SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NJPW WRESTLE KINGDOM 19
JANUARY 4, 2025
TOKYO DOME
TOKYO, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart and Chris Charlton were on commentary, and in bow ties. Very dapper.
(A) NJPW RANBO
The winner of this match, which is similar to the Royal Rumble but with pinfalls being an option to eliminate competitors, would receive a future IWGP World Championship match. Josh Barnett and Great-O-Khan started the match, followed by Boltin Oleg, Hirooki Goto, and Yuji Nagata. Oleg and Barnett eliminated each other as Togi Makabe made his entrance. Kenta was out next, and he went right after Nagata. As Yoshi-Hashi made his way down the (very long) ramp, Kenta eliminated Nagata over the top rope. Yoshi-Hashi went to the aid of his partner Goto. Yujiro Takahashi was next, followed by Toru Yano. Yoshi-Hashi went over the top courtesy of Yujiro and Kenta. Yano knocked Kenta off the apron to the floor, then schoolboyed Yujiro for a three-count to eliminate him. Hiroyoshi Tenzan made his (extremely slow) entrance and went after O-Khan, rekindling their feud over the Mongolian chop.
Tenzan’s old partner Satoshi Kojima was next out, immediately joining Tenzan in beating down Yano. Typical Yano trickery led to another schoolboy and the elimination of Tenzan. Tomoaki Honma came out next, missed a Kokeshi, then chopped away at Kojima. Sanada was the next entrant, making it two likely winners currently in the ring (Great-O-Khan being the other one). Sanada threw Makabe out through the middle rope, but then tossed Kojima over the top to eliminate him. Taichi came out next, the man who Sanada stabbed in the back to join Bullet Club. They stared at each other non-stop as Taichi came down the ramp, then Sanada bailed out of the ring as Taichi entered. They brawled on the floor, as did Makabe and O-Khan, as Tomohiro Ishii came out.
Ishii leveled O-Khan but ate a clothesline and a Kokeshi from Honma. Ishii countered a rocket Kokeshi with a forearm, then dropped Honma with a brainbuster and covered him for the elimination. Alex Zayne was the final entrant. Sanada engineered a disqualification for Taichi, making it look like Taichi hit him with a low blow. Taichi then knocked Sanada off the apron to eliminate him. Zayne low-bridged Yano, and our final four was Goto, O-Khan, Zayne, and Ishii. Ishii and Zayne fought on the apron, both men teetering, before O-Khan knocked Ishii to the floor and eliminated him. O-Khan knocked Zayne off the apron, leaving Goto and O-Khan as the last two men.
O-Khan took Goto down with a shoulder throw, then hit a running boot for a near fall. Goto ducked a lariat and hit a reverse GTR. He tried to eliminate O-Khan, but O-Khan held on to the rope and stayed on the apron. O-Khan tried to suplex Goto to the floor, Goto countered and knocked O-Khan off the apron for the win.
WINNER: Hirooki Goto, last eliminating Great-O-Khan in 39:00. (**)
(Lansdell’s analysis: A pretty uneventful ranbo, all told. We did get a couple of surprises in Barnett, Tenzan, and Zayne, but nothing major. Goto winning makes sense given how popular he has been recently, but he would not have been one of the favourites going in.)
(1) INTERGALACTIC JET SETTERS (Kevin Knight & Kushida) (c) vs. ICHIBAN SWEET BOYS (Kosei Fujita & Robbie Eagles) vs BULLET CLUB WAR DOGS (Drilla Moloney & Clark Connors) vs CATCH 2/2 (TJP & Francesco Akira) – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Ladder match
Starting the show off hot with this one, which is almost guaranteed to be action-packed. This was the first ladder match ever held in the Tokyo Dome, somehow. Connors and Moloney came out in absolutely gorgeous fur coats, with equally gorgeous ladies accompanying them. Catch 2/2 came out with Jacob Austin Young, and were wearing Daft Punk-inspired masks. TJP had facepaint under his mask. Ichiban Sweet Boys and the Jet Setters did not have special entrances, which does not augur well. Coming into this match, Catch 2/2 had never lost in the Tokyo Dome. I would not be surprised if they won, but my money is on Fujita and Eagles.
Kevin Knight showed off his hops early on, but TJP was able to avoid a ladder shot and take down both Knight and Kushida. War Dogs came in with a chair, Akira tried to interrupt but Moloney and Connors took them both out with a ladder and a high-low double chair shot. Connors went to the outside to get a VERY large ladder. He and Moloney both climbed the ladder, but Kushida knocked the ladder over with a handspring back elbow. Feels like he could have just pushed it, but OK.
Knight and Kushida set up for a double team move to put Moloney through a table, but it got broken up when Connors pushed Knight off the top. Knight tried to come flying off the apron but got waffled in mid-air with a chair. War Dogs erected a table against a barricade and…oh no. Moloney attempted to put Kushida through the table with the Drilla Killa, but completely missed the table and ended up spiking him on the floor instead. Ouch. They tried a spike brainbuster on the floor on Akira, but TJP interrupted. Catch 2/2 put Moloney on a table, and Akira hit a splash to put him through said table.
Back in the ring, Knight returned from the dead to erect a ladder. He propped a smaller ladder between the ropes and the big ladder, then hit a drop toehold to send Connors face-first into it. Knight put Connors on the ladder, and Eagles came out of nowhere with a 450 splash onto Connors on the ladder. Another big ouch. Knight tried to climb, but was cut off by Fujita. He set up a second ladder, but for some reason climbed the first one. Akira met him at the top, they brawled, and TJP got under Fujita to lift him off the ladder. Akira hit a cutter on Fujita!
Eagles walked across the horizontal smaller ladder and started to climb. TJP springboarded onto the ladder and sprayed Eagles with mist, then took him down off the ladder with a weird reverse DDT crossbody thing. Akira climbed again, Kushida lifted him off and Knight leapt up with a ridiculous high dropkick to knock Akira off Kushida’s shoulders. That is insane. Knight tried to climb, with Kushida playing defense. Knight fought off Connors while Kushida held Moloney. Knight got to the top of the ladder, realised he could not reach the belts, and instead decided to jump off to hit Perfect Timing on Moloney. It was…not perfect.
Moloney was trapped under the bottom rung of the ladder as Fujita climbed. Kushida caught him with an ankle lock on the ladder, then pulled him down HARD. Kushida tried to go up, only for Eagles to return the submission favour. Knight then went up the ladder, but Moloney had recovered enough to tip the ladder over from underneath. Moloney moved the ladder to the point where it was even further from the belts, then started to climb. TJP again leapt onto the ladder and was able to take Moloney out. Catch 2/2 and Ichiban Sweet Boys all climbed the ladders, brawling at the top. Eagles and TJP fell, leaving Fujita and Akira at the top. Fujita pulled Akira backwards over the top of the ladder with a dragon sleeper, using the other hand to take the belts and secure the win!
WINNERS: Fujita and Eagles via retrieval in 16:00 to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight tag team championships. (***½)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Your usual high-energy spot-filled opener to get the pulse pounding. Fujita winning was always likely here to start the long-rumoured parade of next-generation title wins. The junior tag division is stacked right now, and we saw nothing here that would threaten that. I do think Connors and Moloney could move up to heavyweight, but I expect Catch 2/2 and TMDK will feud off the back of this match.)
(2) MAYU IWATANI (c) vs. AZM – IWGP Women’s Championship match
History was made here with the first main card IWGP Women’s match on a Wrestle Kingdom card. Iwatani is one of the best wrestlers on earth regardless of gender. AZM is coming off her first win over Iwatani in the Five-Star Grand Prix.
They started off hot, trading forearms. AZM hit a pair of running low kicks to send Iwatani to the floor, then ran to the corner, jumped to the top rope, and hit a beautiful crossbody over the cornerpost to the floor. Wow. Back inside, Iwatani avoided a corner attack and hit a basement dropkick. She hit another one with AZM in the ropes. A very high frog splash from Iwatani was good for a two-count. The commentators mentioned Iwatani had held the title for 621 days with eight defences. Roman Reigns could never.
AZM fought off a German suplex attempt but ran into a superkick. Iwatani went for a springboard attack off the middle turnbuckle, but got caught. AZM went to the top and hit a double stomp for a near fall. Both women traded high kicks, Iwatani winning the exchange with a superkick. She hit a stiff running kick in the corner, then went back to the top…missile dropkick! Again Iwatani went to the top, but missed with the moonsault at the five-minute mark. That was a lot of action for five minutes.
A series of counters ended with AZM hitting a destroyer, then a double underhook destroyer for another near fall. She dragged Iwatani closer to the corner, went to the top…and found nothing but boots to the face! AZM ducked a clothesline, hit la mistica, and rolled up Iwatani with a sushi roll! 1…2…no! German suplex by AZM! Iwatani kicked out at one! German by Iwatani! AZM kicked out at 1! Iwatani went for the Two-Step dragon suplex…countered into a rollup! 1…2…no! AZM tried la mistica again…blocked! Tombstone piledriver! Iwatani again went to the top… moonsault connected! 1…2…still not enough! Two-step dragon suplex…connected! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Mayu Iwatani via pinfall in 9:00 to retain the IWGP Women’s championship. (***½)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: It was short, but they crammed a TON of action into that time. The difference between North American and Japanese women’s wrestling was on full display here. With five more minutes this would have been over four stars easily.)
(3) REN NARITA vs. JEFF COBB vs. RYOHEI OIWA – NJPW World TV Championship match
ELP came out first and apparently borrowed Clark Connor’s coat. Just the fact that he is here at all is a huge win. Jeff Cobb came out holding a belt, which is apparently the Filipino Pro Wrestling championship. Of course it is.
ELP started the match off early by hitting a tope to Narita on the floor before the bell. Oiwa and Cobb traded tackles and forearms, ELP tried to intervene but got tossed around by Oiwa and then by Cobb. Oiwa took Cobb down and went to work on his arm. Narita broke that up with a choke, then choked ELP for good measure. Interestingly, the referee counted for Narita to break the choke, so apparently you CAN have disqualifications in a four-way. Someone should tell WWE and AEW.
Narita continued to use nefarious tactics to control the match. Oiwa summarily dumped him over the top to the floor, but got blindsided by a flying headscissors by ELP. Cobb caught ELP and went for Tour of the Islands, ELP escaped. Cobb blocked an Old School attempt, sending ELP to the floor into Oiwa and Narita. Cobb had a twinkle in his eye…GOOD GRIEF tope con hilo by Cobb to the floor! Back inside he hit a standing moonsault on Narita for a two-count at the five minute mark.
Oiwa came back in with a gutwrench suplex on Cobb for a two-count. ELP broke up the cover, but then got caught on the turnbuckle by Oiwa. Cobb in turn caught Oiwa on the top, and we got the required Tower of Doom spot. Narita came off the top with a guillotine knee! 1…2…no! He tried to cover Oiwa and ELP as well, but again only got a two-count. Narita took out the referee “inadvertently”, then retrieved his push-up board. Jado snatched it away from him, and the other three men beat him down. Cobb hit a dropkick on Oiwa, ELP followed with Sudden Death, then tried a springboard crossbody. Cobb caught him and hit an F5000, but the cover was broken up by Oiwa.
Oiwa hit a clothesline to Cobb, then a doctor bomb! 1…2…Narita pulled the ref out of the ring! He grabbed his push up board, Oiwa ducked the attack! Oiwa went for The Grip…Narita countered with the board to the chest! He tried to use it on Cobb, who blocked it and broke the board over his knee! Narita hit a low blow and went for the Double Cross…countered into Tour of the Islands! 1…2…ELP broke it up with a senton! Slingshot tope to Oiwa on the floor! Thunderkiss 86 to Narita! 1…2…3!
WINNER: ELP via pinfall in 10:00 to win the NJPW World TV championship. (***¼)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: An exciting sprint with a feel-good winner. I think Oiwa was the intended winner until ELP was able to come back, but as he’s the newest of the next generation to return it doesn’t really hurt my prediction of all new-gen winners. This was a big moment for ELP who has shown immense loyalty to NJPW and seems to have an amazing mind for the business. I would like to see Cobb move up the card from here, letting Narita and Oiwa go after ELP.)
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(4) HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. EVIL – Lumberjack match
Not only was Tanahashi’s career on the line here, but his hair was as well. Evil had a newly-remixed theme, and came out with most of House of Torture as his lumberjacks. Tanahashi looked very emotional as he came out, possibly a sign? Yano, Oleg, Tiger Mask, and Master Wato were his lumberjacks.
Evil grabbed a headlock after Sho distracted Tanahashi. Tanahashi hit a back elbow and springboard crossbody to take control, but Evil bailed to the floor. His lumberjacks fanned him with a towel, then created a distraction to allow Evil to blindside Tanahashi. Evil hit a dragon screw, sending Tanahashi to the floor. The lumberjacks brawled as Evil took two chairs from under the ring. One went around Tanahashi’s neck, and Evil swung the other for a home run. House of Torture presented a now-shirtless Master Wato to Evil, who spray-painted his chest.
Back inside, Evil choked Tanahashi. He whipped Tanahashi to an exposed corner, then hit a fisherman’s suplex. Three times Evil covered Tanahashi, and three times he got a two-count. Tanahashi tried to fight back but Evil raked his eyes. Nonetheless, Tanahashi was able to hit a dragon screw of his own. He hit a flying forearm, then knocked Kanemaru off the apron. A body slam and a senton got a two-count. He went for a slingblade but Evil retreated up the ramp. Oleg went up the ramp, lifted Evil into a fireman’s carry, and brought him back. Evil tried to use the referee to block a German suplex, but the ref teed off on Evil with a slap! Twist and Shout by Tanahashi! Evil pushed Tanahashi into the ref…and it was time for House of Torture Shenanigans (TM). They hit the literal crotch chop on Tanahashi, and things quickly devolved as the all eight lumberjacks came in.
Oleg suplexed both Sho and Kanemaru, sending them to the floor, and Wato followed up with a tope. A second referee came down, Tanahashi charged at Evil…and ate the exposed corner as Evil moved. A lariat from Evil got a near fall. Everything is…no! Everything is Tanahash! Dragon suplex by Tanahashi! Slingblade! 1…2…no! Tanahashi went to the top…Aces High connected! Again to the top…Evil pushed the ref into the ropes! Tanahashi got crotched on the top rope, got salt thrown in his eyes, and then ate a superplex. Evil hit Darkness Falls for a very near fall. Evil locked in the Darkness Scorpion. Tanahashi got to the ropes, but ate a lariat. Everything…Is…Evil! Evil went for the pin but Tanahashi rolled him up! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Tanahashi via pinfall in 15:00. (**½)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: It was exactly what you would expect. Tanahashi had a bit more of a spring in his step than usual, but we still had to endure copious HoT shenanigans. Tanahashi winning with a surprise rollup was the right way to have him survive here.)
- After the match, House of Torture attacked Tanahashi, only for Katsuyori Shibata to make the save! He challenged Tanahashi to a match at Wrestle Dynasty, and of course the challenge was accepted.
(5) SHINGO TAKAGI vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA – Never Openweight Championship
I was looking forward to this one, and it was possibly one of the hardest ones to call. Takeshita was accompanied by Don Callis, who somehow managed to look smug in Japanese. Shingo was accompanied by his aura of badassery. And honestly, that’s plenty.
They wasted no time getting physical, Takeshita hitting a clothesline and Shingo hitting a hip toss. Shingo laid in a trio of forearms, which Takeshita absorbed. He returned fire with a single shot that starched Shingo. Takeshita hit an early senton for a two-count. Shingo looked a little shaken by that elbow strike, he might have had his bell rung. Shingo blocked a kick but Takeshita came back with a flying headscissors. Both men went to the outside where Shingo hit a pop-up Death Valley driver.
Back inside, Shingo hit a superplex and a sliding lariat for a two-count. We got an early Shingo Time call, which was interrupted by a German suplex attempt. Shingo blocked it, hit a lariat, and it really was Shingo Time at the five-minute mark. He hit a t-bone suplex, Takeshita hit a German suplex, Shingo hit a back suplex, Takeshita came back with a second German, both men went down, and I needed a breather. Good grief, that was a nice sequence.
Shingo peppered Takeshita with alternating elbows, but again a single shot from Takeshita ended the momentum. A stiff lariat followed. Takeshita hit the bastard driver, held on, and hit a wheelbarrow suplex. Shingo somehow found the energy to hit a lariat, and again both men were down. Shingo recovered first and hit Made in Japan for a near fall. He called to the crowd, who responded. Takeshita came back with a running high knee, partially blocked by Shingo, and a top-rope Frankensteiner. Running knee strike by Takeshita! Only a one count! Blue Thunder bomb by Takeshita! 1…2…no!
As we hit the ten-minute mark, Shingo hit Last of the Dragon out of nowhere! Shingo was first to his feet, and hit a pair of clubbing lariats. He ran into a big boot from Takeshita and a poison rana. Shingo returned the poison rana favour! Takeshita shrugged it off and hit an elbow strike to the back of Shingo’s head! Once again both men were down, this time with Takeshita getting up first. They traded blows, Shingo hit a lariat, Takeshita came back with a big knee, Falcon Arrow by Takeshita! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita via pinfall in 13:00 to win the Never Openweight championship and retain the AEW International championship. (****)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Easily the match of the night so far, but somehow it also underachieved? I think I was looking for a five-star classic here, but it’s hard to say that was what we got when they went so short and Shingo looked all along like the second-best. This was a coronation for Takeshita, and he took the crown with aplomb.)
(6) DOUKI (c) vs. EL DESPERADO – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match
Douki got the super-special entrance, complete with a famous Noh theatre actor doing a traditional dance. Douki came up through a trapdoor in the stage, and the contrast of the actor in all white and Douki in black was striking.
They ran the ropes to start, Douki catching a headscissors to send Desperado to the floor. He followed with a tope suicida, but Desperado turned the tables and hit a tope con hilo of his own. He hit the back of his knees on the barricade HARD in the process, which looked and sounded worse than it seemed to be. Both men brawled on the outside, coming back in at the count of 16. They traded strikes, Douki winning the exchange with an enzuigiri, but then eating a spinebuster. Douki tried to surprise Desperado with the Douki Chokie, but Desperado countered into a cloverleaf. Douki made it to the ropes.
After a series of counters, Douki hit a headscissors to send Desperado to the outside. Douki ran up the ropes and hit a seated senton to the floor into the barricade! Oh…oh no. Douki landed really badly and almost definitely has a broken arm. I am pretty sure I saw the elbow joint sticking out. The referee immediately called for the bell.
WINNER: El Desperado via referee stoppage in 6:00. (No rating)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: That was a real shame. Douki just landed badly, it did not look like either man was at fault. Considering the nasty landing when Desperado tried the same move, it could have been either of them who ended up badly injured.)
- El Desperado took to the mic to say that this is the inevitable result when you go hard and put your all into a match.
(7) DAVID FINLAY vs. YOTA TSUJI – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship match
Tsuji came out looking like a color-shifted Jake Lee, all in red. Finlay came out with Gedo and a heavy machine gun, because of course he did. With reports around that Finlay’s contract is set to expire, the result here could tell us a lot.
The early elbow strikes were stiff and vicious. Tsuji hit an early curb stomp, then a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Finlay went to the outside, Tsuji tried to follow with a tope but Finlay blocked it and took Tsuji to a barricade. He tried to whip Tsuji into the corner post, Tsuji avoided it but got NAILED with a flying shoulder instead. Back inside, Finlay covered Tsuji with one foot for a two-count. A backbreaker got another two. Finlay taunted the crowd, allowing Tsuji to recover and hit another curb stomp.
Tsuji hit a shoulder tackle and a running splash for a two-count. He followed up with a headscissors, sending Finlay to the floor. Fosbury flop to the floor by Tsuji! That was gorgeous. As we passed the five-minute mark, Tsuji rolled Finlay back inside. They traded elbow strikes, and both men ended up on the floor. Finlay took control on the floor, and put Tsuji through a table with a uranage. Finlay went back to the ring, and the referee started counting. Tsuji made it back in at 19.
Finlay tossed Tsuji across the ring, then hit a running back elbow in the corner. Tsuji came back with a suplex into the turnbuckles out of nowhere. Tsuji called to the crowd as he positioned Finlay for a top rope move. Finlay pushed him down, but Tsuji came back with a high kick and again joined Finlay on the top turnbuckle. Finlay countered with a top rope powerbomb! Dominator by Finlay! He held on and hit second! A third Dominator! 1…2…no! Finlay paced around the ring, with Tsuji down and struggling to stand. Tsuji countered a suplex into a small package for a two-count, but then ate a series of lariats. Tsuji came back with a knee strike, and countered a spear attempt with another knee. I have seen that counter many times, and it has never looked that smooth.
Tsuji went for the triple jump stomp, Finlay avoided it and hit a powerbomb, a buckle bomb, and another powerbomb for a near fall. He went for another buckle bomb, but Tsuji countered with a headscissors. Triple jump stomp connected! 1…2…no! Both men were down as we hit 15 minutes. Tsuji went for the Gene Blast…countered into a cutter by Finlay! Into Oblivion connected! 1…2…still no! Tsuji escaped an Overkill attempt but ate a spear! Overkill…countered into a Stundog Millionaire! Gene Blast by Tsuji! 1…2…foot on the ropes!
Tsuji paused to catch his breath while Finlay was down. The crowd started to get behind him, but it was not a loud reaction. He laid in a quartet of elbows and a big headbutt, then a curb stomp. Gene Blast…countered by Finlay! Overkill connected! 1…2…NO! After a series of counters, Tsuji blocked another Overkill attempt. He hit a knee lift and a powerbomb, then measured Finlay…Gene Blast connected! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Yota Tsuji via pinfall in 20:00 to win the IWGP Global Heavyweight championship. (***½)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: I actually enjoyed this more than some of the other matches with the same rating, but there was just too much stalling to go any higher. I wonder if they were asked to fill some time after Douki’s injury. Tsuji’s win was expected even before the contract talk, but this now presents some intrigue as to where Finlay might be wrestling in the next few months. Tsuji really needed a win, having come up short in multiple title matches before now. Hopefully he can elevate the title, as Finlay has felt like the forgotten star recently.)
(8) TETSUYA NAITO vs. HIROMU TAKAHASHI
Hiromu came out in a giant psychedelic frog costume. You did not read that wrong. Chris Charlton really laid it on thick talking about Naito and how we would never have this feeling from Naito again. I doubt Naito would retire after this, but the comments were ominous for sure. He also mentioned that Naito had surgery on his left eye to make his vision worse, so it would match the right eye. OK so maybe he will retire soon.
Matches between stablemates are rare, and despite both men being in the company a long time this was a first-time matchup. Naito raised his fist in the LIJ salute before the bell, but Hiromu turned his back. Interesting. Naito’s guile allowed him to get the first offensive move, hitting a basement dropkick. He hit an inverted atomic drop and a neckbreaker over the knee, then clamped on a submission hold. Hiromu got to the ropes, but Naito was slow to break the hold.
Hiromu fired back with a series of chops, then connected with a corner clothesline and a basement dropkick for a two-count. Naito ducked a clothesline, they ran the ropes and Naito hit an armdrag and a basement dropkick to the back of Hiromu’s head. A delayed hangman’s neckbreaker got a two-count at the five-minute mark. Hiromu again fought back, dumping Naito on the apron and hitting a superkick and a sunset bomb to the floor. He followed up with a Dynamite Plunge for a two-count. Naito countered a Time Bomb attempt into a rollup for a two-count, but then ate a German suplex.
Hiromu hit a clothesline, then Time Bomb for a near fall. Naito tried twice to hit a tornado DDT counter, but Hiromu blocked it the first time and countered it the second time. He followed up with a lariat, then went for Time Bomb 2…countered into a Destino! Naito could not capitalise with a cover, but grabbed Hiromu’s wrist and laid in a series of elbows to the side of the head. He connected with Esperanza, ducked a kick and hit a running Destino for a near fall. He wrung up the arm…Destino countered into a Time Bomb! 1…2…no!
Hiromu went for Time Bomb 2 again, Naito blocked it and laid in more wrist-clutch elbows. He hit an enzuigiri, but Hiromu snared him in the Hiromu Roll! 1…2…no! Destino by Hiromu! 1…2…no! Time Bomb 2 connected! 1…2…still not enough! Naito fought off another Time Bomb 2 attempt at the 15-minute mark, then slapped Hiromu. An enraged Hiromu charged into a spinebuster. Destino connected clean for Naito! 1…2…Hiromu kicked out! Naito slammed Hiromu and went for the corner, but Hiromu grabbed at his boot. Naito slapped him again and hit Valentia, then another Destino. 1…2…3! I was not expecting that.
WINNER: Testsuya Naito via pinfall in 17:00. (***3/4)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: It was not the flashiest, it was not the hardest-hitting, but there was a long history behind this match and it told a story of the student, desperate to surpass the master but also worried for the master’s health. He could have let Naito go to the top, avoided the move, and won the match. But although Naito was called selfish for wanting this match and getting a surgery to actually make his eye worse, Hiromu showed compassion to preserve Naito’s health. It became clear throughout the match that Naito’s eyes are in much worse shape than we knew, and he may well be on his last run. I thought Hiromu really needed this win to kick him into high gear as Naito’s successor, but I guess there is more story to tell.)
- After the match, Naito stood in the middle of the ring, fist up in the air waiting for Hiromu to recover and salute. Hiromu first bowed deeply, then returned the LIJ salute.
(9) ZACK SABRE JR. (c) vs SHOTA UMINO – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match
Umino came out on a very expensive-looking motorbike, which actually shortened his normal entrance time somehow. ZSJ had a new entrance theme, and it was awful. Red Shoes was the referee for the main event, in which his son was the challenger.
ZSJ wrestled circles around Umino to open the match. Umino got a takedown but ZSJ quickly got free. Umino managed to grab a full nelson, ZSJ escaped a couple of times only for Umino to apply it again. After a very fast series of counters, Umino hit a face-first slam and a basement dropkick for the first real advantage of the match. Umino applied a cravate, and somewhere Chris Hero was smiling. Umino moved very methodically, hitting some 12-6 elbows, before ZSJ yanked Umino down by his arm. ZSJ snapped Umino’s fingers, then stomped on his elbow.
ZSJ kicked away at Umino as he struggled to get to his feet. Shota tried to fire back with some elbows, but ZSJ shrugged them off and jacked Umino’s arm. He locked in an abdominal stretch, shifting his grip to change the pressure. Umino hit a surprise dropkick to change the tide at the ten-minute mark. Umino hit some strikes in the corner and a fisherman’s suplex for a two-count. ZSJ hit an overhead kick to the arm, but Umino came back with a slingshot DDT over the top to the apron. The referee counted as Umino rolled back inside.
Umino went back to the floor and whipped ZSJ to the barricade, which caused the crowd to start booing. ZSJ fired back with a boot but ate a dropkick. Umino draped ZSJ over the barricade, then dropped him with a DDT. The booing intensified. Back inside, Umino hit a missile basement dropkick and a lifting reverse DDT for a two-count at the 15-minute mark. The boos intensified, and ZSJ mounted a comeback with a basement dropkick.
ZSJ kicked Umino in the spine, and Umino sat up and asked for more. ZSJ obliged, and Umino called for another. Again ZSJ obliged, harder this time, and covered for a two-count. ZSJ toyed with Umino, tapping his head with a boot. Umino fired in a shot, which ZSJ returned with interest. Umino tried to fire up but the crowd was not having it. Again ZSJ staggered Umino with a single shot. He reversed an exploder attempt and hit a flying armbar, which Umino quickly fought off. ZSJ locked up the arms, and it was transition torture time. ZSJ transitioned into a Rings of Saturn, Umino rolled into the pressure before ZSJ could make it worse. ZSJ switched to a triangle choke, and Umino looked close to fading twice. He fought to his feet, lifting ZSJ in the process. ZSJ dropped him with a DDT, but Umino fought to his feet and hit a sliding elbow.
Umino recovered first, and there were some cheers mixed with the boos. ZSJ ducked under a Blaze Blade attempt and hit a German suplex followed by a tight clothesline. ZSJ called to the crowd, and they responded. Zack Driver…Umino escaped, and hit an inverted Twist and Shout to leave both men down.They both struggled to their feet in opposite corners. ZSJ hit a European uppercut and asked Umino to return the favour. This time he staggered ZSJ, who fired back with anger. The exchange continued, with Umino’s strikes getting more and more solid. Umino hit an exploder, ZSJ came back with a penalty kick, and both men were down at 25 minutes.
ZSJ went for the Zack Driver, Umino escaped and hit a tornado DDT. Umino went for the Death Rider, but a Zack Driver out of nowhere got another near fall. He went for a Gotch-style piledriver, but Umino escaped. Death Rider connected! 1…2…no! Umino hit Ignition and a second Death Rider! 1…2…still not enough! The crowd got behind him finally, but ZSJ blocked the third Death Rider and snapped Umino’s recently-recovered ankle twice. Ankle lock applied by ZSJ! He grapevine the leg, and shifted to a heel hook. Umino still fought, so ZSJ moved into a modified Ron Miller special at the half-hour point.
Umino gritted his teeth and inched towards the ropes, ZSJ transitioned again, but Umino made it for the rope break. ZSJ stayed in control, stomping on Umino’s leg. Umino weakly hit ZSJ with a few elbows, and again the crowd started booing. He fired up but ZSJ hit a low dropkick to the knees. He measured Umino, who moved and hit a tornado DDT. With ZSK kneeling in the corner, Umino hit a running knee to the back of his head. He perched ZSJ on the top and tried to follow but his leg gave out. ZSJ clamped on a guillotine choke while sitting on the turnbuckle, and Umino went limp. ZSJ tried for a super Zack Driver, Umino fought it off and hit an avalanche Death Rider. Again, both men were down.
Umino stomped away on ZSJ, pushing the referee down in the process. Did I mention the referee is his dad? Somehow that did not lead to a DQ. Umino ignored repeated calls to break, and kept stomping on ZSJ. Apparently we are in full heel turn territory. Umino knocked ZSJ down with an elbow and hit the Blackpool Combat Club face stomps. This was not popular with the crowd either. ZSJ came up with a stiff strike to change the tide at the 40 minute mark. He buried a kick in Umino’s chest, then slapped him full in the face. They traded slaps in the middle of the ring, ZSJ winning the exchange with a slap so hard Umino felt it next week. Emerald flowsion by Umino got a near fall, and a Blaze blade got another near fall. ZSJ picked the ankle, Umino countered to a victory roll for another near fall.
Umino turned ZSJ inside out with a lariat, but collapsed on his ankle when trying to follow up. Zack Driver connected! 1…2…no! Gotch-style piledriver! Leg hook Zack Driver! 1…2…3!
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr via pinfall in 44:00. (***)
(Lansdell’s Analysis: Another surprising result. I struggle to know how to rate this match. Large portions of it were borderline unwatchable, with Umino seeming almost robotic at times. Even ZSJ’s trademark submission sequences seemed to be lacking something. Umino alternated between showing absolutely no emotion and overdoing it on the fire-ups. The crowd seemed to turn on him every time he tried to get their support, but at times they also showed that they could get behind him when he stopped trying so hard. A lesson there for sure. It’s hard to rate a 40+ minute match so low, but aside from a couple of sequences I just did not enjoy this. I’m not sure where Umino goes from here, but I have a feeling it’ll be Tsuji.)
In the aftermath, it was announced that Jeff Cobb would be the partner for Great-O-Khan at Wrestle Dynasty tomorrow, which is a big disappointment. They also announced that it would be a triple threat match, as Naito and Hiromu were going to take their title shot.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This did not feel like a Wrestle Kingdom. All the matches delivered, no question. The one everyone was looking forward to was kind of a disappointment because it was so short, and the main event for me did not come off well. There was no standout match, no moment we will remember for years. I’m judging it on a curve here, because it was by no means a bad event. But it was bad for a Wrestle Kingdom. I think, in trying to set up a big card for tomorrow and in trying to also do New Year’s Dash on Monday, NJPW got too ambitious and it hurt this product.
We’ll be back later today (or early tomorrow, because time zones) with our coverage of Wrestle Dynasty. 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!
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