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WELLS’S NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU REPORT
MAY 1, 2022
FUKUOKA, JAPAN AT FUKUOKA “PAYPAY” DOME
AIRED LIVE IN JAPANESE & ENGLISH ON NJPW WORLD
Commentary: Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton
A video package in Japanese hyped tonight’s card. Tatsumi Fujinami’s anticipated appearance won’t happen due to his COVID status. Additionally, the match that was once Sanada defending his US Championship against both Hiroshi Tanahashi and Will Ospreay in a triple threat is now Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii for the vacant title, in the wake of Sanada’s injury and Ospreay’s COVID status.
(1) SHINGO TAKAGI & BUSHI & SHIRO KOSHINAKA vs. SUZUKI-GUN (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi & Taka Michinoku)
Fujinami was the intended partner for Takagi and Bushi. Koshinaka is 63 and was the first ever IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. He looks better than the majority of people look in their 40s. Koshinaka pushed his partners back to the corner to start for his team to cheers. Koshinaka and Sabre opened the match and did some fleet mat work, and Koshinaka hung in there with Sabre’s speed. Sabre ran the ropes into Koshinaka, who blocked him to the mat. Bushi tagged in and he and Koshinaka hit hip attacks on a grounded Sabre. Neckbreaker by Bushi got two. Palm strikes and an Irish whip by Bushi. Sabre caught Bushi in a submission, but Bushi was tangled up in the ropes. Sabre yanked Bushi to the outside and kept up the leg submission, which the referee broke up again. Sabre got in the ring and waited until Taichi rolled Bushi in the ring. Taichi tagged in and hit a snap mare and a stiff kick to the back. Bushi tried some forearms to little effect, and Taka tagged in and leaned on Bushi with a boot. Bushi threw some forearms, but Taka cut it off with fingers to the eyes. Rising knee in the corner by Taka, followed by a running knee for two. Bushi caught a charging Taka with a boot and hit double knees, then tagged Takagi.
Takagi entered and battered Taka in the corner, and Taichi interfered to break it up. Sabre entered also and Takagi fought off all of Suzuki-Gun, then hit a senton on Taka for two. Taka made the tag to Taichi, who threw kicks, but Takagi caught one and hit a stiff chop. Hook kick by Tachi, and Suzuki-Gun cleared Bushi and Koshinaka from the apron and triple-teamed. Taichi covered for two. The two jockeyed for position. Takagi transitioned from sleeper to dragon sleeper, then did a modified Twist & Shout. Koshinaka hit a hip attack from the top on Taichi, then did the same on the outside from the apron. Back in the ring, Takagi rolled up Taichi for two. The non-legal men brawled on the outside. Takagi and Taichi exchanged forearms and attempts at lariats. Taichi surprised Takagi with a Gedo Clutch and got the three, setting up another match between Takagi and Taichi for the King of Pro Wrestling trophy.
WINNERS: Suzuki-Gun at 10:15. (***)
(Wells’s Analysis: Standard New Japan tag fare, well-worked with the fun surprise of Koshinaka, who’s impossibly youthful for his age.)
(2) YOH vs. HIROMU TAKAHASHI
These two had one of the best matches of 2021 in the Best of the Super Juniors final. Hiromu milked his entrance, wearing a jacket covered with large, colorful tendrils. Quick chop exchange, followed by palm strikes. More chops from Yoh, who ran the ropes and hit a block. Another block, then a rana by Yoh. Yoh missed a basement dropkick and the two exchanged misses of quick shots. Enzuigiri by Yoh, but Hiromu caught him and hit a DDT on a corner pad. Yoh rolled up Hiromu for two. Hiromu got dumped and Yoh flew out and hit Hiromu with a senton. Yoh made it into the ring at 17, and Hiromu at 19.
Another chop exchange. Yoh hit a dropkick and Hiromu hit one of the shotgun variety. Hiromu hit a powerbomb and Yoh answered with a Falcon Arrow. Both guys sold on the mat. Yoh hit his feet first and missed, then hit, a lariat. Lightning-quick reversals ended with Hiromu hitting a victory royal. Hiromu hit a German suplex, then covered for just one to cheers. Yoh hit a modified ushigoroshi and set up Direct Drive, but Hiromu fought it off. Dragon suplex with a bridge by Yoh got two. Direct Drive but Hiromu flipped through, then suplexed Yoh into the buckle pad behind him. Hiromu hit a big lariat and hit Time Bomb, but didn’t cover. He hit Time Bomb 2 to finish.
WINNER: Hiromu Takahashi at 10:09. (***)
(Wells’s Analysis: Criminally short given what these two have done together, but Yoh is going through another “down on his luck” storyline already for some reason, and this placement on the card didn’t suggest a long outing. I still wouldn’t be shocked to see Yoh to win the Best of the Super Juniors tournament.)
(3) TANGA LOA (w/Jado) vs. YUJIRO TAKAHASHI (w/Pieter)
Time to see if Tanga Loa can work miracles. Tanga Loa had sharp superhero-inspired gear; it was similar to his usual black gear in style, but primarily white with gold and blue accents. Loa knelt on the apron, seemingly in prayer before the match, and Yujiro charged in with a knee and the bell rang while Yujiro punished Loa on the outside. Action moved inside and Loa blocked Yujiro hard after a rope run. Hip toss and a body slam by Loa, who fired up to sustained applause. Yujiro begged for mercy, then tripped Loa and left up the ramp. Loa charged and hit him from behind with a lariat. Loa set up a powerbomb on the ramp, but Sho charged from behind and threw rights, which Loa no-sold. Bullet Club double-teamed, and Yujiro hit a suplex on the ramp. Yujiro dragged Loa toward the ring and inside at the 14 count.
Fisherman buster by Yujiro got two. Yujiro hit a big boot against the ropes, then worked a crossface, a direct mockery to Jado, who used that regularly. Loa rolled to the ropes to break. The two reversed a few shots until Loa hit a boot, then a delayed jackhammer. Lariat by Loa, then another. T-Bone suplex by Loa. 619 by Loa, followed by a top rope clothesline for a long two. Yujiro bit Loa’s hand to escape a powerbomb, then hit a basement dropkick. Very slow Samoan drop by Yujiro. Rope run and Loa speared Yujiro for another long two. Sho distracted the ref, who got bumped, and Sho hit a German suplex on Loa. Sho entered with the wrench he carries everywhere, but he missed a shot, and Loa charged Sho into a lariat by Jado. Loa hit a powerbomb on Sho, but Yujiro was stalking him and hit Pimp Juice for a believable near-fall. Yujiro tried a leaping Pimp Juice, but Loa fought it off and hit a side slam, then Ape Shit to finish.
WINNER: Tanga Loa at 11:48. (**1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Yujiro’s limitations, as often, were masked with a lot of extracurriculars on the outside. Loa showed up big, fresh into his face turn. I know the Guerrillas of Destiny are the center of NJPW’s tag division, but I hope we continue to see what both can do in a singles setting, as they’ve been doing the best singles matches of their respective careers)
(4) TEAM 6 OR 9 (Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato) (c) vs. SUZUKI-GUN (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Douki) – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match
Kanemaru’s signature goatee is gone in favor of just a beard, and he almost looks like a different person. Taguchi brought his signature red boxers in his hand, teasing that he was going commando. He put the boxers over his head to the consternation of the announcers. Douki and Wato did a speedy sequence to open, and their partners got involved shortly after. 6 or 9 double-teamed Douki with a tandem drop toe-hold and a dropkick. Action spilled outside, where Kanemaru charged Wato into a barricade, and Taguchi hit a springboard plancha on Kanemaru, and Wato hit a tope con giro on Douki. Wato rolled Douki inside, but Kanemaru cut off Wato and charged him to a barricade. Douki did the same to Taguchi on the other side.
Douki and Wato hit the ring, and Douki tagged Kanemaru, who went at Wato with elbows to the skull. Douki tagged in again and leaned a boot on Wato’s neck. Douki raked the eyes, then ran into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Wato. Kanemaru interfered and Wato put him down with a spinning heel kick, then tagged Taguchi. Running hip attacks on both heels by Taguchi, and a flying one for Douki that got two. Taguchi did his signature taunt, and Kanemaru charged in with a dropkick. Suzuki-Gun double-teamed, and Kanemaru worked a figure four. Taguchi teased a tap before fighting his way to a bottom rope to break. Reverse DDT by Kanemaru, double stomp by Douki and a moonsault by Kanemaru got two, broken up by Wato. Wato and Douki spilled to the floor.
Kanemaru tried a suplex. Taguchi rolled through, but his knee buckled and Kanemaru shot it. Enzuigiri by Taguchi, and Wato hit a missile dropkick. All four got involved and Wato broke up a rollup. Douki hit a springboard back elbow on both of his opponents, then distracted the ref as Kanemuru got his bottle of Santori. Taguchi pulled down his pants, revealing a small thong, then rolled up Kanemaru with his backside deep in the face of Kanemaru for the three.
WINNERS: Team 6 or 9 at 9:10. (**1/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: It had the typical silly fun of a Taguchi match, without the jump into the next gear that he and his opponents are capable of. Decent, but bland)
(5) CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi) vs. THE UNITED EMPIRE (Jeff Cobb & The Great O-Khan) (c) vs. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens) – Tongan Tornado match for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
There will be no tags, and everyone is legal, at the kayfabe suggestion of Bad Luck Fale. This should be…interesting…to recap. Bullet Club entered first, followed by recent former champions Chaos. Entrances have seemed extremely long all night, though some of that is due to the exceptionally long ramp at the Fukuoka Dome.
Fale charged Cobb during the intro of the champs to get things started. In the ring, Goto and Hashi double-teamed O-Khan, but Bullet Club came in and double-teamed Goto for a near-fall (Goto looked up for a pin save, but with none coming, he kicked out). Goto and Hashi teamed up on Owens, but O-Khan blindsided them with Mongolian Chops and a sheep killer for Goto. This time, Hashi made the save after the champs double-teamed Goto. Big corner elbows by United Empire on Hashi. Standing moonsault by Cobb on Hashi got two. Hashi fought off the champs and before long, Hashi and Owens were paired off. Owens got the better of the exchange, and Fale entered for the double-team. Owens got a near-fall on Hashi. C-Trigger by Owens, who went for a package piledriver, but Hashi slipped out and Goto charged in and dominated Owens. O-Khan entered, and Goto suplexed him onto Owens. Hashi and Goto cleared O-Khan from the ring and looked to finish it on Owens, but Fale interfered. Fale fell on Owens and Goto and Hashi got on as well, and got a two count before Fale shook them off.
Fale and Cobb had their inevitable pair0off next. Haymaker exchange followed by a block by Fale, and then an effortless body slam by Cobb. Hashi and O-Khan paired off next. Neckbreaker by O-Khan and a lariat by Hashi. Goto and Hashi double-teamed O-Khan for an ushigoroshi, then hit their team finisher, but Owens broke it up with a C-Trigger on Hashi. Owens and Goto had a forearm exchange, first slow, then fast. Goto went all fighting spirit on Owens to put him on the mat. Owens ducked a lariat and hit a rolling senton to the outside. Inside, Cobb went for Tour of the Islands on Goto, who slipped out and hit an ushigoroshi. GTR was blocked and Cobb hit Tour of the Islands, broken up by Fale. Cobb threw a dropkick on Fale, then charged but got put on the apron, and hit by a Fale lariat there. In the ring, Fale hit a grenade on Goto, then teamed up with Owens for a rocket launcher. Owens got the three on Goto to make Bullet Club the new champions.
After the decision, United Empire got in the winners’ faces, setting up a 2-on-2 rematch for the titles before long.
WINNERS: Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens at 9:44 (**1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: As usual with a tornado tag, it was the kind of mess that made it seem more like a fluke victory than anything. Good action, but essentially a spotfest with little flow. UE’s reign was extremely short, and I was predicting a long reign for them.)
-The Best of the Super Juniors field was announced.
A BLOCK
Hiromu Takahashi
Ryusuke Taguchi
YOH
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Taiji Ishimori
SHO
Clark Connors
Alex Zayne
Ace Austin
Francesco Akira
B BLOCK
Master Wato
Robbie Eagles
BUSHI
DOUKI
El Desperado
El Phantasmo
Titan
TJP
Wheeler Yuta
El Lindaman
A very inspiring slate this year, as travel opens up again and allows for some new and exciting flavor for the tournament. B Block seems wide open, as Desperado is the sitting champion and isn’t likely to win the block as champion (it happens, but very rarely).
-Intermission for cleaning and disinfecting.
(6) TAMA TONGA (w/Jado) vs. EVIL (w/Dick Togo) (c) – NEVER Openweight Championship match
The two fought up on the ramp before the bell. Tama put Evil’s head into the apron, then dragged him around the ring and did it again. Action finally went inside and the ref called for the bell. The two brawled and ended up outside again, and Togo tried to get involved, so Jado cut him off. Evil caught Tama with a suplex on the outside. Evil put Tama into the barricade, knocking over the ring announcer. Evil held up a microphone to Tama’s face and told him to give up. Tama wailed in pain.
Action went inside again, and Tama missed a dropkick as Evil put the brakes on. Evil put Tama into an exposed buckle, then hit a lariat for a long two. Body slam got a one count, and Evil kept covering for one counts. Evil went for a suplex, but Tama held fast and reversed to a suplex of his own. Evil missed a lariat, and Tama hit three dropkicks. Togo tried to interfered and Tama used a slingshot to bring him in, then put him down with a forearm. Tama fired up the crowd and hit a corner splash for two. Evil blocked a Tongan Twist, but Tama reversed right back and hit it. Tama went p and Evil shielded himself with the ref. Evil hit a huge inside-out lariat after some reversals for two. Everything is Evil was blocked, and Evil hit an eye rake. The outside guys got involved, but then cleared out. Tama put down Evil and hit Supreme Flow for two. Tama removed the top of his gear and the audience cheered his jacked physique. Evil raked the eyes again and put Tama into the ropes, where Togo hit him in the head with a chair. Darkness Falls got two for Evil.
Evil tried to turn Tama over into the Darkness Scorpion, and Tama punched his way out. Evil tossed him into the exposed steel again, and Tama fired up and hit a running lariat. Tama used Evil’s Darkness Scorpion. Dick Togo went and rang the bell, making Tama believe Evil had tapped. Tama cheered, and the ref explained what happened. The ref got bumped and Dick Togo used the garrote on Tama. Evil and Togo hit a Magic Killer. Evil went up, but Jado hit him with a kendo stick, first in the back, and then the head. Jado refreshed the ref and fired up the crowd by slapping the mat.
Tama went for Gun Stun, blocked, and the two exchanged attempts at big shots. Near Gun Stun, and Evil escaped. Evil tried to toss the ref into Tama, but Tama leaped over him and hit the Gun Stun for the victory!
The celebration was short-lived, as Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows hit the ring and squashed Tama and Jado. I hope you’ve enjoyed the singles exploits of GOD, because they just got into a tag feud. Tanga Loa made the save, but had no help left and Bullet Club got the better of him too. Anderson held up the NEVER Openweight title, so he’s likely the next major challenger. Anderson did a Gun Stun to Tama on the belt, and his music played afterward for the first time in years in a Japanese arena.
WINNER: Tama Tonga at 13:24. (***)
(Wells’s Analysis: About average on the outside nonsense scale for an Evil match, but the wrestling, when it happened, was engaging. While these teams are now clearly in a feud, Tama Tonga is still a singles champion, so his incredible work in the G-1 last year certainly didn’t go unnoticed)
(7) EL DESPERADO (c) vs. TAIJI ISHIMORI – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match
Waistlocks and wristlocks to open. Ishimori yanked Desperado’s arm, then raked the eyes after another spirited reversal exchange. Desperado caught Ishimori and drove him backward to the mat. Ishimori bailed and Desperado followed. Ishimori dropped Desperado on the barricade by the neck, and the ref checked on him as Ishimori removed the blue corner pad inside the ring. Desperado broke the ref’s count to try to get extra time, but Ishimori dragged him inside and drove him hard shoulder-first into the exposed buckle. Ishimori continued to work the arm with some wrenches followed by a sleeper that trapped Desperado’s left arm.
Ishimori transitioned to a triangle choke on the mat, and Desperado kicked his way to a rope to break. Desperado flailed with a couple of chops from his knees to little effect. He fired up and hit a dragon screw over a rope on Ishimori, then worked an Indian Death Lock. Ishimori tried to punch his way free, so Desperado fell backward out of reach. Ishimori dragged himself to a rope to break. Back suplex by Desperado got two. Ishimori went back to the arm, first snapping it down, then driving Desperado shoulder-first into the ring post. Ishimori dropped a knee on Desperado in the ring, but he’s nursing a knee injury, so he sold being slow to recover. Ishimori went up and missed a 450, and Desperado speared him. Guitarra del Angel was blocked and Ishimori rolled up Desperado for two. Ishimori continued to sell the knee issues.
Desperado slammed Ishimori and covered for two. The ten minute call happened; they’ve packed in quite a bit. Forearms were exchanged and Ishimori hit a rocket knee. Bloody Cross, blocked, and Desperado hit a big right and both guys sold on the mat. Pinche Loco was blocked and Ishimori hit La Mistica into a Yes Lock. Ishimori tried to transition to Bloody Cross, reversed, rollup by Desperado for two, transitioned quickly to a Stretch Muffler, and he tried a few ways to complete it into Numero Dos. Ishimori fought his way into a Cobra Twist in an impressive show of strength, and Desperado slammed Ishimori for two. Pinche Loco by Desperado. He tried to hit another, but Ishimori reversed into a Bone Lock in midair. He rolled Desperado to the middle of the ring, where Desperado tapped.
WINNER: Taiji Ishimori at 14:41. (****)
(Wells’s Analysis: A beautiful series of holds, reversals and counters all the way through. These two could have a perfectly decent lightspeed spotfest, but instead had a genuinely great wrestling match that continued the night of all title changes so far (which would be interesting if New Japan didn’t do that so often at these bigger events). This frees up Desperado as a potential winner of BOSJ, and likely ends Ishimori’s chances)
(8) HIROSHI TANAHASHI vs. TOMOHIRO ISHII – Singles match for the vacant IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship
Collar and elbow to start. Ishii backed Tanahashi to a rope and threw a hard slap. Ishii backed him up again, reversed, and Tana returned the favor. Uppercuts and rights by Tana. Back elbow and a springboard cross-body by Tanahashi. Tana did a bit of air guitar, but Ishii got up quickly and booted him in the back. Forearm exchange was long, as Ishii’s usually are. After 90 seconds or more, Ishii finally staggered, then grounded Tanahashi. Vertical suplex got a long two for Ishii. Big chop by Ishii, who put Tanahashi in a corner and hit several more. Ishii completely no-sold some forearms and went into a forearm and chop rotation, then exploded out of the opposite corner with a lariat. Tanahashi got back into it with a block, then hit a body slam. Ishii stood his ground in a corner, so Tana dropped and hit a dragon screw. Tana went for a Texas Cloverleaf, and Ishii fought it off and hit a dropkick to Tana’s knee. Tana came back off the ropes with another dragon screw, and both guys sold on the mat.
Ishii hit a side suplex, then tried a scorpion death lock, but Tanahashi punched his way out of trouble and hit his feet. Ishii put Tana in a corner and hit a hard lariat, but Tana fired up and immediately threw some rights and took Ishii to the blue corner, where Ishii no-sold and walked toward every one of Tana’s shots in a spot I will never, ever tire of. Ishii threw a forearm that crumbled Tanahashi in a corner. The two exchanged shots up on the second rope in the corner. Tanahashi fell to the mat, but hit a dragon screw to wrench Ishii to the mat. He hit a second and a third dragon screw on the same leg. Tana stepped into a Texas Cloverleaf and Ishii crawled on his elbows until he reached a rope to break.
Ishii tried to kick Tanahashi away as he was against the ropes, and Tana hit yet another dragon screw. Tana ran the ropes for a Sling Blade, but Ishii hit a powerslam on the charging Tanahashi instead. Both guys sold for a moment again. Both guys exchanged missed shots, and Tanahashi threw ineffective palm strikes. Tana caught Ishii in a full nelson suplex, and Ishii got right up and hit by a second. Lariat by Ishii. Sling Blade by Tanahashi. Another Sling Blade got two. Tanahashi trapped Ishii’s arms for a German suplex and a very long two. Tana went up and Ishii charged him with his head to drape him atop the corner. Ishii fell to the mat and again, both guys sold for a time as the fifteen minute call sounded.
Ishii went up to the top with Tanahashi again and hit a superplex for his own long two. Ishii hit a sliding lariat for two. Both guys went for suplexes, and Tanahashi hit a German for two. Tanahashi went up and hit a High Fly Flow on Ishii’s back, then went back up and missed one to Ishii’s front. Crucifix by Ishii got ludicrously close to three. Both guys hit their feet and missed some lariats. Ishii absorbed some lariat attempts and hit an enzuigiri. Ishii ran the ropes for a hard lariat and Tana kicked out at one to get the “ooooohh” from the crowd. Ishii hit a vertical drop brainbuster, and shockingly, Tanahashi kicked out. Ishii tried another, but Tanahashi wriggled free and hit a reverse Sling Blade.
Both guys hit their feet, and they bashed heads a few times. Hard shots and headbutts in the center of the ring. Tana stood at the end, but staggered dizzily. Tana ran the ropes and Ishii hit a Sling Blade. Brainbuster was thwarted and both guys tried suplexes. Tanahashi hit a vertical drop brainbuster. Sling Blade by Tanahashi got a one count. Tana went up and hit Aces High, then went back up for High Fly Flow. He hit it to win.
After the match, Tana took the stick and thanked Ishii for the match, and said they should do it again. He said he kept his promise to Sanada and he took the title. Chase Owens hit the ring and called his shot (Chase beat Tana in the G-1 last year). He said he was the tag team champion and he didn’t care about the belt. Behind Tanahashi, a masked figure appeared and he kicked Tana and then hit…PULP FRICTION?! He unmasked and it was indeed Juice Robinson, who worked the internet by claiming he was done in New Japan, making this moment all the more effective. Absolutely shocking.
WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi at 23:19. (****1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi, ZSJ and Will Ospreay have been involved in nearly all of New Japan’s best matches of late, but this match just rocketed up into the conversation with the perfect mix of violence, counters, and fighting spirit. Ishii wasn’t even slated for what was supposed to be a triple threat match, but he became the best pinch-hitter in history right here with another match that his most ardent fans will love, though once again they’re left to wonder why Ishii has never won one of the top singles championships in the company. It probably doesn’t need to be said anymore at this point, but Tanahashi’s continued high level work with two destroyed knees defies description.
The Juice angle is an absolute stunner. They masterfully hid Juice’s status in New Japan and got so much more out of this turn as a result. Juice hasn’t worked heel consistently in years, and this should be a wild ride)
-A video package, narrated in Japanese, ran down the Okada-Naito saga. Not sure how they plan to top the previous match and angle, but if anyone can…
-New Japan’s excellent standard video for the Heavyweight Championship played on the tron.
(9) KAZUCHIKA OKADA (c) vs. TETSUYA NAITO – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match
Rather than the white suit that often accompanies Naito to big matches, he wore a cool, flashy gray and black jacket and black dress shirt and pants. Okada wore his white obi with the history of NJPW written all over it in very small Japanese kanji. Naito knelt away from Okada, extremely focused, in contrast with his usual silly, aloof demeanor. Naito took his time disrobing as always, but didn’t get goofy about it as is his norm.
The audience was clapping early on. Both guys waited for the other to shoot in for about a minute. Finally they did a collar-and-elbow, and Okada backed Naito to a rope and did his usual taunt. Naito threw forearms and kicked away Okada’s head. Okada returned fire with forearms that staggered Naito. Naito bumped chests with Okada, who bumped back, and they exchanged rights. Rope run and a back elbow by Okada. Corner splash by Okada, followed by a DDT. Cover for two.
Okada threw a right and an elbow, then hit a neckbreaker and covered for two. Okada transitioned to a chinlock, and Naito escaped and bailed. Okada put Naito right back into the ring, and Naito rolled out the other side. Okada followed again, hit him with an ax-handle, and rolled him in again, and Naito bailed again. Another Okada ax-handle, but Naito reversed Okada into a barricade, then threw him into the opposite one. Neckbreaker on the floor by Naito. Naito reentered the ring and Okada made it on the count of 13.
Naito threw boots down at Okada, then did his hip toss/dropkick combo. Neckbreaker for two. Naito booted down at Okada’s head and drove him out to the apron. The two fought from over the rope, and Naito snapped Okada down on it, then hit a neckbreaker on the apron. Naito took Okada up and did a hanging neckbreaker from the top. Cover for two. Leg full nelson by Naito. Okada wouldn’t give, so Naito released. Okada threw some rights, which Naito absorbed, and Naito pounded Okada. Okada fought off a reverse DDT and a tornado DDT, and hit a big boot on Naito. Both guys sold.
Okada hit a pair of back elbows and a flapjack. Neckbreaker over the knee by Okada and a cover for two. Okada snapped on the Money Clip from a standing position and Naito drove him to a corner. Naito went up and Okada dropkicked him to the floor. Nasty bounce on the apron on the way down. Okada broke the count and went out after Naito and drove him to a barricade, then booted him over it. He fired up the crowd, got a running start and hit a cross-body over the barricade. Okada rolled Naito into the ring at 14, then went up and hit a beautiful shotgun dropkick from the top.
Okada transitioned to the Money Clip, now from a seated position. Naito bounced to the rope to break. Scoop slam by Okada, who hit a flying elbow after and then did the Rainmaker pose. He set up the Rainmaker, and Naito elbowed him off. Okada tried again, and Naito ducked it and hit a spinebuster. Combinacion Cabron in the corner by Naito. Okada fought off Gloria with some elbows. Naito ran the ropes and hit a flying forearm, then hit Gloria for two. At the twenty minute call, the match has been so smooth it just doesn’t seem like that much time has passed.
Naito worked a headscissors until Okada reached a rope. Naito took Okada up in a corner, looking for a top rope Frankensteiner, but Okada hit a sit-out powerbomb instead to some ooooohhhhs. Okada crawled over the Naito, then took him up and missed a hard lariat. He elbowed out of a waistlock, then missed a dropkick and Naito rolled him up for a flash near-fall. Okada blocked Destino and hit a lariat. Another lariat. Rainmaker was blocked with a back elbow, but Okada destroyed Naito with a big lariat that hung up Naito on the ropes. Naito wriggled free of the tombstone, then countered a Rainmaker with a Russian leg sweep.
Naito brought Okada to his feet and hit a hard back elbow, then another. More back elbows to set up the Destino. To the corner for more. Naito went to the second rope and hit Esperanta. Naito hit a running Destino for two. Another Destino was countered into an Okada tombstone. Spinning Rainmaker by Okada. Rainmaker was reversed into a rollup for a long two. German suplex by Naito. Okada fired up and hit a dropkick. Falcon Arrow by Okada. Naito reversed the Rainmaker to another Destino for an even longer two.
Naito hit a scoop slam and he went up and missed the Stardust Press to shrieks in the audience. Both guys sold for a few minutes as the match reached thirty minutes. Okada missed another Rainmaker as Naito buckled and fell to his knees. Both guys hit their feet. Naito threw big rights and Okada returned fire. The crowd clapped along as they started a slow exchange, then built speed. European uppercut by Okada, and the forearm exchange continued. Naito hit a bunch in a row to stagger Okada. Okada blocked Valentia and hit a German suplex. He held on, but Naito escaped before a Rainmaker attempt and threw a hard palm strike.
The two started hitting stiff palm strikes. Naito put Okada down with one. Destino, fought off, and Okada hit an enzuigiri and a Rainmaker. It was good to finish.
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada at 34:11. (*****)
Okada took the mic after a moment of respect to his opponent. He said it was the third time and it was a hell of a lot of fun. Gracias (Naito smiled at that). He said that palm strike made him feel Naito’s fighting spirit. He thanked the crowd in the Fukuoka Dome for all their support tonight. He said that pro wrestlers are superhuman, and thanked them for watching their superhuman struggles. He said he’s looking forward to being in the dome again, but not just to do it, but to fill the unsold seats until the whole building is sold out (the crowd was covered in a blanket of darkness all night, so it was tough to gauge the crowd size). He thanked everyone for following the COVID precaution rules and said as they take one step at a time into the future, it won’t be long before we’re all yelling and cheering and the wrestlers are receiving that power to fight with everything they have. Until next time, Kazuchika Okada is going to keep making it rain. A few fireworks went off after Okada was done talking.
The camera lingered on Okada for a long time, essentially giving away that we weren’t done. Jay White’s music played, and he walked to the ring for the first time in a long time, as he’s been primarily wrestling on New Japan Strong of late (with other special appearances). Charlton said he’s been gone for a year, almost to the day.
White tried to take the mic, and Okada yanked it away and tossed it. Gedo hit Okada with a cheap shot from behind, and White threw hands. Okada got the better of both until the numbers caught up and White hit a Blade Runner. White grabbed the mic and told the crowd to shut up because he was talking. He asked the grounded Okada if he’d forgotten him. He said he was Switchblade Jay White, the #1 asset in pro wrestling, the man who single-handedly sold out MSG. All of tonight’s appearing Bullet Club members – other than the House of Torture strain – walked to the ring to join White as he yelled down at Okada.
Karl Anderson took the mic and wished Bullet Club a Happy Birthday, then sang it as the other members all drank beers and poured some on Okada. He introduced “Rock Hard” Juice Robinson. He called out their new champions, Taiji Ishimori, Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens. He said from Prince Devitt to AJ Styles to Kenny Omega, here is the greatest wrestler in the world: Jay White. He’s soon to be IWGP Champion. White posed with the belt and said on Bullet Club’s birthday, it’s just…too…sweet. BC’s music played and White hit another Blade Runner. White said repeatedly to the camera that THIS is Bullet Club, which is perhaps a divorce from the House of Torture, which would help from a numbers standpoint.
(Wells’s Analysis: Well, they took the previous match as a challenge, I guess. It’s no surprise that these guys would have another great match together, but I think there’s a real good chance this is the best they’ve ever had together. Naito has been underwhelming (by his standards) for a few years, but his focus seems razor-sharp right now and he’s been on fire since his return from injury. Much has been made on commentary for months now that Naito is nearing the end of his run and doesn’t plan on wrestling well into his life like Yuji Nagata or Hiroshi Tanahashi. There’s a real chance he’ll win the G-1 Climax in July, but there’s also a real possibility that we’ve seen the end of his run near the top. If that happens to be true, there’s a whole lot to be proud of)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was an intriguing card on paper, and it didn’t disappoint in any front. The top three matches were all excellent as anticipated, nothing was actively bad, and the big moments felt very, very big. The company seems much fresher in a single night, as we got a good number of onscreen returns, plus the promise of an infusion of new and returning blood in Best of the Super Juniors. This is probably one of the best non-Wrestle Kingdom major New Japan shows I’ve ever seen, and I’d highly recommend the top three matches to casual fans but would suggest there’s something of value all the way down the card.
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