.

They got right down to it, trading solid forearms and lariats and shoulder tackles. They went to the outside and traded shots out there too. Henare whipped Shingo into a barricade, kicked him solidly in the chest, and rolled him back inside. A knee lift and a flying shoulder tackle flattened Shingo. Henare followed up with a slam and a senton for a two-count. Henare locked in a stretch, but Shingo made the ropes. Henare shrugged off Shingo’s comeback attempt and took him over with a snap mare. A stiff kick to the spine was not effective, but a second one certainly was. Henare went for a running round kick to the chest, Shingo caught the kick and clubbed the back of Henare’s head with a clothesline. A back elbow, a right jab, and a northern lariat took Henare down. Shingo connected with a senton of his own to complete the change of momentum.

Shingo peppered Henare in the corner with a succession of strikes, but Henare absorbed them and hit a flurry of his own. He whipped Shingo to the opposite corner and hit a corner clothesline, then a shoulder tackle. Shingo used the momentum of the impact to knock Henare down with a shoulder tackle of his own, and followed with a vertical suplex. This has just been five minutes of back-and-forth beatings. Shingo took his time recovering, pointed to the camera and…it’s Shingo time! He went for the sliding lariat but Henare blocked it and tried for a uranage. They exchanged shots, and Henare caught Shingo in a berserker bomb for a near fall.

Henare set for Rampage, but Shingo caught him and planted some knees in the gut, followed by a DDT. Henare stood right up! He went for Rampage again…countered into another DDT! Shingo called to the crowd, then positioned Henare on the top rope. Superplex…connected! Shingo hit the sliding lariat, Henare rolled with the impact and absolutely leveled Shingo with a running knee to the jaw. That hurt MY teeth.

They exchanged headbutts, unprotected, in the middle of the ring. I cringe every single time they do this spot, which is basically every match they have. “I hate this, I hate it and I love it” said Walker Stewart. No, I just hate it. Henare thankfully switched to round kicks to the chest, with Shingo replying with chops to the chest. That I can live with. Henare landed a particularly hard one that caught the point of Shingo’s jaw, rocking him. He landed a couple more, then a pop-up Samoan drop to leave both men down at the ten-minute mark.

Henare recovered first and hit the uranage for a two-count. He hit a stiff body blow then clamped on Ultima. Shingo faded but refused to quit. Out of nowhere Shingo got a burst of energy and turned into the hold, countering it with Made in Japan. Shingo hit a series of elbows to the head and a forearm shiver to the back of the neck to drop Henare. He called to the crowd again but ran into a back elbow. Disaster kick by Henare! Shingo shrugged it off and hit a lariat! Last of the Dragon…no, Henare escaped! Streets of Rage…no! Shingo escaped! They traded two big headbutts, and again I shuddered as both men went down. Henare again attempted a Street of Rage, Shingo blocked it but got rocked with a headbutt instead. Henare connected with a Native Knee and a rugby punt, but only got a one-count. Henare stayed on target…Rampage! 1…2…no! I thought that was it.

At the 15-minute mark, Henare again went for Streets of Rage. Shingo squirmed free out the back but collapsed. He hit some weak shots which Henare ignored. Henare went for Ultima, Shingo was able to fight it off but could not avoid the stiff forearm. A second measured shot staggered Shingo, but he stayed upright by leaning on his opponent. Henare hit a flurry of shots, but Shingo blocked the big wind-up finish and took Henare over with a half-and-half suplex! Both men were down as the crowd chanted for Shingo. He obliged them with a succession of left and right forearms, Henare fired back with shots of his own, they traded lariats, then ran into each other. Oh God, more headbutts. Henare leveled Shingo with a headbutt, Shingo popped up with a lariat, Henare popped up with a battering ram headbutt, Shingo came back with a northern lariat, and again both men were down. Good grief.

The referee applied a count to both men. They did this finish before, I cannot imagine it will happen again. Indeed it would not, as both men got to their feet leaning on each other, trading open-hand slaps. Henare connected with a flurry, Shingo hit a stiff naked headbutt to halt the tide. Shingo went for a lariat but ate a headbutt. Both men jockeyed for position, holding each others wrists. Shingo got the first shot with a straight right, a headbutt and a knee lift A lariat got a one-count. A second, bigger lariat got a believable near fall. The crowd came alive for Shingo as he went for Last of the Dragon…OH MAN Henare landed high and tight on the crown of his head! The three-count was elementary, I just hope Henare was OK.

WINNER: Shingo Takagi via pinfall in 20:00. (***1/2)

(Lansdell’s analysis: I am having a really hard time rating this match. I know that this hard-hitting style is the norm in Japan. I am OK with that. The forearms and chops and strikes that are so stiff and brutal, they look and sound like they absolutely kill. Bruises and welts on the chest heal with little to no future repercussion. It’s the repeated headbutt exchanged I can’t get behind. For the health of both men, I beg them to find a better way to show how tough they are.

That said, I liked that there was no feeling out process to start the match. These two know each other all too well. They went at it hammer-and-tongs from the outset, and delivered a back-and-forth battle worthy of the title for which they fought. That finish was NASTY to watch, and I pray Henare walked away. )

We got a video package on Yoshi-Hashi, including the embarrassing moment where he fell down trying to do a run-in. Not his finest moment, but they played it off as the thing that kicked him into high gear as a singles competitor.

(8) DAVID FINLAY (C) vs. YOSHI-HASHI – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match

Goto came out with Yoshi-Hashi, which of course would not play into the finish in any way. Finlay has his detractors, but he has absolutely nailed his character work. He’s turned himself into a cross between current-day Randy Orton and Evolution-era Triple H: deliberate, calculating, ruthless, a strong leader, and very capable in the ring despite rarely needing to show it.

Finlay asked Yoshi-Hashi if he felt nervous as the bell rang. Great touch, playing on Yoshi-Hashi’s inability to win a singles title. After an early exchange of shoulder tackles, Yoshi-Hashi got the upper hand. He blistered Finlay’s chest with some chops but charged right into a stun gun from Finlay which turned the tables. Finlay mounted Yoshi-Hashi and punched away at his head. A hard whip to the corner sent Yoshi-Hashi to the apron in front of Gedo, who was able to resist the cheap shot. Finlay did some push-ups and taunted the crowd. He clotheslined Yoshi-Hashi over the top, and the momentum took both men to the floor.

On the outside, Finlay bounced Yoshi-Hashi’s head off the apron several times. He tore off the ring skirt on one side of the ring and tried to slide Yoshi-Hashi under the ring, mocking him for falling over as we mentioned earlier. Yoshi-Hashi was able to put the brakes on, but Finlay dragged him up the ramp and went for a powerbomb. Yoshi-Hashi escaped and hit a suplex on the ramp at the five-minute mark. Yoshi-Hashi took a long run-up down the ramp and connected with a dropkick that sent Finlay tumbling back to ringside. He then whipped Finlay into the ring apron that was uncovered earlier. Yoshi-Hashi got back in the ring and hit a tope con giro to take Finlay down again.

Back inside Yoshi-Hashi hit a top-rope blockbuster for a near fall. He attempted the butterfly lock but Finlay scrambled to the ropes and out to the floor. Yoshi-Hashi followed and continued his assault. Finlay suddenly lifted Yoshi-Hashi in a fireman’s carry and launched him at the corner post, but Yoshi-Hashi used his arms to avoid the impact…only to get pounced into the barricade at high speed. Finlay lifted him for a powerbomb, and ran him back-first into the corner post. Back inside at the ten-minute mark, Finlay covered for a two-count. He leveled Yoshi-Hashi with a single chop, then launched him into orbit with a release vertical suplex. Finlay removed a corner pad, trash-talking the whole time, then tried to throw Yoshi-Hashi into the corner. Yoshi-Hashi reversed and sent Finlay shoulder-first into the post, then dropped Finlay with a sitout facebuster for a two-count.

Both men were slow to recover. They exchanged heavy forearms in the middle of the ring, Finlay getting the upper hand with a rapid-fire burst but Yoshi-Hashi coming back with a superkick. Finlay tried for Oblivion, Yoshi-Hashi blocked and went for Karma, Finlay escaped and powered Yoshi-Hashi up into a backbreaker for a near fall. That was more impressive than it sounded. A Dominator from Finlay got another near fall. He went for a powerbomb…DDT by Yoshi–Hashi! Superkick! Lariat…no! Finlay blocked and hit a Northern Irish Curse backbreaker at the 15-minute call. He tried for the powerbomb again…Yoshi-Hashi countered with a huracanrana sending Finlay into the exposed corner! Crucifix bomb! 1…2…no! Yoshi-Hashi went right into the butterfly lock. Gedo slid the shillelagh into the ring, Yoshi-Hashi was able to disarm him while Goto took care of Gedo. Finlay got close to the ropes but Yoshi-Hashi dragged him back! Finlay started to squirm free, so Yoshi-Hashi took one arm and added a kimmura to the mix! The change in grip allowed Finlay to get a foot on the ropes for a break.

Yoshi-Hashi went for a fisherman’s buster, but Finlay kneed him in the head. Dragon suplex by Yoshi-Hashi! Finlay got right up and hit a lariat! Yoshi-Hashi returned the favour! A second lariat turned Finlay inside out! Yoshi-Hashi set for a fisherman’s buster…connected! 1…2…no! Yoshi-Hashi slammed Finlay and went to the top…swanton bomb! 1…2…still no! Yoshi-Hashi went for Karma again, but again Finlay fought his way free with clubbing blows to the head. Yoshi-Hashi hit a palm strike and went for Karma…countered with a stunner! Yoshi-Hashi got a surprise small package for a near fall, but then rolled into Oblivion for a near fall in the other direction. The crows got behind Yoshi-Hashi as Finlay hit a buckle bomb in the exposed corner. Yoshi-Hashi tried to fire back but ate a roaring elbow and a powerbomb for yet another near fall.

Finlay stalked Yoshi-Hashi, then picked him up for Overkill. Yoshi-Hashi caught the knee! He got a flash cover for a two-count, but ran right into a pop-up powerbomb. Overkill…connected! 1…2…3!

WINNER: David Finlay via pinfall in 22:00 to retain the IWGP Global Heavyweight championship. (***3/4)

(Lansdell’s analysis: Finlay played a great heel here, taking more of a beating than you would normally expect to sell the story of Finlay’s psychological warfare. For his part, Yoshi-Hashi really stepped up and dug deep in his playbook. This was his best singles showing in a long time. Finlay does a great job of molding his style to fit his opponent, and it worked very well here. Even though the outcome was basically never in doubt, I did think Yoshi-Hashi would pull it off a couple of times. That’s a sign of great storytelling. The match did lack that wow factor to really push it up the scale, but it was very good.)

(9) TETSUYA NAITO (C) vs. GREAT-O-KHAN – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match

Naito has been significantly off his game recently. I don’t think anyone expected this title match before the start of the G1, but O-Khan certainly showed up and showed out during the tournament. The crowd was heavily behind him as both men slowly disrobed, although a good Naito chant did follow in retaliation.

Each man seemed to be trying to out-slow the other as the bell rang. Referee Red Shoes thought the crowd was slightly more in favour of O-Khan, which says a lot.

They exchanged mat wrestling holds to start the match. Naito slid under an attempted pump kick and hit his Tranquilo pose, while O-Khan turned his back and hit a stoic pose of his own. Naito got the better of the next exchange and clamped on a side headlock, but O-Khan quickly escaped into a kimmura. Both men stood up as the exchange led to a stalemate. O-Khan took Naito down again, and the first five minutes of the match were essentially a grappling session with neither man able to do anything significant.

Naito escaped a headlock and hit an inverted atomic drop, then slammed O-Khan to the mat and posed over him. He tried for a delayed hangman’s neckbreaker but O-Khan elbowed free. He avoided a sliding dropkick and hit a basement dropkick to Naito’s knee. The commentators discussed how O-Khan is trying to bring pro wrestling back to the mainstream in the same way that anime became mainstream. O-Khan tied Naito’s leg up in the ropes and stretched it until the referee enforced a break. O-Khan used another takedown to stay on top, and wrapped up Naito’s leg. Naito made his way to the ropes again, then mounted a comeback with some right hands. O-Khan went back to the amateur style and picked a leg, taking Naito down. Again Naito got to the ropes.

O-Khan switched tactics and went to the Mongolian chops (with shriek). O-Khan sat on Naito’s head in the corner, butterflying the arms for added pressure. A gutwrench suplex got a two-count. O-Khan went back to the leg assault, applying half an Indian deathlock at the ten-minute mark. Again Naito crawled to the ropes. O-Khan posed and toyed with Naito, and of course it backfired as Naito was able to fight off a kneebreaker and hit an armdrag. He followed up with his own basement dropkick to the knee, and both men were down. Naito recovered first, and hit a deep arm drag, a back elbow, and a basement dropkick to a seated O-Khan. A running forearm in the corner led to a draping reverse neckbreaker over the knee. Naito followed up with a delayed hangman’s neckbreaker for a two-count. Naito applied a cravate to his prone opponent, who quickly got to the ropes. Naito again hit the draping neckbreaker into the hangman’s neckbreaker and again got a two-count.

Naito grabbed hold of a wrist and started hitting elbows to the side of O-Khan’s head. O-Khan was ready for it and ducked under one to apply a kneebar. Naito wriggled free but ran into a hip toss at the 15-minute mark. O-Khan’s hip tosses always look way better than anyone else’s. O-Khan took a moment to recover, then took Naito over with a fireman’s carry. He held onto the wrists and hit a tomenage, a knee lift, and a double underhook suplex for a two-count. He transitioned right into a head-and-arm choke, then as Naito got close to the ropes O-Khan switched to a leg lace to put himself between Naito and the ropes. Again, smart. Naito still managed to get his free leg on the ropes.

O-Khan measured Naito, and kicked out the back of Naito’s knee. He hit a kneebreaker for another two-count, then locked in a chinlock. He tried to clamp on the claw but Naito escaped the throw and hit a tornado DDT that sent O-Khan to the outside. Naito took some time to recover, then followed him out and whipped him into and over a barricade. Naito dragged him up the ramp and slowly turned him over into a delayed hangman’s neckbreaker. As the announcer made the 20-minute announcement, Naito returned to the ring. The referee counted as O-Khan lay motionless on the ramp. He started to tumble himself down to the ring at the count of 15 and made it back inside at 19, to some rather muted applause. Naito went back to his trademark elbows, then locked in his Pluma Blanca submission. O-Khan struggled and fought his way to the ropes. Naito went to the second rope, pulling O-Khan to his feet by his braid. Esperanza attempted…and connected. The crowd chanted for O-Khan, which Naito mocked. The chant was noticeably quieter than at the start of the match, which makes me wonder if they lost the crowd with the style of this match.

Naito charged right into a claw sleeper suplex. O-Khan got a double-leg takedown and rolled through with…I thought it was a rollup but it looked more like a knee submission from the bottom. Weird but effective. He transitioned into a kneebar which led the crowd to chant for Naito, and at a higher volume than they chanted for O-Khan just now. Naito struggled towards the ropes but O-Khan rolled over and into a leg grapevine, almost an inverted figure four. As we went past 25 minutes, O-Khan continued wrenching on Naito’s leg. Naito rolled back and forth, trying to find a rope, and eventually found one while on the verge of passing out. O-Khan followed up with a pump kick, then went for an Eliminator…countered into a victory roll! 1…2…O-Khan kicked out. Naito hit a back elbow and an enzuigiri, but O-Khan came back with a straight right to leave both men down.

O-Khan made it to his feet first, and went to the top rope. He applied a claw hold, bringing Naito to the top with him…Naito managed to fight free, but O-Khan pushed him down off the top. Again O-Khan brought Naito to the top with him for a top-rope Eliminator…Naito countered with a super huracanrana! Naito went for the running Destino…countered into a backbreaker! Naito countered the Eliminator again…running Destino! He went for the regular version…O-Khan countered with an STO! At the 30-minute call, O-Khan set up for the Elminator…countered into a Destino! 1…2…no!!!!!! Naito mocked O-Khan’s pose, rang up the arm…Destino! 1…2…3!

WINNER: Testsuya Naito via pinfall in 31:00 to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight championship. (****)

(Lansdell’s analysis: This was a weird match, but I really liked it. I don’t think the crowd did, especially the early portions with all the grappling. But the match built in tempo, slowly and gradually but inexorably. I am all the more convinced now that Naito is working hurt in some way, but this match was perfectly scripted for him to go long and also give O-Khan plenty of offence. The finish just built and built to a crescendo that ended with Naito hitting a full Destino perfectly, something he didn’t manage throughout the G1. That is noteworthy in and of itself. I have been harder on Naito than most recently, but this was an example of how he can still deliver.)

• Zack Sabre Jr came out after the match with his G1 trophy. He congratulated Naito on his win, then said his reign was finished in Ryogoku. Shingo came out and said he needed to interrupt because he wanted to issue a challenge. He asked ZSJ if he understood, and Zack said he understands Japanese. Shingo asked Naito if he understood, and Naito said he also understands Japanese. OK, that was funny. Ryohei Oiwa then joined the party, introduced himself as being born in NJPW and raised in NOAH, and said he wanted to challenge Shingo for the Never championship. Shingo accepted the challenge for Ryogoku at King of Pro Wrestling. That was a little weird, what about Shingo’s challenge to ZSJ?
• Naito then cut his normal promo, with the added wrinkle of saying he would beat ZSJ and then pick his next opponent for the world title.

Final thoughts: A show that lacked in a big-night feel, but still delivered some good matches. The last three in particular were very good, which is what we have come to expect from a New Japan show but also what has been missing recently. The announcers repeatedly touting the crowd size and how it was a bigger crowd than they had seen in years in this building was an interesting choice, especially because the card was not especially noteworthy. The show-closing angle was bewildering, with Shingo trying to shoehorn himself into the title picture and then Oiwa jumping the line to challenge Shingo…which apparently distracted him from the world title? Regardless, this show set up a lot of stories for the next little while: Goto and Finlay, Hiromu issuing a challenge to Mistico, Tsuji and Cobb and the prospect of Narita getting in the way, and a returning Ryohei Oiwa making an immediate impact. Definitely worth watching.

You can contact me at lansdellicious@gmail.com or on Twitter @lansdellicious. Also keep your eyes and ears open for the 7-Star Podcast and Radican Worldwide on PWTorch VIP to hear more of my thoughts on the show. Thanks for joining us!