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NJPW DOMINION 2024 PPV REPORT
JUNE 9, 2024
OSAKA, JAPAN
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Announcers: Walker Stewart, Chris Charlton
(1) TETSUYA NAITO vs. CALLUM NEWMAN
Newman jumped Naito as he was making his entrance. He held the upper hand for several minutes until Naito cut him off and hit a neck breaker in the apron.
Newman hit a Tiger Suplex for a near fall. Naito absorbed an elbow and hit a running Destino for a near fall. A short time later Naito caught Newman with an elbow and then a full Destino for the win. Newman ever so slightly tried to kick out with his leg at the end, which was a nice touch.
WINNER: Tetsuya Naito at 6:05. (**)
(2) TMDK (Kosei Fujita & ZSJ & Robbie Eagles) vs. L.J. CLEARY & CLARK CONNORS & DRILLA MOLONY
This is Cleary’s NJPW debut. He is part of the Good Looking Guys tag team out of NOAH. They built up to Moloney getting heat on Eagles. He eventually mounted a comeback and Fujita and Connors tagged in. They set up Sabre to get the hit tag and the fans fired up as he went after Clearly. The War Dogs eventually ran in to help Clearly and the fans booed. Sabre eventually got the win with the Zach Driver.
WINNERS: TMDK at 9:41. (**1/2)
(Radicans Analysis: This served as a preview of TMDK challenging The War Dogs for the junior tag titles next weekend.)
(3) YUYA UEMURA vs. THE GREAT-O-KHAN – KOPW Provisional Championship Storm Catch Rules match
This match has a 15 minute time limit. O-Khan used his first rope break to escape a submission early. He’s got one break left. O-Khan grabbed a choke and Uemura used his first rope break. Uemura forced O-Khan to use a rope break and an escape when he tossed him over the top to the floor.
The announcers mentioned O-Khan can’t leave the ring and he has no rope breaks left. Uemura was left with one rope at this stage of the match.
Uemura turned an eliminator attempt from O-Khan into a cross-arm breaker. The announcers said if O-Khan touches the ropes he’ll be eliminated. O-Khan finally rolled on top of Uemura and got a two count. O-Khan eventually fired back and hit a Super Eliminator (two hands) on Uemura for the win.
WINNER: Great-O-Khan at 10:39. (**3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: This was a good match given the constraints of the rules. O-Khan overcame a big disadvantage late with no ring exits and no rope breaks left to win.)
(4) HIROSHI TANAHASHI TORU YANO & BOLTIN OLEG & vs. LIJ (Bushi & Yota Tsuji & Hiromu Takahashi) – NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship match
Tsuji and Takahashi started things off and the fans chanted for both men. The match focused on Tanahashi and Tsuji for the most part. Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow late in the match, but Tsuji got out of the way and hit the Gene Blaster for the win.
Winners. LIJ at 8:32 . (***1/4)
(Radicans Analysis: This was a good match with some good exchanges between Tsuji and Tanahashi.)
This is Tsuji’s first title in NJPW. It is also Takahashi’s first tag team title in NJPW.
Boltin Oleg confronted Tsuji after the match and indicated he wanted to face him in singles action. Oleg left and got back into the ring. He offered Tsuji to shake on a future match, but Tsuji blew him off.
(5) JEFF COBB vs. TOMOHIRO ISHII – NJPW World TV Championship match – 15 minute time limit
It’s hard to believe, but this is their first singles match since 2020 during G1 Climax. Cobb won that match, but overall he’s 1-3 against Ishii. Cobb dominated the action during the early stages of the match. Cobb caught Ishii with a charge in the corner and Ishii took a nasty looking bump.
Ishii fired back and hit a delayed vertical suplex. Cobb got the upper hand again a short time later after he launched Ishii with a German. Cobb hit a big superplex a short time later, but Ishii got up and hit a German in Cobb and both men were down.
Cobb hit a big clothesline on Ishii for a good near fall. Ishii blocked Tour of the Islands. He charged at Cobb and got caught up in the air, but he turned it into a hurricanrana. WOW! He then hit a huge clothesline, but Cobb kicked out!
Cobb blocked a Vertical Drop Brainbuster and turned it into a Tour of the Islands for the win.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb at 11:49 to retain the NJPW World TV Championship. (****)
(Radicans Analysis: This was everything you’d expect from these two and more within the confines of a 15 minute time limit. Just tremendous.)
Charlton narrated a video for the G1 Climax. He announced it would be a 20 man format with two blocks. 18 entrants will be announced next weekend. The other two entrants will come from a tournament.
The top point scorer in each block will get a bye to the semi- finals round. The second and third place finishers in each block will face off to advance to the semi-final round.
The video then went over the rest of the big NJPW events coming this year and next.
(6) GOD (Hikuleo & ELP w/Gedo) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste & Miley Nicholls) vs. BISHAMON (Yoshi-Hashi & Hirooki Goto) vs. BULLET CLUB (Chase Owens & Kenta) – Tornado Elimination match for the IWGP World Hvt. Tag Team Championship and the Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship.
The action was chaotic during the early going as one would expect given the stips for the match. ELP went top and wiped out several men with a nice dive to the floor. TMDK eliminated GOD when they pinned Hikuleo, which means there will be new Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions.
Hikuleo and ELP argued outside the ring after being eliminated. Gedo tried to play play peacemaker and Hikuleo eventually left ELP by himself on the ramp. Bishamon ended up eliminating Bullet Club when they hit Shota on Owens guaranteeing both sets of titles would have new holders at the end of the match.
It came down to Bishamon and TMDK. They faced off in the middle of the ring and began trading blows. TMDK have never beaten Bishamon in a tag match.
TMDK and Bishamon had a great closing segment to the match. Hashi kicked out of a Tank Buster for a big pop. TMDK then finally broke through to get their first win over Bishamon and capture both sets of titles after a super Tank Buster on Hashi.
WINNERS: TMDK at 16:25 to become the new IWGP Hvt. Tag Team and Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions. (***3/4)
(Radican’s Analysis: The action flew from bell-to-bell. The closing segment with Bishamon going at it with TMDK trying to beat them for the first time in tag action was a really good way to end the match.)
(7) SHINGO TAKAGI vs. HENARE NEVER Openweight Championship match
Henare has never won a title in NJPW. This was hard-hitting from the start and it wasn’t long before both men began butting heads at the same time. Ugh. Takagi ended up catching Henare charging into the corner and he nailed him with a powerbomb. He then hit a lariat, but Henare rolled through and nailed Takagi with a kick and both men were down.
Takagi charged at Henare, but Henare caught him and slammed him to the mat and both men were down. They had a big wrist clutch strike exchange in the middle of the ring, Henare got the better of it and hit a knee off the top to Shingo’s head, but he got right up and hit a Pumping Bomber and both men were down.
They traded blows and Henare hit Streets of Rage, but he could not capitalize as he sold damage to his neck. Shingo blocked a kick from Henare and hit Last of the Dragon, but he was unable to capitalize and both men were down once again.
They had a crazy back and forth exchange. Henare finally decked Takagi with a jumping headbutt to the chest. Both men were down and the fans fired up big time. It sounded like Henare was getting the louder chants.
The ref ended up reaching a standing 10 count and the match ended in a draw.
WINNER: Draw at 14:32. (****1/2)
(Radicans Analysis: Incredible and hard-hitting. These two went to war from bell-to-bell. I can’t wait to see the rematch. The finish was a bit of a letdown given how good this was, but it was also a fitting end given the lengths these two went to brutalize each other.)
(8) JON MOXLEY vs. EVIL – IWGP World Hvt Championship Lumberjack Deathmatch
Evil came out carrying the replica IWGP World Hvt. Championship that Will Ospreay carried previously. He came across NJPW owner Takaaki Kidani and spray painted him across the face and chest with black paint. He tried to lead the crowd in go home chants to the owner.
Jon Moxley made his way out next through the crowd. Evil met him at the guardrail and they went at it right away as the lumberjacks also brawled on the floor.
Moxley dominated the action early and kept House of Torture at bay, but eventually Evil got the upper hand and they joined in on putting the boots to Moxley on the floor. Moxley got sent to the floor again a short time later and HOT whipped him with belts on the floor.
Moxley eventually caught Evil with a big lariat inside the ring and the fans fired up. Evil ended up rolling to the floor where House of Torture was. Moxley got a running start and hit a dive through the floor to wipe out HOT. He then whipped Evil with a belt over and over as the crowd fired up.
Moxley set up a table, but Togo threw powder in his eyes. Evil hit his home run chair shot a short time later. Evil used Tenzan’s Anaconda Vice on Moxley right in front of him as he continued to use the moves of Moxley’s lumberjacks.
Evil tried to grab the ref and the ref went to slap him, but he ducked and the ref accidentally hit Moxley. Evil then hit Darkness Falls, but Moxley kicked out. Moxley caught Evil n the Nagata lock. Narita got cut off by Umino trying to break up the submission. Kanemaru was able to finally break it up. He shoved the ref in the way and Nagara accidentally kicked him and the ref rolled TK the floor.
Togo hung Moxley over the ropes, but Makabe made the save. All the legends got submissions and Tiger Mask wiped out Togo with a dive and the dans went nuts. Moxley hit a death rider, but Narita wiped him out with his push up bar. He then hit the lumberjacks on Moxley’s side as well. HOT hit a Shield powerbomb on Moxley through a table at ringside. Evil hit a Dearh Rider in the ring.
Evil went for EIE on Moxley, but he countered it into Everything is Violence and the fans chanted his name. Moxley went under the ring and got a barbed wire bat. He used it on all of House of Torture until Evil cut him off.
Moxley got his back back and hit several bat shots on Evil and a curb stomp. He then hit a Death Rider on the bat.
WINNER: Jon Moxley at to retain the IWGP World Hvt. championship. (***1/2)
(Radican’s Analysis: Moxley never really seemed in danger of losing here and the crowd was into the match from start to finish. The last five minutes of the match were really good, but this did drag a little bit in the middle.)
Moxley got on the mic after the match and said he would defend his title any time and any place. He challenged someone to come out and face down the devil right now.
Naito eventually emerged and tipped his cap and smiled at Moxley. The fans erupted in a big chant for Moxley. He said since nobody else wanted to come out, how about him. He said it’s fault the belt was lost, so it’s up to him to take it back.
He challenged Moxley to a match at Forbidden Door.
(9) EL DESPERADO vs. TAIJI ISHIMORI – BOSJ 31 Final
Both men are looking for their first BOSJ win. Ishimori sent Desperado to the outside and hit a triangle moonsault during the early going. Ishimori began working over Desperado’s arm back inside the ring. Ishimori missed a drop kick in the corner and Desperado went after his leg right away. Ishimori quickly cut him off by sending him into the exposed corner before hitting a shoulder breaker.
Desperado countered a submission on the mat and got a numero dos with the arm trapped. He cranked away on Ishimori’s arm and eventually got to his feet with him on his shoulders. Ishimori suddenly hit a code red and both men were down. Ishimori hit a low blow with the ref temporarily out of position and then he got the Gedo Clutch for a near fall.
They had a big strike exchange and eventually Ishimori surprised Desperado with a knee to the head as he came off the ropes. They went back and forth and Desperado hit Pinche Loco for a near fall. Ishimori fired back with a TKO into a kick to the face. He hit a reverse Bloody Cross, but Desperado kicked out at the last second.
Desperado sent Ishimori into the exposed corner and hit Pinche Loco. He held on and hit a second Pinche Loco for the win.
WINNER: Desperado at to win BOSJ 31. (****)
(Radicans Analysis: This was a very good match. Both men worked a body part for most of the match and took advantage of an exposed corner at times to maintain the advantage.
This was very good, but would have been better if the submission work had been integrated into the final stretch of the match.)
Desperado was given the BOSJ 31 flag and trophy. He got on the mic and the fans fired up. He was then interrupted by IWGP Jr Hvt. Champion Sho. He challenged him to a match. Desperado said Sho must be frustrated because he’s the champion and didn’t even make the finals.
They went back and forth trading insults. Desperado said if Sho wants the match to really be one on one, they should do it in a steel cage. Sho left in a rage and Desperado said when it comes to Ishimori, he is the strongest. Confetti then filled the ring.
Contact Sean at pwtorchsean@gmail.com
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