SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
NJPW BATTLE IN THE VALLEY
JANUARY 11, 2025
SAN JOSE, CAL. AT SAN JOSE CIVIC
AIRED LIVE ON NJPW WORLD
Walker Stewart and Veda Scott were on the call.
(a) Zane Jay vs. Viento in a Strong Survivor match
(b) TMDK (Shane Haste & Bad Dude Tito) def. Fred Rosser & Matt Vandagriff – Vandagriff walked out on Rosser, leaving him to eat the pin from Tito. Vandagriff was booed heavily when he hopped down from the apron. He soaked up some more heat from the ramp even after the match ended.
-The pre-show ended about four minutes to the hour. Stewart promoted the Ishii-Kidd match to open. Wild to see Kidd jerking the curtain this soon after his coming out party against Kenny Omega.
-Stewart narrated a video running down tonight’s card.
(1) TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. GABE KIDD (c) – STRONG Openweight Championship match
The crowd perked up when Ishii’s music played to open the main card. Kidd was running back his Lion Mark trunks for this one, and he got his typical mixed reaction (I think; it’s a pretty light crowd on hand). Once the music died down, it was clear Kidd was getting almost completely booed, in contrast with the crowd in Tokyo on the 5th.
The two stared across the ring for the first 35 seconds after the bell before tying up. Kidd took Ishii to a rope and they hit a couple of standing switches. Kidd didn’t even feign a clean break as he threw a chop. Ishii absorbed it as usual. Kidd snapped on a headlock, then ran the ropes and tried several blocks that went nowhere. They took turns and it was a stalemate. At 2:10 they shoved their heads together and reset. Kidd finally nailed a big lariat and covered for two.
Kidd kicked dismissively at Ishii and the crowd booed him loudly. He mocked them and asked for more. Kidd stalked Ishii and ran and hit a corner lariat. He kicked at Ishii to some more boos. Kidd did jumping jacks and just had the crowd eating out of his hand. Kidd laid in some chops and leveled Ishii with a running lariat for two. Kidd kicked at Ishii some more, and this time Ishii got to his feet and threw chops. Kidd returned with a nasty one and Ishii just crumbled. He’s really putting Kidd over here. The ref checked on Ishii while Kidd went up in a corner to soak in a “Kidd you suck” chant.
A right from Kidd put Ishii down. Ishii tried to stand his ground, and Kidd threw a forearms and finally Ishii went zombie and ate a few shots, then put Kidd down with just one of his own. A shoulder tackle laid out Kidd again. Ishii threw chops and elbows in a corner until Kidd slipped down to the mat. It was Ishii’s turn to kick dismissively, and even slap dismissively, at Kidd. Irish whip and a scoop slam by Ishii. Ishii threw a big kick at Kidd’s back, but Kidd fired up and threw some nasty chops. Ishii reversed positions and returned fire in the corner. One loud one from Kidd staggered Ishii.
The two went to the center of the ring and took turns throwing more loud chops. The exchange was a good minute-plus and finally, Kidd slipped out to the floor to boos. Kidd begged for Ishii to come out there near the barricade, but Ishii wasn’t having it and he pointed at the mat below him. Kidd gave in and they went back to the chop exchange. They raised speed and the audience followed by intensifying. “Chop forever” chant. Ishii got a long flurry, but after a yelled “f(*& you,” Kidd got in a big one. Kidd hit a suplex but Ishii went fighting spirit and hit his own, and Kidd responded in kind. After a couple more fighting spirit spots, they each crumbled across from one another. “This is awesome” chant.
They each hit their feet, and Ishii hit a corner lariat. Ishii took Kidd up to the second buckle and Kidd bit Ishii’s head to boos. Ishii crumbled to the mat and Kidd flipped off the crowd. He reached down for Ishii, who sprung up with a naked headbutt to the face. Yikes. Ishii went up and went for a suplex, but the two jockeyed for position with headbutts. Ishii hit the superplex to a good reaction. Ishii missed a basement lariat but ducked a shot and hit a regular one for two. Backdrop suplex from Ishii got two.
After some combo shots, Kidd hit a lariat for two. Side suplex by Kidd got two. Kidd got up and flipped off the crowd again. He set up Ishii for a piledriver but Ishii hit a backdrop. Ishii hit a lariat and Kidd struggled against a rope. They took turns with hard lariats, absorbing the shot. Kidd hit a hard knee strike and Ishii kicked out at two, and Kidd sold surprise. Dragon suplex by Ishii and a big lariat, but Kidd kicked out at one. Ishii laid him out with another lariat and fired up. Kidd hit a suplex and both guys sold on the mat.
The referee counted both guys down and Kidd got up, then stopped the count because he didn’t want that kind of win. The two went back to a chop exchange. Were all the other matches cancelled? This is a bonkers long opener. Both guys sold some of the bigger shots and they took turns staggering in response to them. Kidd managed a flurry and they went to naked headbutts. Ugh. They both fell backwards to the mat from that.
The call went out that only five minutes remained in the match, and I don’t think this one is getting an ending. The two went to another chop exchange and Ishii hit an enzuigiri. Sliding lariat got two. Ishii wanted the brainbuster but Kidd fought it off. Big lariat by Ishii got a long two. Kidd rolled through a brainbuster attempt and hit a cobra twist for two. Piledriver by Kidd got two. Two and a half minutes remained. Hard lariat by Kidd got two.
Kidd stomped down at Ishii, getting booed once more. He set up another piledriver, but Ishii reversed. Kidd reversed back and hit a piledriver, but both guys sold. Ishii rolled to a rope as Kidd tried to get to him. Ishii kicked up at Kidd, who set up one last piledriver. Ishii wasn’t having it. He threw a hard right and tried to deadlift Kidd for the brainbuster. He hit it, but couldn’t cover, and time expired.
TIME LIMIT DRAW at 30:00. (***3/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: Once this eclipsed 20 minutes, I started realizing it had only gone so long so it could go the full thirty. Kidd’s an early favorite to log the most minutes in New Japan this year, and I won’t complain, as he’s doing some pretty great things in there right now. This match kept it very basic with its offense, but it was loud and mean and nasty – everything a person could ask out of this division)
-Kidd goton the mic. He wanted more time. He told Ishii he wanted a 30-minute Ironman match in Chicago on April 11th. Cool, but they just went thirty without a single pin scored, so that’s a weird way to promote that one. Hopefully they saved up some more chops; I’d estimate there were well over 150 in this one.
(2) ROPPONGI REVICE (YOH & Rocky Romero) vs. WORLD CLASS WRECKING CREW (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson) (c) – STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship match
Yes, “World Class Wrecking Crew” is correct, as World Class has replaced West Coast. This one reaches back to Strong Style Evolved, where Rocky tried to congratulate WCWC on their championship win and ask for a shot, and they accepted, then laid him out for fun. Scott pointed out that Romero has also laid out a challenge to Ichiban Sweet Boys for their newly-won NJPW Junior Tag Team championships.
Nelson and Yoh opened the match. They immediately went to an exchange that was much quicker than any 15 seconds of the opener. Nice contrast. Nelson took the early advantage with the wrist but Yoh reversed and tagged Romero, and the challengers made frequent tags as they wrenched Nelson’s wrist and finally stomped on it. Rope run and combo offense from the challengers. They double-dropkicked an interfering Isaacs also, then went for stereo tope suicidas, but the heels both caught their guys and slammed them.
Back inside, Nelson hit a dropkick to Romero’s knee for two. Nelson took Romero to the WCWC corner and stomped him down. Isaacs tagged into the match for the first time and hit some rights, then used Nelson to assist with a gourdbuster. Isaacs laid in some chops and the Junior Heavyweight dutifully sold them like death. Romero fought off Nelson with a DDT and finally laid out Isaacs, then made the tag to Yoh, who hit a cannonball on both champs. Yoh knocked the champs together, then hit a shoulderblock on Nelson, followed by a body slam.
Yoh got a couple of two counts, then hit a splash for a longer two. Both guys went for suplexes and Romero got involved, allowing a double-team. Yoh hung up Nelson for a Romero leg drop. Romero, now legal, covered for two. Isaacs interfered, but Romero got in the forever clotheslines. Nelson cut it off with a flying cutter. Nelson snapped on a crossface while Isaacs held Yoh at bay with a sharpshooter. Romero reversed and knocked the champs together to break both holds.
Nelson missed a lariat but laid in chops to both guys. The faces hit an assisted falcon arrow and Isaacs broke up the cover. Yoh went for a superkick but Isaacs got Romero in front of him to eat it. The same thing happened to the heels, and the challengers hit 3K for a long two. Roppongi ReVice fired up and set up Nelson. There was a convoluted belt spot where the heels used it to cause a distraction, but it didn’t come to anything. Soon after, Romero got sent to the ropes and Isaacs nailed him with a belt shot. Nelson covered (and Isaacs covered with him, because why not, I guess?) and Romero ate the pin.
WINNERS: World Class Wrecking Crew at 11:20. (**3/4)
(Wells’s Analysis: Harmless tag action that keeps attempting to draw heat for WCWC, who are good enough to keep holding the championships as the brand tries to find them new challengers)
(3) MINA SHIRAKAWA & VIVA VAN & MAIKA & HANAKO vs. AZUMI & ANNA JAY & TRISH ADORA & JOHNNIE ROBBIE – Tag Team Elimination match
We’re already trending toward a four-hour show, so here’s hoping for a few quick eliminations. Shirakawa, after her appearance against Mercedes Mone at Wrestle Dynasty, got a good reaction and a “Mina” chant.
Hanako and Adora opened as the powerhouses for both sides. Adora tried to lift Hanako over the top, then got help, so over-the-top rope eliminations are in play as well as pinfalls. Both sides got involved briefly but it got cleaned up before long and the two starters continued going at it. Robbie got tagged in but she didn’t want it, so Anna Jay and Viva Van went next. The two jockeyed for position and Van hit a dropkick. Van does a lot of shimmying, and with her particular body type, it’s…memorable. Hanako tagged in and so did Robbie, who rolled up Hanako for a couple of near-falls. Robbie tripped Hanako and hit a single-leg dropkick. Backslide got two for Robbie. Flash knee got two also. Robbie ran the ropes but Hanako hit a Samoan drop, then hit a corner splash. Robbie tried a leaping Codebreaker but Hanako caught her and hit a brainbuster. Hanako finished Robbie at about 5:15. Azumi immediately flew in with a dropkick for Hanako, but Hanako tagged Maika and the two double-teamed.
Hanako again remained in the match as this is apparently a showcase match for her, but Azumi folded her up and finished her at 6:25. Van and Jay ended up in the ring again and Van went up for the electric chair but Jay rolled through, then hit a submission and Van was out in around 7:30.
There was a mess of action that ended with Shirakawa and Adora legal. Maika got involved and Adora was eliminated over the top at 8:35. The two sides went at it until it cleaned up and Azumi took on Shirakawa. Those eliminated already were still at ringside and occasionally tried to involve themselves from the floor. Shirakawa hit a sleeper slam on Azumi but Jay broke it up. Shirakawa and Azumi went to the apron and went at it until they eliminated one another at around the 11 minute mark.
Anna Jay and Maika were the last two standing. Jay hit a couple of back kicks and covered for two. Scoop slam by Maika got a long two. The two slowly went up in a corner and Maika hit a superplex for a long two. The two reversed a few times and Jay ended up on the apron. Maika missed a lariat, but hit it on a second effort and won the match for the babyfaces.
WINNER: Maika at 13:35. (**1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Pretty good stuff from Hanako early, and it was fun to get Shirakawa for the little we got of her, but mostly it was a mess of activity as they had to rush through eliminations at an average of one every two minutes, so it’s hard for anyone to put their absolute best foot forward in that context)
(4) EL PHANTASMO (c) vs. JEFF COBB – NJPW TV Championship
For anyone uninitiated, this championship has a fifteen-minute time limit. ELP, who seems to have beaten back cancer at the moment which was the best news coming out of Wrestle Kingdom season, won the title in a four-way match there in a match also involving Cobb. ELP went for a couple of blocks, which of course did nothing to the massive Cobb. Cobb laid out ELP, but he sprung up and threw lariats. Action picked up and both guys missed impact shots before a reset.
Cobb casually absorbed some rights, then leveled ELP with a forearm. Insane beale from Cobb. Cobb lifted ELP for a suplex, and ELP tried to knee his way free, but Cobb lifted him again and just tossed him across the ring. ELP sold frustration with an awesome soundbyte right by the camera. Cobb surfed on ELP’s back.
Phantasmo fought from underneath and threw some chops. He ran the ropes and Cobb turned him inside out with a lariat. Cobb went for Tour of the Islands but ELP hit a DDT to fight it off and get a moment to breathe. Phantasmo kipped up and hit a chop in the corner, then hit his flair hops from the ropes and arm dragged Cobb. Springboard moonsault got two and Cobb launched ELP off of him. Phantasmo went for a fireman’s carry but Cobb fought it off and hit the spin cycle for two. Cobb set up the Tour again and Phantasmo put on the brakes, but Cobb spiked him with a slam for two. Phantasmo got up the knees on a standing moonsault and rolled up Cobb for two. Stewart put the idea of a second time-limit draw out there.
Phantasmo this time lifted the giant Cobb for a spinning cutter to an appreciative reaction. He covered for one and Cobb launched him again. Sudden Death and Thunder Kiss ’86 got two for ELP. Phantasmo signaled for a big move but Cobb hit him with a shotgun dropkick. Both guys sold on the mat.
Cross-body from ELP. Cobb bailed and ELP hit him with a tope suicida that sent Cobb careening over the barricade to a “holy sh*t” chant. The ref counted, but Phantasmo teased a spot from the top to past the barricade. He actually went for it and connected with a cross-body. Time for another “holy sh*t” chant. The ref counted and both guys tried to hold the other outside. Cobb was stuck out past the barricade and ELP was going to reenter the ring. Cobb didn’t want him to win, so Cobb absolutely launched a Young Lion onto him from about a mile away. If you must do a second draw four matches in, this was a hell of a way to pull it off with a big spot.
DOUBLE COUNTOUT at 10:40. (***1/2)
ELP put the belt on the mat and challenged Cobb to step past it as they teased another meeting. The crowd chanted “let them fight,” but it won’t be today.
(Wells’s Analysis: You can’t do much more than that in 10:40. ELP is a great bump machine and nobody has cooler power offense than Cobb, so they always match up beautifully. I look forward the rematch, whether it’s at the New Beginning in Osaka, pushed to April, or whatever)
(5) HIROMU TAKAHASHI & MAYU IWATANI & YUKA SAKAZAKI vs. SUMIE SAKAI & EVIL & SHO – Sumie Sakai’s Retirement match
This is a truly bizarre mixed tag where one side has one man and two women, while Sakai’s is herself and two men. The story is that Sakai, a hero, says she “still sees goodness” in Evil and Sho. Sakai’s team was introduced first and things might be going long because the introductions are flying by. Sakai held the ropes open for Iwatani as she entered. Hiromu, who always has things written on his grip tape, simply wrote “Sumie” on the tape this time. Hiromu’s team posed before the match, and Evil jumped Hiromu immediately to boos. Evil got on the mic and yelled down at Hiromu in Japanese. Sakai wasn’t happy. Evil held up Hiromu for a shot from Sakai, but she wouldn’t take it.
The bell sounded, and the men spilled to the outside. The women got involved, and Iwatani and Sakazaki laid out Evil and Sho on the outside. Sakai was now extremely emotional. She and Hiromu shook hands and hugged, and she took a cheap shot and then worked his arm. He tried to roll through and she took the chance for a cheap rollup, then a second and third as Hiromu was game to give her all the offense. Hiromu chopped her to boos, then put his arms out, like, “what?!”
Hiromu spilled to the outside, where Evil used a chair on him. Sho distracted the ref while Evil tossed the chair Sakai’s way. She wouldn’t use it, but she did some stomps on Hiromu. Sho tagged in and he dominated Hiromu, then slammed Sakai onto Hiromu. Evil and Sho double-teamed Hiromu, and Evil went at both Sakazaki and Iwatani to boos. Evil tossed Hiromu to a corner, and Sho pulled off the corner pad and Hiromu ate steel. Evil had Hiromu in an abdominal stretch. Sakazaki held Hiromu’s hand to help ward off the leverage, and then Iwatani grabbed her hand, and a chain formed. Sakai held the hand of an audience member and the audience played along with a long chain and the place went nuts for the funny spot before it was finally broken up.
Sakai and Yukazaki had a nice wrestling sequence afterward that almost felt out of place at this point. Iwatani tagged in and Sakai ripped off her tail to boos. Iwatani got in some strikes and hit a nasty dropkick against the ropes for two. Iwatani and Sakazaki double-teamed, and then double-teamed an interfering Sho, and then Evil afterward. The women tried to double-suplex Evil, and after Hiromu laid in a superkick to Evil, they hit one to a big pop. Hiromu yelled out “Sumie! Thank you so much” and then tried to lay her out. She rolled him up for two. Evil and Sho then choked out Sakai to boos. “F*** you Evil” chant. Sho tried to use his wrench but Sakazaki intercepted it and brained him with it, then slammed him to a huge reaction. Iwatani took out Evil in the same way, and Hiromu hit Everything is Evil on Evil.
A “Sumie” chant got going and she fought all three opponents, now essentially alone. Each of them asked for her best shots as she stood tall and proud in her last match. She was extremely emotonal, and the other girls were showing the same. She fought until she couldn’t stand, and she took finishing shots from all three, who covered together. She KICKED OUT!!! Sakazaki hit a slam off an airplane spin and Iwatani hit a moonsault. Hiromu hit Time Bomb 2 and the three of them covered again to finish. Evil and Sho completely stayed away from the emotional scene. The ref was also emotional, and he applauded afterward as well.
WINNERS: Hiromu Takahashi & Mayu Iwatani & Yuka Sakazaki at 15:00. (****)
Tonight’s wrestlers – other than the really nasty heels and those who haven’t yet worked their matches tonight – came out and surrounded the ring in respect. Sakazaki said Sakai has her eternal respect and gratitude. Iwatani thanked her and bowed deep (Sakai bowed back). Hiromu bequeathed one of his cool weird jackets to her (the one with the various punk album cover arts on it) and she just crumbled as he put it on her. The three from the winning team handed her flowers also. Sakai took the mic and said that although she’s been crying more than ever, today she’s the happiest wrestler in the world. The gaggle of wrestlers all stood and posed togheterin the ring to commemorate the occasion. After a lot more bowing, the scene was complete. There was a ten-bell salute to Sakai’s career. She gave a lot of hugs to the group around her; she seems to be close with Rocky Romero and Yoh in addition to those in the match. Veda Scott also.
(Wells’s Analysis: This is a really weird match to try to rate. So much of it was just intentionally silly, but they converted on every single thing they tried, and the scene of Sakai fighting to her dying breath was some of the best stuff I’ve ever seen in a retirement match. On paper this is one of the weirdest-looking matches you’ll ever see; in practice it’s by far the match I’ll remember most of those on the card thus far)
-Time kind of stood still during that emotional scene, though now we’ve still got three matches left on what’s turning into a long night. Not that I’m likely to complain about the quality of the next match.
(6) KUSHIDA vs. KONOSUKE TAKESHITA (c) – NEVER Openweight Championship match
Takeshita was wearing the NEVER Championship belt as well as the AEW International Championship belt around his waist.
Kushida grappled his opponent to the corner as usual, though Takeshita stood tall and looked unconcerned, as he’s wont to do. Kushida hit the mat and worked some grapples from underneath as usual, and they went to some quick reversals before a reset. Stewart mentioned that Kushida’s next few months will be spent in MLW. The two shook hands, and Takeshita went for a cheap kick to the breadbasket to a few boos. Takeshita ran the ropes and Kushida tried to trip him, but Takeshita is too powerful and he booted Kushida and action went outside.
Takeshita charged Kushida to the barricade and the ref started the count. Takeshita got the ref’s attention to break the count, and Kushida snuck up on him and worked a brief Fujiwara armbar on the apron until the ref broke it up. Back inside, Kushida worked the wrist some more, and he stomped Takeshita’s left hand. Takeshita tried to get a breather and Kushida just yanked the hand away and tied Takeshita up. Kushida kept trying to set up the Hoverboard Lock through the work to the arm, and Takeshita went to the eyes to break one particular hold.
Takeshita sold the work on the arm and yanked Kushida into a corner to get a small break. Kushida went to the top and hammered the same arm. Kushida tried to lock everything up, and Takeshita slammed him. Takeshita stomped Kushida’s head to the mat. Kushida couldn’t get a foothold as Takeshita kept using his good right arm to power Kushida to the mat. Takeshita wanted a Blue Thunder Bomb but the worked arm gave out and Kushida cut him down. Both guys missed some shots until Kushida hit a right and a bicycle kick. Rope run and a Blue Thunder Bomb by Takeshita got two. Both guys sold on the mat.
Takeshita missed a senton from the top, and Kushida snapped on an arm hold. Takeshita powered Kushida up and he drove him to the mat for two with the Bastard Driver. Action spilled out to the apron, where Kushida slammed Takeshita’s knee to the apron, and then he did the same but went out to the floor for another “holy sh*t” chant on the night. The ref got to counting and Kushida got in on 18, while Takeshita really was at 20 and they called it a judgment call on the part of the ref. Kushida trapped Takeshita a couple of times for two. Takeshita blocked some shots and hit a hard right. Kushida went for an ankle lock, then ran the ropes for some more strikes. Takeshita hit a lariat and Kushida got the fighting spirit kickout. Takeshita caught Kushida with Raging Fire to finish.
WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita at 15:08. (****)
Takeshita got on the mic and said “Chicago, April 11th, Hiroshi Tanahashi. I challenge you. The end of the ace. I’ll show you who is the alpha.”
(Wells’s Analysis: Another rather lovely match, as three different matches have touched four stars but couldn’t have gotten there in more different ways. The story was that Kushida is a relentless machine, but the beast that is Takeshita only needs a small opening to make a big move and finish the Junior Heavyweight. Takeshita pointed along with a “Kushida” chant after the match. Hiroshi Tanahashi’s last match in the states will be the one in Chicago, and he sure isn’t wasting it)
(7) ZACK SABRE JR. vs. HECHICERO
Non-title. Sabre and Hechicero did a lot of taunting in the ring during ZSJ’s entrance. Lots of grappling to start, of course. Sabre took Hechicero down with a suitably convoluted headscissors, then released. Reset. Hechicero dropped a knee on Sabre’s leg and then twisted the other ankle around, matching ZSJ’s cruel manipulations. Sabre sat into a leg submission and of course changed positions every few seconds. There was a dueling chant, and Hechicero held his own against the champ. Sabre worked a cross arm-breaker but Hechicero was ready with a counter. They worked themselves into a spot where they were essentially both working potential submissions before the mass rolled to a rope and broke – although Hechicero wore the black hat as he wouldn’t lift his boot from ZSJ’s face right away.
Hechicero rolled into a bodyscissors on Sabre that I’d swear was done by Sabre himself if I saw a generic silhouette do the move. He transitioned to a spot where he was twisting Sabre’s arm back until Sabre countered and then yanked the digits apart on Hechicero’s hand. Nasty stuff. They reset again.
Hechicero wristed up Sabre into a mean-looking hold that had his head tucked deep, but Sabre rolled to a rope to break and they reset yet again. Sabre took the next upper hand as he worked an ankle submission. Hechicero worked one from the other end of the mass, and the two went into a slap fight as things got chippy. Sabre asked for more as Hechicero’s chops started laying in. Sabre was bleeding from the right shoulder, surely from one of the many grinding moves on the mat.
Hechicero kept up momentum as he tied up Sabre’s knee around a rope, then stomped on it. Sabre charged Hechicero, who nailed him with a quebrada. He went for a second, but Zack snapped on a Cobra Twist. Hechicero slammed Zack face first to break. Zack evaded an attempt, then trapped Hechicero in a brief surfboard. Hechicero quickly reversed and worked an ankle lock. Zack used his arms to try to ward off the pressure Hechicero was applying. ZSJ reached a rope to break.
Hechicero hit a splash on Zack against the ropes, then covered for two. Stewart called out, I think correctly, that this was the first cover of the match, 13 minutes in. Hechicero tied up Zack in the ropes until the ref broke it up. Hechicero put Zack up on top, but Zack snapped on a sleeper. Hechicero threw some uppercuts on Zack’s arm, but Zack tied up Hechicero up on top until the count. After some jockeying, Hechicero hit a Frankensteiner and the 15 minute call went out.
Sabre hit a PK after missing on a few attempts earlier. He laid in some European uppercuts that got some boos, I guess because it’s been an otherwise technical match? Interesting response. Hechicero evaded some traps and he hit a single-leg dropkick. Hechicero missed in the corner but hit a leaping elbow for two. Hechicero did the dismissive kicks – a guaranteed heel move in front of this crowd. Sabre hit a Zack Driver out of nowhere, but as Hechicero kicked out at two, he transitioned to a trap of the arms. Hechicero kicked his way to the ropes and Zack kept tying him up until he got a couple of fingertips on a rope. “This is wrestling” chant.
Sabre stomped Hechicero as he tried to recover to a mixed reaction. Hechicero hit a shotgun dropkick and a knee in the corner for two. Hechicero hit a backbreaker after spinning Zack around and covered for another two. The two did some reversals that defy description, even for them, and Hechicero slammed Zack. Both guys hit dropkicks. They went to some traps and submission attempts, none of which lasted as much as two seconds, until Sabre managed a jackknife that kept Hechicero trapped for the three.
WINNER: Zack Sabre Jr. at 23:41. (****1/2)
(Wells’s Analysis: Grapplefests don’t get everybody, but they certainly get me. This is the kind of match that’s an absolute dream for me to watch but something approaching a nightmare to recap, since most of their reversals defy easy description and it transitions so frequently. These two are so evenly matched and so similar in style that it’s kind of like Link fighting the mirror version of himself in the Zelda games. An interesting feat given their wildly different body types)
(8) EL DESPERADO (c) vs. TAIJI ISHIMORI – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match
Scott said this title hasn’t been defended on American soil in six years, when Taiji Ishimori lost the championship at MSG. Although NJPW announcers rarely ever shy away from the names of wrestlers that have moved on, she didn’t mention that Dragon Lee won the championship on that night. I had finished this for no more than a minute before Stewart mentioned that Lee won it, though.
The intros to this one were quick as well, perhaps as a result of the night’s runtime. Basic grappling to open leading into some rapid-fire misses and reversals. Ishimore worked a cravat over and over every time Despe escaped, but Desperado finally fought it off with an uppercut. Ishimori caught Desperado and dumped him to the outside, then went out with him and charged him to a post. Action went back inside soon after, and Ishimori dragged Desperado into an uncovered turnbuckle to boos. He mocked the crowd.
Ishimori worked a wristlock as he kept targeting the arm for the Bone Lock. Ishimori kept up the effort and worked a hammerlock until Desperado reached a rope. Ishimori held on even through a slam attempt until Desperado reached a rope and bailed to the outside. Once back inside, a shoulder breaker was waiting for him. Desperado managed a back elbow and then a back suplex as Ishimori charged. Desperado hit a running back elbow and hit a high-angle brainbuster for two.
Ishimori missed in a corner, and Desperado hit a dragon screw out of the corner. Desperado worked a leg lock and Ishimori growled in pain for a while until he reached the rope. Ishimori used the environment and did his running snap-suplex where he lands on the outside. Ishimori took it to the apron where he smashed Desperado’s arm against the mat. Ishimori preened to the crowd who played their part and booed the hell out of him.
Ishimori went for the Bone Lock but Desperado blocked. Ishimori hit a lung blower and covered for two. Ishimori missed from the top and Desperado hit the Numero Dos stretch muffler. Ishimori seamlessly reversed to the Bone Lock, and Desperado fought his way to the rope to break.
The two went to a shot exchange and one particularly big right from Desperado leveled Ishimori. Ishimori fired back with rights and went for Bloody Cross, blocked. Pinche Loco, blocked. Desperado managed Pinche Loco and he transitioned to a second, but Ishimori rolled into a sunset flip for two. Desperado rolled to the rope to break and Ishimori rolled him away from it. It happened again, and he rolled away and hit Bloody Cross. After two, Desperado got his foot on the bottom rope.
Both guys sold for a surprisingly long time. Ishimori charged for La Mistica, but Desperado slammed him for two. Desperado went for something and Ishimore transitioned to the Bone Lock. Desperado went to Numero Dos and after some jockeying, Desperado hit a driver for two. J Driller by Desperado. Pinche Loco finished.
WINNER: El Desperado at 20:44. (****1/4)
Desperado got some mic time after the match, and everything I caught was pretty basic pro-NJPW stuff, the kind that Okada promoted after his main event wins.
(Wells’s Analysis: Yep, nothing wrong with this one either. Given the emotion of Sakai an hour ago and the beauty of the previous match, this one had a tall couple of acts to follow, and they managed to do it. Ishimori hasn’t gotten a run with the belt in three years, but he keeps showing up huge in these spots regardless of the fact that he might be done at the top of the division.)
FINAL THOUGHTS: Gigantic thumbs up for this one. On paper I thought it was only mildly intriguing for whatever reason, but in practice it had emotion, some ungodly good wrestling, and most importantly some extreme variety in match styles. I think you could watch this whole thing with no skips (the eight-woman elimination wasn’t all that, but I think every individiual made good use of her time given the major constraints of the match as a whole) though if you want to distill it down, the opener will please people who want something hard-hitting, there’s Zack vs. Hechicero for those who love a good grappling match, and the Sumie Sakai match for anyone who wants to really feel something and enjoy all the ridiculous things that wrestling can be sometimes. Oh, and the Jeff Cobb-El Phatasmo affair was lovely as well, and really only getting going when it was cut short (with the promise of more between the two, at least). I will take issue with the extreme runtime, given that this was a 9pm start here in the central and it went three hours and almost fifty minutes, so it’s nearly 2 on the east coast as I type this. I know this a company with global reach, but these shows are meant to draw the American fan, and the average American fan is most definitely sleeping at this hour, just as I should be. Pleasant dreams, wrestling fans, and I’ll catch you next time.
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