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Post by Rated R on Dec 22, 2014 12:23:30 GMT -5
New Japan HUGE Announcement NJPW To Launch American Sister Promotion 1st December 2014
New Japan Pro Wrestling today announced the formation of new sister promotion located in the United States. The unexpected blockbuster move will see New Japan Pro Wrestling, in conjuction with Jeff Jarrett’s Global Force Wrestling, promote and broadcast shows throughout America under a separate promotional banner suitable dubbed New America Pro Wrestling, or NAPW for short. This is a hugely unexpected move for New Japan but one that was announced with the intention of bringing the New Japan style to an American audience while expanding the New Japan banner.
The sister promotion will operate as a separate entity and will feature a vast array of American talent and New Japan talent including the likes of Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, Bullet Club and more. It will promote shows very much in the same style as New Japan with the company hosting a few tour shows every month coupled with tournaments like the New America equivalent of the G1 Climax and will focus on the action in the ring. Shows will be broadcast exclusively through the also newly announced NJPW World, New Japan’s equivalent of the WWE Network that will be getting an immediate release both in Japan, the United States and being rolled out to other countries in the coming month.
The promotion will be announcing their roster over the coming weeks with their first shows to be announced in the coming weeks as well. This is a massive move for New Japan and will completely change the landscape of American wrestling, providing a big alternative to the likes of World Wrestling Entertainment, Ring of Honour and Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling. More news to follow.
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Post by Rated R on Dec 22, 2014 12:23:42 GMT -5
New America Pro Wrestling Roster
Heavyweight Roster
- | Affiliations | Notes | AJ Styles | Bullet Club | - | Bad Luck Fale | Bullet Club | Touring Talent | Chris Hero | - | - | Davey Boy Smith Jr. | Suzukigun; Killer Elite Squad
| - | Doc Gallows | Bullet Club | - | Jax Dane | NWA (w/ Bruce Tharpe)
| - | Jeff Jarrett | Bullet Club | Touring Talent | Katsuyori Shibata | - | - | Karl Anderson | Bullet Club | - | Lance Archer | Suzukigun; Killer Elite Squad
| - | Matt Taven | The Kingdom (w/ Maria) | - | Mario Bokara | - | - | Michael Bennett | The Kingdom (w/ Maria) | - | Michael Elgin | - | - | Mikey Nichols | TMDK | - | Minoru Suzuki | Suzukigun | Special Guest Talent | Rob Conway | NWA (w/ Bruce Tharpe) | - | Shane Haste
| TMDK | - | Shelton Benjamin | Suzukigun | -
| Shinsuke Nakamura | Chaos | Special Guest Talent | Tetsuya Naito | - | Special Guest Talent | Togi Makabe | - | Special Guest Talent |
Junior Heavyweight Roster
- | Affiliations | Notes | ACH | - | - | Alex Shelley | Time Splitters | - | Chris Sabin | - | - | El Desperado | Suzukigun | - | Kenny Omega | Bullet Club | - | KUSHIDA | Time Splitters | - | Matt Jackson | Bullet Club; The Young Bucks | - | Matt Sydal | - | - | Nick Jackson | Bullet Club; The Young Bucks | - | Richochet | - | - | Taichi | Suzukigun | - | Taka Michinoku | Suzukigun | Touring Talent |
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Post by Rated R on Dec 22, 2014 12:23:52 GMT -5
Title History
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Post by Rated R on Dec 22, 2014 12:24:05 GMT -5
Schedule
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snickelodeon
Superstar
Joined on: Nov 27, 2011 9:37:08 GMT -5
Posts: 956
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Post by snickelodeon on Dec 22, 2014 12:32:17 GMT -5
Great idea. Look forward to it kicking off and hopefully sticking around.
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Post by Red Dragon on Dec 22, 2014 13:43:49 GMT -5
I love this idea. Seems semi-realistic too. Can't wait to see the roster. Please please please keep this up
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 22, 2014 14:20:27 GMT -5
Sounds cool. I'll be reading.
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Deleted
Joined on: Sept 27, 2024 8:50:34 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 14:21:08 GMT -5
I really like the sound of this.
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Post by Mike Bockwinkel on Dec 22, 2014 14:38:21 GMT -5
I don't feel like it needed a new name.
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Post by Planktung on Dec 22, 2014 14:49:28 GMT -5
Too Sweet me, Rated R.
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Post by Rated R on Dec 22, 2014 15:22:09 GMT -5
New America Pro Wrestling Roster Announcement, Show News
New America Pro Wrestling, the recently announced sister promotion of New Japan, today announced that the dates of their first shows, a huge eight show tour across January culminating in the crowning of the first ever IWGP American Heavyweight Champion. The champion will be crowned in a traditional New Japan style round robin tournament with eight competitors facing off over the seven shows before the two with the most points facing off at the debut pay-per-view, NAPW Champion’s Glory, for the title. As such they have made their first roster announcement, confirming the eight competitors who will be duking it out for the title over January:
Former IWGP and TNA Heavyweight Champion AJ Styles. American independent sensation Chris Hero. Popular New Japan star Katsuyori Shibata. IWGP Tag Team Champion Karl Anderson. Former ROH World Champion Michael Elgin. NWA World Heavyweight Champion Rob Conway. Former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. New Japan’s fastest rising star Tetsuya Naito.
Each of these men will face each other once in the tournament proving some truly unique contests that you’re unlikely to see in any other company in America. As such since the announcement ticket sales have already been reported to have been above expectations and it’s likely there will be a solid turnout for each show on the tour as they make their way around America.
In addition to this New America have updated their roster page with the initial roster for the company. In addition to the eight names above there’s a mixture of New Japan talent including Bullet Club and members of Suzukigun, American staples like Michael Bennett and Chris Sabin and some relative unknowns at least in America like Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls. With the roster likely to be kept fairly fluid it’s hard to judge exactly how it will look in the months to come but one things for sure New America aren’t playing around with the amount of talent they’re bringing in.
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Post by Jord on Dec 22, 2014 15:50:02 GMT -5
This is awesome
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 22, 2014 15:54:48 GMT -5
That roster tho.
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Post by Rated R on Dec 24, 2014 13:44:02 GMT -5
New America Pro Wrestling First Cards Announced
New America Pro Wrestling today released the official cards for their debut weekend, featuring the first two rounds in the round robin tournament to crown the inaugural IWGP American Heavyweight Champion.
Up first in the January 9th show, the big talking points of course being the two co-main events with Katsuyori Shibata taking on current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura and Shibata faced off a few months back in a big IWGP Intercontinental Championship match that saw Nakamura victorious. The other main event will be a Wrestle Kingdom rematch pitting Bullet Club’s AJ Styles against Tetsuya Naito and, given that Wrestle Kingdom takes place four days before this show, it’s likely we’ll see some tie in between the matches.
Elsewhere there’s two more tournament bouts with IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Karl Anderson taking on Michael Elgin and NWA World Heavyweight Champion clashing with Chris Hero. On the undercard the highlight will certainly be a rare stateside appearance for Tomohori Ishii as he faces off with Michael Bennett as well as a highly anticipated Junior Heavyweight triple threat match. Check out the full card below:
New America Pro Wrestling In Conjunction with New Japan and Global Force Wrestling January 9th 2015
IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament Night One
Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura AJ Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito Karl Anderson vs. Michael Elgin Rob Conway vs. Chris Hero
Non-Tournament Matches
Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale vs. Killer Elite Squad
Michael Bennett vs. Tomohori Ishii
Matt Sydal vs. ACH vs. Taichi
The Heavenly Bodies & Brian Myers vs. Mario Bakara & The Mighty Don't Kneel
< *** >
Meanwhile on January 10th the tournament continues with a main event pitting Michael Elgin and Katsuyori Shibata against each other. Elgin is one of the top stars on the American independent scene and is known for how physical his matches are which is certainly something that Shibata will be more than comfortable with given his own ring style. On top of that there’s two other New Japan vs. American talent clashes with Tetsuya Naito facing off with Chris Hero and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura facing NWA World Heavyweight champion Rob Conway.
The most interesting tournament match however is AJ Styles facing off with the current leader of the Bullet Club Karl Anderson with many wondering whether the two will actually face off or if there’ll be some kind of swerve involved. On top of that we’ve got the promise of another Ishii appearance as well as a big Junior Heavyweight six man tag featuring Suzukigun and a triple threat tag team bout that includes the sensational team of The Mighty Don’t Kneel. The full card can be checked out below.
New America Pro Wrestling In Conjunction with New Japan and Global Force Wrestling January 10th 2015
IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament Night One
Tetsuya Naito vs. Chris Hero Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rob Conway Michael Elgin vs. Katsuyori Shibata AJ Styles vs. Karl Anderson
Non-Tournament Matches
Richochet, ACH & Matt Sydal vs. Taichi, Taka Michinoku & El Desperado
The Irish Airborne vs. The Mighty Don’t Kneel vs. The Heavenly Bodies
Plus Tomohori Ishii in action!
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 24, 2014 23:11:53 GMT -5
AJ Styles for Champion!
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Post by Rated R on Dec 26, 2014 5:56:04 GMT -5
New America Pro Wrestling In Conjunction with New Japan and Global Force Wrestling January 9th 2015
-- PRE SHOW NOTES --
- They had a pretty slick set up going on with a big screen above the ramp and everything. NAPW are clearly benefitting from having the money from New Japan and it shows and it’ll likely come across really well on the NJPW World broadcast.
- The announce team for the American broadcasts on NJPW world were introduced as Matt Striker, who recently did the American broadcast for Wrestling Kingdom 9, and Ring of Honour’s Steve Corino. It’s been recently confirmed that the American broadcast will have the option of Japanese commentary as well.
- The crowd was rocking tonight with an announced 2,250 people turning up and there was a ton of New Japan and general wrestling fans in the building. A really smart crowd in terms of knowing who was who and who to cheer and boo for which really helped the energy of the show.
-- MAIN SHOW --
1. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) Chris Hero Defeated Rob Conway (w/ Bruce Tharpe) in 11:25 with the Rebound Elbow. Rob Conway’s been a fixture Gaijin with New Japan in the past couple of years while Hero’s always been one of the best known names on the American independent scene so this was as solid as you’d expect. Hero’s hard hitting style is easily going to endear him to those looking for an interesting blend of American wrestling and Strong-Style and he made a solid start to the tournament here with a victory. The presence of NWA chairman Bruce Tharpe at ringside gave Conway a bit of an edge but Hero wasn’t backing down as he basically tried to knock him out for a solid ten minutes before doing exactly that, nailing a rebound elbow off of the ropes that laid Conway out and gave him the win. **1/2 [/font]
2.) Taichi (w/ Taka Michinoku & El Desperado) Defeated Matt Sydal & ACH in 09:26 with the Black Mephisto on ACH. If this is what New America’s Junior Heavyweight division is going to look like then things look very exciting indeed as these three put on a thrilling, fast paced match with plenty of flair and high spots. Taichi instantly connected with the crowd and drew in the heat which let Sydal and ACH play off of his dark flamboyant persona well. The best spot saw Sydal go over the top to take out the interfering Taka and Desperado, Taichi diving through the ropes to hit Sydal and then ACH to deliver a springboard shooting star splash to all five of them on the outside. As the match sped to it’s conclusion the interfering of Taka and Desperado took Sydal out of the running and let Taichi connect with Black Mephisto on ACH for the victory. ***
3.) Mario Bokara & The Mighty Don't Kneel Defeated Brian Myers & The Heavenly Bodies in 11:14 when TMDK hit the Thunder Valley on Desirable Dustin. With NAPW proving a showcase for young, relatively unknown talent this match was all about six men trying to prove they should be coming back for more. By far the standouts were Haste & Nicholls, collectively known as The Mighty Don’t Kneel, the pair having proved themselves in Japan and now trying to do the same here. While all six men got plenty of time to prove themselves TMDK were the standouts and the crowd sure knew it based on their reactions. Bokara proved effective as he and Myers had a decent back and forth that led to Bokara hitting a Vertical Driver. TMDK took Gigilo Justin out with a double dropkick before putting Dustin away with the Thunder Valley for the victory. As Bokara and TMDK stood in the ring victorious the crowd gave them a “please come back” chant and it’s pretty clear they will be based on their performance. **
4.) Tomohori Ishii Defeated Michael Bennett (w/ Maria Kanellis) in 14:53 with a Lariat. This was something of a mismatch at first glance as Ishii is an absolute beast of a man, the Chaos representative looking to simply beat Bennett into oblivion to get the win. Bennett however proved to be a bigger challenge than he first appeared as he used a mix of quick, technical skill and the interfering presence of Maria on the outside to not just keep himself in the match but fight for the victory as best as he could. Things got particularly rough about ten minutes in when Bennett ate a hard boot to the face that split his mouth open and left him spitting up blood but he actually kept wrestling and the crowd ate it up, not used to seeing this kind of action here in the States. In the end a lariat from Ishii was enough to put Bennett away but the crowd still gave both men their dues for what was certainly the match of the night so far. ***1/2
-- INTERMISSION --
5. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) Michael Elgin Defeated Karl Anderson in 15:46 with the Revolution Elgin Bomb. The second tournament match of the night was a vicious one because both of these two men know how to play rough and they were certainly going for it tonight. It’s almost like they knew how brutal the main event was going to be and wanted to give it a run for its money. The crowd ate it up though and were fully behind Elgin against the Bullet Club leader Karl Anderson and he returned that support by throwing everything he had at Anderson. Karl isn’t exactly the top performer in Bullet Club but what he does do is own his character and the ring, carrying the story even if that story is two guys beating the hell out of each other. Things ended up outside the ring late in the match and Elgin actually delivered the Revolution Elgin Bomb onto the ring apron but his desire to win by pinfall over count out nearly cost him as dragging Anderson back to the ring led to a low blow and the spinning spinebuster. Elgin managed to meet the count though and the match became the two hitting each other back and forth before Elgin got the upper hand, got a run of offence in and then delivered a second Revolution Elgin Bomb for the victory. ***1/2
- Immediately following the match the rest of Bullet Club, Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale, hit the ring to try and deliver a beating to Michael Elgin. They looked likely to be successful too if it wasn’t for the arrival of the Killer Elite Squad, Harry Smith Jr. and Lance Archer arriving to even the odds and turning things into a huge brawl. Elgin and Anderson ended up on the outside and with the two teams in the ring the official decided to start the next match right now!
6.) Doc Gallows & Bad Luck Fale Defeated Killer Elite Squad in 11:43 when Gallows hit the Gallows Pole on Archer. With the match having actually begun with the brawl the opening couple of minutes went the same way and it’s pretty easy to see why. Harry Smith & Lance Archer have come a long way since their last proper exposure in the States and they looked like they had something to prove in this stiff match. Bullet Club continue to be a highlight and the crowd are really into their NWO style tonight. They were particularly impressed by the pace of the match considering the big men you had in there but that’s one of the things New America seem to have taken on board from New Japan, no matter the size of the man there’s always a way to control the pace and make things exciting. In the end Bullet Club proved to be too much for the Suzukigun representatives as Doc Gallows put Archer down for the count with a particularly impressive Gallows Pole. **
7. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) AJ Styles (w/ Jeff Jarrett) Defeated Tetsuya Naito in 17:53 with the Styles Clash. This was actually a rematch from Monday’s huge Tokyo Dome match and Naito had revenge on his mind after Styles cheated his way to victory at Wrestle Kingdom. This one was as impressive as you’d expect from stars of their calibre as Styles and Naito continue to tear things up. The lesser-versed fans in the audience didn’t have much of an idea who Naito was beyond his brief TNA run but you had AJ in there who is as well-known as you’re going to get from anyone outside of the WWE right now. Naito knew that he wasn’t just taking on AJ here with Jarrett at ringside and the rest of Bullet Club probably not far away but he wrestled as if he just knew deep down he was going to finally beat AJ here. Styles on the other hand continued to be his cocky, overconfident and unbearably excellent heel self and with Jarrett’s help he controlled his fair part of the match. They did a guitar spot where Jarrett tried to nail Naito with it on the outside but Naito simply kicked Jarrett clean in the face to stop that dead. Styles used that moment to fly through the ropes and take Naito out. AJ did some damage to Naito on the outside but when he sent him back to the room and went for the springboard elbow Naito countered with a dropkick and then went up top for the Stardust Press. Jarrett again proved the difference maker as he pushed Naito from the top sending him down onto the top rope and into the awaiting AJ for the Styles Clash and the cheap victory much to the distaste of the crowd. ***3/4
8. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) Shinsuke Nakamura Defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 25:36 with the Bome Ya. There really was no better way to end this debut show than with two of New Japan’s top guys going at it, especially when they’ve proven in the past that they can have great matches with each other. The general fans didn’t know a lot about them but the die hards in the crowd carried the atmosphere just fine and the match itself was so good it pretty much converted everyone within the first five to ten minutes. That’s the one big thing that New America proved on this show to have in it’s favour, people might not know everybody but they’ve turned up to see high quality wrestling and New America had no problem delivering. The match with stiff, rough and downright brutal to watch for all the right reasons but you wouldn’t really expect anything less from two guys who could probably kick your face off given the chance. Nakamura was particularly popular by the end of the show thanks to his swagger and offbeat style which really gelled with those who are used to getting a heavy dose of sports entertainment with their wrestling. Shibata on the other hand was all business, working away throughout the match to try and set up for the Penalty Kick but Nakamura had it scouted and managed to duck out of it’s way at one point by dropping backwards. Nakamura would fight back and connected with Bome Ya only for Shibata to kick out! Nakamura would then go for the Cross Armbreaker only for Shibata to kick his way out of it and then go for the Penalty Kick once more. This time Nakamura bounced to his feet and hit a second Bome Ya that took the running Shibata clean out giving Nakamura the pinfall and both men a standing ovation for a fantastic match. ****
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snickelodeon
Superstar
Joined on: Nov 27, 2011 9:37:08 GMT -5
Posts: 956
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Post by snickelodeon on Dec 26, 2014 8:41:00 GMT -5
I'm really excited about this diary.
It has the potential to be a standout diary on the board given time.
Like the round robin tournament to crown the first champion plus your Jnr heavyweight division is mega. Division alone excited me.
Hopefully you stick with this diary. Keep it up
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Post by The Kevstaaa on Dec 26, 2014 9:59:21 GMT -5
I love the concept of this diary and will do my best to reply. I don't know enough about NJPW in general, but am most likely going to order the World soon so I'll get more acquainted with the product shortly. Having the option of American and Japanese commentary is genius and I'd like a commentary team of Steve Corino and Matt Striker. Chris Hero beating Rob Conway wasn't the right way to go, it was the Con-Way. Get it? Seriously though, I love Hero so good move there. I've heard good things about Taka's team over there. The Mighty Don't Kneel is an awesome name. I also love Brian Myers. Michael Bennett is only really cool because of Maria though. <3. I would love to see Michael Elgin vs. Karl Anderson. I feel like it would be hard hitting. Killer Elite Squad is another cool name, though I like the Bullet Club more. Or maybe it's because I'm partial to AJ Styles. Speaking of, glad he won. I hope he makes it to the finals and wins. I do think it was a good move to have two Japanese guys main event. To the relatively new American audience, they got to see guys that they may know like Bennett, Elgin, AJ, Myers, etc. but then they get to see what NJPW is all about. Wise booking here. Really good first show and I would love to see this take off.
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Post by Red Dragon on Dec 26, 2014 12:57:32 GMT -5
Good first show. It's an interesting concept and I hope you stick with it. I'm with Kev, AJ for the win. He seems like the perfect guy to base the company around especially with the Club behind him. Hoping for a super hot Junior division, that's what I watch most of in Njpw. needs more Shelley.
And I almost forgot, Zakk Sabre Jr. That is all.
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Post by Rated R on Jan 25, 2015 15:28:07 GMT -5
New America Pro Wrestling In Conjunction with New Japan and Global Force Wrestling January 10th 2015
-- PRE SHOW NOTES --
- Roughly 2,000 people in attendance tonight and the building is buzzing. There were a few people here who went to last night’s show and they’re still talking it up as some of the best action they’ve seen on the independent circuit in some time. There’s also a lot of talk whether this can be classed as the independent circuit given the backing it’s got but that’s something that will likely be judged over time.
-- MAIN SHOW --
1. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) Tetsuya Naito Defeated Chris Hero in 18:46 with Stardust Press. A fantastic way to kick off the show, this match straight up matched both of the main events from last night and you’ll find a few people who’ll claim it topped them and that’s something that could certainly be argued. For anyone that was doubting Chris Hero belonged in New America this match probably silenced them because he looked right at home in the ring with Naito and while he started as the obvious heel he won over roughly half the crowd by the time the match finished. Naito focused on being quick and they played up the fact he was trying to avoid Hero’s elbows throughout the match, playing them up as a serious weapon that can take a man out quickly. As such Hero would try throwing a knockout elbow at various times but every time Naito had a block for it. As the match got really heated Naito would try to come off of the top rope with some kind of dive only for Hero to nail him with an elbow that took him clean out but only managed to get a very close near fall. Naito would launch a comeback, block a rebound elbow with a kick and then delivered a big high angle German suplex. Naito went up top, hit an astonishing Stardust Press and got the pinfall to get his first two points on the board. ****
2.) Ricochet, ACH & Matt Sydal Defeated Taichi, Taka Michinoku & El Desperado in 09:53 when Richochet pinned Desperado with the Benadryller. This was your typical multi-man junior tag match with big spots, faced moves and a whole lot going on at once. American indy fans are pretty well versed with Ricochet, ACH and Sydal and they were the clear favourites here. Out of the Suzuki-Gun trio Taichi continues to be a highlight thanks to his flamboyant persona but Taka and Desperado do their job as the thuggish backup well, as well as being solid performers in their own right. A rapid fire final minute saw ACH taken out by a double team attack on the outside by Taichi and Taka, Sydal take both of them out with a springboard shooting star press and Richochet hit the Benadryller for the victory. Nothing wrong with this match at all, it’s what you want from a junior six man tag and it continues to show that the junior division is going to shine here in New America. **1/2
- Following the match “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega made his presence known when he, Doc Gallows and The Young Bucks cleared out the ring with force. Omega talked up being the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and his intention to hold the gold on both sides of the pond. The crowd love to hate The Cleaner and he loves to talk it up so this was solid enough, but things really kicked up when Chris Sabin made a surprise appearance on the ramp. Sabin, who’s pretty well known around these parts, told Omega that he isn’t in Japan anymore and round here Sabin is the man to beat when it comes to being a high flyer. Sabin laid told the gauntlet to Omega, saying that if anyone is going to be the IWGP American Junior Heavyweight Champion it’s going to be him.
3.) The Mighty Don’t Kneel Defeated The Irish Airborne and The Heavenly Bodies in 14:42 with Thunder Valley on Desirable Dustin. A three way tag match with the simple rule of two in the ring at any time. The Irish Airborne and The Heavenly Bodies were both trying to prove they deserve a full-time spot on the roster but once again this was all about The Mighty Don’t Knee, Haste and Nichols again being the surprise highlights of the night. While all three times, and in turn all six men, got plenty of offence in it was the speed, strength and Aussie charisma of TMDK that shone out and the crowd continue to get behind them. Jake and Dave Christ took out Gigilo Justin with the Irish Air Raid before being taken out themselves by a double spear. That just left Desirable Dustin to suffer a second Thunder Valley in as many shows to give TMDK yet another victory. **1/2
4.) Tomohorii Ishii Defeated Mario Bokara in 13:52 with a Lariat. This was Mario Bokara’s first shot at impressing in singles action here in New America and while he’s sure as hell still green he’s certainly got the look and the potential to be a big deal. Ishii is the kind of guy who would tear right through a rookie due to his stiffness and hard hitting nature but Bokara didn’t seem put off in the slightest and actually seemed to get into the stiff striking game. By the mid-point of the match it actually seemed like an completely different Bokara to the one at the start as he begun busting out some stiff shots of his own as well as a few flashy kicks. However the bulldozer style of Ishii just couldn’t be overcome tonight and he ended up being far too much for Bokara, nearly knocking him out with some headbutts before the Stone Pit-bull got the victory with the big Lariat to make it two in two on this weekend of shows. **1/2
--- Intermission ---
5. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) Shinsuke Nakamura Defeated Rob Conway (w/ Bruce Tharpe) in 13:56 with the Bome Ye. The second tournament bout of the night pit the IWGP Intercontinental Champion against the NWA World Heavyweight Champion but in all honesty it was a bit of a mismatch. It doesn’t make much of a different what you think of Conway he is probably the least talented guy in this tournament. Regardless when you’re in the ring with a guy on the level of Nakamura you’re guaranteed to have a great match and this was no different. Nakamura was the clear favourite but Conway used a number of dirty tricks, and the presence of Tharpe at ringside, to keep himself in the match and push for the victory. Despite Nakamura’s persona traditionally being that of a heel the fans can’t help but cheer for him because of his talent and the live crowd were firmly behind him, they nearly leapt out of their seats when he hit Tharpe with a Bome Ye off of the ring apron to shut him up before hitting another Bome Ye Knee on Conway in the ring to get the victory and remain undefeated in the tournament. ***
6. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) AJ Styles Defeated Karl Anderson in 18:42 with the Styles Clash. There was an initial moment at the start where people wondered whether these two Bullet Club members would actually fight but this isn’t your typical wrestling company. Just as they proved in the G1 Climax tournament they’ve got no problem going at it and absolutely went to war to try and pick up the two points on offer. With the rest of the Bullet Club watching on these two gave it everything they had, the leader taking on the star attraction and it was definitely a showcase of why Bullet Club has proven so popular not only in New Japan but across the world. AJ, despite being probably the biggest name on these shores out of the entirety of New America, didn’t have things his own way as Anderson brought his smash-mouth A-game to try and get the two points. He’s determined to make himself as big a star in singles action as he undoubtedly is in tag action and nearly did exactly that but just couldn’t put AJ away. When he failed multiple times with the Gun Stun he tooks things a step further as he went for the Swivel Gun Stun only for AJ to counter, hit the Pele kick and then deliver Styles Clash for the victory. ***3/4
- Following the match the entirety of Bullet Club entered the ring to congratulate the two on a great match when Suzuki-Gun emerged, irate after Gallows & The Young Bucks attacked Taichi, Taka and Desperado earlier in the night. They challenged Bullet Club to a match right now and promised to bring Bullet Club down once and for all!
7.) Shelton Benjamin & Killer Elite Squad Defeated Doc Gallows & The Young Bucks in 15:36 when Shelton hit the T-Bone Suplex on Nick Jackson. This was a solid six man tag match to soften the crowd up ahead of a very interesting main event. New America seems determined to build a big Bullet Club vs. Suzuki-Gun feud and if we get matches like this then it’s probably not a bad idea. Bullet Club were at a disadvantage due to the big weight disadvantage that the Young Bucks provided but they worked around it, the Young Bucks moving and hitting quickly while Gallows acted as the powerhouse. A particularly fun moment saw Gallows and Lance Archer go at it in the battle of the behemoths and actually take each other out with a simultaneous big boot. This let Harry Smith lariat Matt Jackson’s head off and Benjamin hit the T-Bone on Nick for a big victory for Suzuki-gun. **1/2
8. IWGP American Heavyweight Championship Tournament) Katsuyori Shibata Defeated Michael Elgin in 19:53 with the Penalty Kick. A very interesting main event as Shibata, who is only now finding championship success over in Japan, taking on Michael Elgin who is probably getting his biggest exposure right now in New America. The match was exactly what you’d expect from these two men and given that they were given the honour of the main event tonight they went all out and then some. Stiff strikes, huge suplexes and bombs and a whole lot of intensity. The crowd were split, those with a lot of New Japan exposure were behind Shibata while those only getting into the style through New America were supporting Elgin which made for an interesting atmosphere. The two went back and forth with the match spilling onto the outside, Elgin trying to take advantage with a few powerbombs on the ring apron but Shibata fought back and actually hit a Penalty Kick from the ring apron that Elgin barely made it back into the ring from. Elgin managed to keep going and actually hit a huge powerbomb that couldn’t quite put Shibata away. He went up again this time going for the Revolution Elgin Bomb but Shibata countered with a Triangle Choke from the powerbomb position that took Elgin down slowly. From there Shibata delivered the big Penalty Kick and got the pinfall for the victory in a fantastic main event. **** IWGP American Heavyweightweight Championship TournamentPosition | Competitor | Points | 1. | AJ Styles | 4 | - | Shinsuke Nakamura | 4 | 3. | Chris Hero | 2 | - | Katsuyori Shibata | 2 | - | Michael Elgin | 2 | - | Tetsuya Naito | 2 | 7. | Karl Anderson | 0 | - | Rob Conway | 0 |
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