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Post by DTP. on Feb 22, 2016 15:48:24 GMT -5
| NJPW NEW JAPAN CUP 2015 - DAY SEVEN Sunday, March 15, 2015 - Hiroshima Sun Plaza - Nishi-ku, Hiroshima |
Kota Ibushi or Tetsuya Naito
| New Japan Cup 2015 Finals VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | Kazuchika Okada or Karl Anderson
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"BULLET CLUB" Doc Gallows and Yujiro Takahashi
(BULLET CLUB)
| Special Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI
(CHAOS)
| "CHAOS"
Shinsuke Nakamura and Kazushi Sakuraba(CHAOS)
| Special Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | "G.B.H." Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma
(CHAOS) |
"Meiyu Tag"
Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto
| Special Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | "BULLET CLUB" Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale
(BULLET CLUB)
| "The Machine Gun"
Karl Anderson
(BULLET CLUB) | New Japan Cup 2015 Semi-Final Round VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada
(CHAOS) | "Golden Star"
| New Japan Cup 2015 Semi-Final Round VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | "Stardust☆Genius" Tetsuya Naito
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Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Yohei Komatsu
| Special 6-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata and Sho Tanaka | Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA and Jay White | Special 6-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada and Ryusuke Taguchi
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Post by DTP. on Feb 25, 2016 12:15:19 GMT -5
| NJPW NEW JAPAN CUP 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015 - Citizen Gymnasium - Kumagawa, Saitama Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - Municipal Gymnasium - Iwaki, Fukushima Friday, March 13, 2015 - Industrial Bunka Exchange Hall - Otsu, Shiga |
Day 4 - Kumagawa Citizen Gymnasium - Saitama, Japan (March 9)
1. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi def. Ryusuke Taguchi & Yohei Komatsu in 9:43 after the Argentine Backbreaker Rack by Nakanishi on Komatsu.
2. Tiger Mask & Jay White def. Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada in 8:29 after the Millenium Suplex by Tiger Mask to Liger. Tiger Mask celebrated with Liger's NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship after the match.
3. Tetsuya Naito & KUSHIDA def. Kota Ibushi & Captain New Japan in 9:12 after the Koji Clutch by Naito on Captain New Japan. Naito and Ibushi had an exchange during their match, setting up for the semi-final match on March 15 in Hiroshima.
4. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano, Gedo & Kazushi Sakuraba) def. G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) and TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) in 10:20 after the Bomaye by Nakamura on Honma. Nakamura and Tenzan exchanged words after the match, teasing an IWGP Intercontinental vs NWA World Heavyweight Championship match.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) def. BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale & Cody Hall) in 12:23 after the Shouten Kei by Goto on Hall.
6. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) def. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Yujiro Takahashi) in 15:39 after the Ishii Driller on Takahashi. Anderson and Okada brawled after the match, setting the stage for their semi-final match on March 15 in Hiroshima.
Day 5 - Iwaki Municipal Gymnasium - Fukushima, Japan (March 10)
1. Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada & Sho Tanaka def. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask & Yohei Komatsu in 9:30 after the Dorada Screwdriver on Komatsu. Liger taunted Tiger Mask in celebrating with the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship after the match.
2. Manabu Nakanishi def. Jay White in 7:14 after the Argentine Backbreaker Rack.
3. Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) & Yuji Nagata def. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi) in 8:20 after the Penalty Kick by Shibata to Hall.
4. G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) & KUSHIDA def. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Gedo) in 10:40 after the Hoverboard Lock by KUSHIDA on Gedo. After the match, Makabe and Ishii faced off again, with suspected intentions of a Wrestle Kingdom 9 rematch for the NEVER Openweight Championship down the line.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Captain New Japan def. Tetsuya Naito & TenCozy (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan) in 11:24 after the High Fly Flow by Tanahashi on Kojima. Naito, Ibushi and Tanahashi had a three-way staredown after the match, teasing the possibility of one of them going to face Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship after the New Japan Cup tournament.
6. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Tama Tonga) def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI) in 14:22 after the Gun Stun by Anderson on YOSHI-HASHI. Anderson and Okada had a staredown after the match, preparing for their semi-final match on March 15.
Day 6 - Shiga Prefectural Industrial Bunka Exchange Hall - Shiga, Japan (March 13)
1. Yuji Nagata def. Sho Tanaka in 7:34 after the Nagata Lock.
2. Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA & Yohei Komatsu def. Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada & Jay White in 8:53 after the Hoverboard Lock by KUSHIDA on White.
3. Tetsuya Naito & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Kota Ibushi & Captain New Japan in 11:22 after the Stardust Press by Naito on Captain New Japan.
4. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba) def. TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) in 14:25 after the Ishii Driller on Honma. Ishii and Makabe traded blows and needed to be separated after the match.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) def. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi) in 10:24 after the High Fly Flow by Tanahashi on Takahashi. The Bullet Club brawled with Meiyu Tag after the match.
6. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Gedo) def. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Cody Hall) in 16:51 after the Loose Explosion by YOSHI-HASHI on Hall. Okada and Anderson brawled after the match, setting up for their match on March 15.
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Post by DTP. on Feb 28, 2016 11:17:20 GMT -5
| NJPW NEW JAPAN CUP 2015 FINALS - DAY SEVENSunday, March 15, 2015 - Hiroshima Sun Plaza - Nishi-ku, Hiroshima
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The opening signature aired, showcasing the top stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2015. A video package aired, reviewing the stages of the annual New Japan Cup up to tonight's point. What started with sixteen men have dwindled down to four remaining combatants, with only one possible winner - who will go on to Invasion Attack on April 5 to challenge for a championship of their choice. Whether that be the IWGP Heavyweight Championship held by Hiroshi Tanahashi, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship held by Shinsuke Nakamura, or the NEVER Openweight Championship held by Tomohiro Ishii - that is up to them. But first, four men will have to show the Fighting Spirit to wrestle twice in one night, as "Stardust☆Genius" Tetsuya Naito takes on "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi, and "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada battles "the Machine Gun" Karl Anderson in the semi-finals - the finals to be held later on in the night between the two winners!
Hiroshima Sun Plaza, the site of the 2015 New Japan Cup finals were loud, as Kimihiko Ozaki took centrestage in the ring to welcome fans of New Japan Pro Wrestling in attendance, or those watching worldwide via New Japan World, to the show - listing the full card for tonight's event:
- Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA & Jay White vs Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada & Ryusuke Taguchi
- TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Yohei Komatsu vs Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata & Sho Tanaka
- Kota Ibushi vs Tetsuya Naito in a New Japan Cup Semi-Final match
- Karl Anderson vs Kazuchika Okada in a New Japan Cup Semi-Final match
- Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) vs BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale)
- CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazushi Sakuraba) vs G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma)
- BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows, Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi) vs CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI)
- Kota Ibushi/Tetsuya Naito vs Karl Anderson/Kazuchika Okada in the New Japan Cup Finals.
1. Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA & Jay White in 8:18 after the Oh My & Garankle ankle lock by Taguchi on White. Tiger Mask and Jushin Liger had a confrontation after the match, building up their match on March 22 in Amagasaki for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. 2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata & Sho Tanaka def. TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Yohei Komatsu in 9:27 after the Cloverleaf by Tanahashi on Komatsu. Everybody exchanged handshakes after the match.
3. NEW JAPAN CUP 2015 SEMI-FINAL MATCH KOTA IBUSHI vs TETSUYA NAITO The first New Japan Cup semi-final was upon us, between two men that have only met one time in the past - during the 2013 G1 Climax, where the "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi was victorious in a hard-fought match. Despite Ibushi's win on this occasion however, it was Tetsuya Naito who managed to obtain enough points to advance to the finals, where he eventually defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to be crowned the winner of G1 Climax 23. T his was a completely different setting however - with Naito unsuccessful in winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 8, and then previously at the New Beginning in Osaka last month, Naito had advanced into the semi-final round of this single-elimination New Japan Cup tournament after defeating Tomoaki Honma and Yuji Nagata, with intentions to gain another title shot; whereas Kota Ibushi, who came close to winning the IWGP Intercontinental Championship back at Wrestle Kingdom 9 against Shinsuke Nakamura, was surely hungry for another opportunity, advancing to this stage after beating two giants from the Bullet Club faction in Doc Gallows and Bad Luck Fale. It was proving ground for both men, the "Stardust☆Genius" against the "Golden Star". Both men made their entrances with a visible look of concentration, and the match began with a test of strength, which Naito initially overpowered Ibushi in - but Kota bridged back and turned it around, Naito attempting the full nelson, just for Kota to go back himself, and Kota straddled Tetsuya until he reached the ropes, breaking the exchange. Naito and Kota soon locked up again, with Ibushi this time using his quickness to take Naito down with a waistlock takedown, but Naito, with some cat-like reflexes of his own, managed to find a way on top of Ibushi, and immediately go after the same leg he worked over back in their G1 Climax 23 bout - Naito grabbing the leg just for Kota to break free, and Ibushi followed with a big boot, followed by a series of chest kicks until Naito caught one and took him down with a snapping dragon screw, torting the leg of the "Golden Star"!
Tetsuya Naito secured the leg on the mat, bending the leg and attempting to apply pressure on it, but Kota was able to turn it around on Naito, the "Stardust☆Genius" locked in a side headlock, until Naito sent Kota off of the ropes, Ibushi coming back with a lariat attempt, but Naito ducked it and took the arm - attempting the Gloria hammerlocked pumphandle drop early - but Ibushi managed to flip out of it before dazing Naito with a big forearm, following up with a big roundhouse kick but Naito ducked, Naito then rolling Ibushi up and following up immediately with a dropkick taking Ibushi down and on the defensive! Naito had won the exchange this time around, as he went back to the leg, neatly tucking it under his leg and quickly applying a variation of the Indian deathlock - but Ibushi once again tried to block it - that is until Naito officially locked in the hold, causing Ibushi to struggle to reach the ropes, which was fortunately not too far away from his grasp! The "Stardust☆Genius" attempted to drag Ibushi back into the centre of the ring, but Ibushi managed to use his balance from Naito pulling his leg, and his own grasp on the top rope to flip free - just to get dropkicked in the knee by the offensive Naito, who did not want the high-flying Kota to break out any sudden attacks. Naito targeted the leg, connecting with a leg-DDT, before quickly attempting another submission hold - this time the figure-four leglock just for Ibushi to break free successfully, kicking Naito off. Ibushi attempted to kick Naito in the abdomen just for him to catch it again - but this time Ibushi was prepared, nailing a step-up enzuigiri on his opponent, before nailing a standing shooting star press, covering Naito for a near fall! Ibushi favored his leg momentarily, before connecting with a spinkick to the gut of Tetsuya Naito, followed by an attempted powerbomb just for Naito to backdrop Ibushi - Ibushi landing on his feet but holding his weakened leg, and Naito capitalized with a shinbreaker, which sent Kota down, rolling out to the apron. Naito could smell the blood in the water, as he approached Ibushi, just for Kota to come back with a slap knocking the taste out of his opponent's mouth, and Ibushi connected with a springboard dropkick, the cover only managing to get a near fall. The match continued, with Kota Ibushi picking Tetsuya Naito back up to his feet, attempting the Dragon suplex, but Naito managed to get behind Ibushi, before sending him off into the corner; Naito immediately behind charging Ibushi, just for Kota to deliver a back elbow to Naito, before attempting to go up to the top, but Naito dropkicked the leg, crotching Ibushi on the top rope! Naito brought Ibushi down, tying him in a tree of woe - sure to do further damage to the leg, as Naito then charged Ibushi in the corner with a dropkick to the weakened knee, before springing to the apron, and in a single motion connecting with a dropkick to the jaw of Kota Ibushi! Naito covered, but Kota was not going to stay down just yet. Naito went back for the leg, securing a figure-four leglock on the "Golden Star" now, with Ibushi riving in pain, but at the same time demanding Naito to apply more strain on his own leg! Ibushi snapped, striking Naito with several open handed slaps to the face, before Naito broke the hold on his own will and came off the ropes for a sliding dropkick; Ibushi sliding himself out of harm's way, before nailing Naito with a snap hurricanrana, only getting two! Ibushi and Naito got back to their feet, but Ibushi struck Naito with a big kick to the chest; Kota signalling that he was going up top, but when he got there Naito was standing; Ibushi attempted a missile dropkick, just for Naito to dropkick the knee one more time! Tetsuya Naito connected with his somersault senton on Ibushi, covering, but again Kota was not about to stay down and lose the semi-finals, and allow Naito a gateway to the finals later on tonight. The "Stardust☆Genius" hooked the head of Ibushi and attempted a tornado DDT, but Kota managed to shove Naito off before executing a big forearm to the jawline of his opponent; the "Golden Star" fighting through the pain with a thunderous series of forearms and slaps, before nailing Naito with a roundhouse kick! Naito, dropped down to one knee, appeared to be in trouble, as Kota tried for the elevated powerbomb, but Naito managed to reverse it into a hurricanrana; the two getting back to their feet as Naito tried a German suplex but it was blocked - and Ibushi used all of his power to pull off the Dragon suplex, bridged for a two count yet again! Kota Ibushi was not going to quit, and it did not appear that Tetsuya Naito was about to either, as Naito rolled out to the floor, where the "Golden Star" saw the writing on the wall - Ibushi dashing up to the top rope and nailing with a huge moonsault off the top rope onto Naito on the floor! Ibushi favored his leg again, but dragged Naito back inside, where Ibushi hoped to wrap this thing up with the Golden Star Press from the top rope - but when he went back up to the top, Naito managed to block it off with a second rope enzuigiri, knocking Ibushi onto the top rope in a seated position. The "Stardust☆Genius" went up to the top rope with Ibushi, and despite Kota's attempts at fighting Naito off with some clubbing forearms, Naito came back with a jawjacking forearm of his own, and the top rope hurricanrana connected; Naito immediately covering Ibushi for a near fall! Naito saw Ibushi was not done - but regardless he still connected with an immediate German suplex, bridged for a near fall! Frustration was setting in, as Naito stomped on the weakened leg of Ibushi, but when he tried for another figure-four attempt, Ibushi caught him in a rolling crotch pin for a very close two count, and Ibushi caught Naito off-guard with a big side kick to the back of the head of Naito stunning him! Ibushi tried for the deadlift German suplex, but Naito blocked it and went behind Kota - Ibushi mule kicking Naito off of him before executing a big Pelé kick taking him down! Ibushi went up to the top rope slowly on his damaged knee, before coming off with the Golden Star Press - Naito however adjusting his position and securing the Pluma Blanca upon Kota's impact! Naito had Ibushi right where he wanted him, but Kota continued to fight it, managing to strike Naito and reach his feet - where in an ultimate test of his Fighting Spirit on a bad leg and in a submission hold, Kota deadlifted Naito onto his shoulders, and transitioned the Pluma Blanca into the elevated sit-out powerbomb out of nowhere! Ibushi was feeling the pain burn away at his leg, which is when he decided to go up top, and execute the Golden Star Press - this time successfully, putting away Naito in a war of a semi-final match!
Winner: Kota Ibushi in 16:46 [****]The "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi had been triumphant in this semi-final bout against the "Stardust☆Genius" Tetsuya Naito, who Ibushi was not looking like a winner right now, as Ibushi struggled to get back to his feet; the Young Lions of New Japan placing an ice pack on the injured leg of Ibushi, the damage done as a result of a gruelling, competitive match with Naito. Naito appeared extremely disheartened with his loss, but despite this reached his feet and helped Ibushi to his.
Naito offered Ibushi a handshake, and Kota accepted it in a show of genuine sportsmanship between the two combatants. Naito was visibly heartbroken by his loss and elimination from the 2015 New Japan Cup, whereas Kota Ibushi, limping around the ring in an emotional display of celebration - with a damaged leg - was on his way to the finals of the New Japan Cup tournament to meet either "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada or "the Machine Gun" Karl Anderson.
4. NEW JAPAN CUP 2015 SEMI-FINAL MATCHKARL ANDERSON w/Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall vs KAZUCHIKA OKADA w/Gedo With one semi-final round remaining, this was going to be the decider to see who would go to the finals later tonight, tasked with the objective of taking on the "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi for the 2015 New Japan Cup victory. On one hand, "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada, the proclaimed "Ace of the New Era" has made his intentions clear that he wants to become the leader of the next generation in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and desperately wants to avenge his loss in the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 9, when he was defeated by long-time rival, Hiroshi Tanahashi. That in mind, Okada had come into this tournament with intentions of winning, and hopefully going on to challenge Tanahashi with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line at Invasion Attack on April 5. But first, after bypassing Satoshi Kojima and Togi Makabe, he needed to get past Karl Anderson, and then Kota Ibushi in order to win the tournament. Okada already has a resumé of success in tournament thrones, winning the 2013 New Japan Cup and going on to beat Tanahashi at Invasion Attack of that year - as well as of course winning the 2014 G1 Climax. Meanwhile, "the Machine Gun" Karl Anderson is a threat to Okada - one of the leaders of the villainous Bullet Club, sure to be up to no good as Anderson dangerously nears winning the New Japan Cup after beating YOSHI-HASHI and Katsuyori Shibata to get here. The Biz Cliz's hopes of dominating New Japan could be realized if they were to win this tournament - however Anderson, in his seven year tenure in NJPW has never won a singles tournament. Another note to add is that Okada, who also won the 2012 G1 Climax, beat "the Machine Gun" to reach the finals of that year - something that Anderson has since taken pride in - but surely wants to return the favor in this tournament bout. Andrson came to the ring with guns blazing, accompanied by not only tag partner Doc Gallows, but also Yujiro Takahashi and Cody Hall - sure to make Kazuchika Okada truly fight for survival. That said, "Rainmaker" made his way down to the ring with Gedo on his side, Okada not visibly phased by the sight of Anderson having backup. "Rainmaker" posed towards Karl Anderson, Kazuchika challenging the "Machine Gun" to bring his A-game in this prestigious semi-final bout, whilst Gallows, Takahashi and Hall barked from Anderson's corner. The match-up began with Anderson and Okada locking up; Okada initially getting in some offense in wrenching the arm and managing to bring Anderson down to the mat with an arm vice, until Karl was able to technically bring his way back to a vertical basis, arm dragging Okada and coming back up for a face off. Anderson and Okada tied up again, with "the Machine Gun" this time kicking Okada in the solar plexus, then clubbing on the back of Okada. Karl with a big forearm, Okada responded with one of his own, before Anderson bounced off the ropes and came back for a lariat - Okada ducking it, and Anderson almost wound up getting dropkicked just to latch onto the ring ropes and bail out to the floor! Hiroshima Sun Plaza booed this, as Anderson tried to talk strategy with the Bullet Club; but Okada busted out a rare somersault topé over the top onto the Biz Cliz members, Okada fuelled and ready to go at it with "the Machine Gun"! Okada sent Takahashi into Cody Hall head-first, before grabbing Anderson and rolling him back inside - just for Okada to then walk into a big boot from Doc Gallows; the referee not noticing as he checked on Anderson in the ring! Hall dragged Okada back inside, where Anderson covered for a near fall! The Bullet Club, ever known for shortcuts, wanted Anderson to win and go on to the finals, which Anderson demonstated as he cornered Okada and began to stomp away at the former two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Anderson charged Okada for a bicycle kick attempt, but Okada dodged it and managed to get Anderson on his shoulders, attempting the Heavy Rain - but Anderson slipped out, attempting a neckbreaker just for Okada to block that and attempt a flapjack, but Anderson turned it into a sunset flip; Anderson rolling backwards onto his feet and stomping Okada right on top of his head! "The Machine Gun" taunted Okada with the machine gun pose, as Anderson connected with an uppercut rocking Okada, before chopping him into the corner again. Anderson connected with a running dropkick knocking Okada down, before a suplex connected allowing Anderson a two count, not enough to put Okada away. "The Machine Gun" applied a sleeper hold, with Okada stunned from the offense executed by his opponent; and Okada appeared to be in a dangerous state of consciousness, until at least managing to reach his feet, backpacking Anderson and running him head-first into the corner! Okada, slow to his feet again, got back up and sent Anderson off the ropes - Karl ducking a back elbow attempt from Okada, but walked right into the dropkick stunning him! Anderson was dazed after being caught off-guard, but Okada was quick to his feet, attempting the Rainmaker Lariat, just for Cody Hall to get on the apron to distract the referee - Gallows coming in with a big lariat to Okada! Anderson fell on top of Okada whilst Gallows slid out of the ring unnoticed - Anderson covering Okada for another near fall in this bout! Anderson was slower to his feet this time, as he picked Okada up and raked the eyes, whilst Gedo shouted orders to Okada in an attempt to revive his groggy protegé. Anderson attempted a powerbomb, getting Okada on his shoulders for it, but Okada managed to get out of it, before drilling Anderson with a big DDT! Okada was getting back into this match, Okada slowly rising to his feet before attempted the D.I.D. submission hold - Anderson trying with all of his might to block it, but it was locked in and "the Machine Gun" was in a dangerous situation, Deep In Debt applied successfully! Okada applied it with all of his might, trying to get Anderson to tap out, as Cody Hall on the outside attempted to push the ropes closer to Anderson as he neared them, before Karl finally reached the bottom rope! "Rainmaker" decided that although Anderson had proven vigilant and defiant from the D.I.D. however, that it was time he try something else - which is when he dragged Anderson back into the centre and attempted the Red Ink cross-legged STF - but Anderson managed to block it and poked the eyes of Okada to get him off! Anderson then got up and connected with a neckbreaker, covering for a near fall again, the Biz Cliz apparently frustrated with Okada refusing to stay down. "The Machine Gun" had had enough, signalling for the Gun Stun and mocking Okada's Rainmaker trademark pose - Anderson waiting for Okada to rise up, just for Okada to shove Anderson off of the cutter attempt - Okada with a dropkick to the back of Anderson sending him through the ropes onto the apron! Okada hooked the head of "the Machine Gun", draping him over the second rope, before executing a big draping DDT, Okada covering for a near fall! "Rainmaker" then picked Anderson up and snapmared him, charging the ropes and connecting with a sliding dropkick; the CHAOS member covering again just for Anderson to kick out! "The Machine Gun" was not going down without a fight either, as Okada got Anderson on his shoulders again for the Heavy Rain - but Anderson managed to slip out and connect with the Gun Stun! Anderson was slow to cover, and that hesitation may have saved Okada, who powered out at two! Anderson in disbelief, he decided to try another variation of the Gun Stun, placing Okada on his shoulders for it, but Okada slipped out behind Karl, then connecting with a huge Rainmaker Lariat! Okada hooked the legs, but at the count of two, Hall dragged the referee out onto the floor! The referee reprimanded Hall, whilst inside the ring, Gallows snook in and connected with the Hangman's Noose double handed chokebomb! Gallows slid out of the ring again, whilst Anderson slowly rolled over to cover, just for Okada to miraculously kick out! Despite the desperate interference, Okada was not staying down in this match! Anderson got back to his feet and placed Okada on his shoulders, trying for the Swivel Gun Stun, but Okada managed to slide out and connect with the Heavy Rain! Without a moment of breathe, Okada then got back up and drilled Anderson with a big tombstone piledriver, covering again for a two count! Okada got back to his feet and attempted the Rainmaker Lariat one more time, but this time Yujiro Takahashi got on the apron and distracted the referee - Gedo this time grabbing Takahashi's foot and snapping him off the apron! Anderson ducked the lariat, before attempting the Gun Stun; Okada blocking it and trying again for the Rainmaker Lariat, but Anderson ducked and got Okada on his shoulders - the Swivel Gun Stun connecting, with Anderson managing to pull off a big, unexpected win!
Winner: Karl Anderson in 15:22 [***½]
"The Machine Gun" had done what was thought to be impossible - knocking off a win against "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada in this hard-fought semi-final bout. Karl Anderson posed for the fans, who were slightly taken aback by Okada's defeat here, but it was most definitely in part thanks to the involvement of Anderson's cronies, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi and Cody Hall from the Bullet Club - in trying to cost Kazuchika Okada this match. Okada appeared devastated after the match, and tried to get into it with the mocking Biz Cliz boys, but Gedo managed to restrain him...for now.
Anderson continued to celebrate, now going on to the finals later on tonight to face Kota Ibushi - and both men have endured hard semi-final bouts with Anderson being knocked in the head repeatedly, and Ibushi going into the finals with a bad leg - but the finals were set, and we were about to see who would be the winner of the New Japan Cup 2015!
- FIFTEEN MINUTE INTERMISSION - Kimihiko Ozaki announced the mid-show intermission. This allowed Jushin Thunder Liger, Shinpei Nogami and Milano Collection A.T. to discuss the New Japan Cup as it reached the finals, with Kota Ibushi and Karl Anderson both advancing to the final match in tonight's main event after defeating Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada respectively in the semi-final round. They also discussed the Bullet Club costing Okada the prestigious tournament moments ago.
5. BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale) w/Cody Hall def. Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) in 12:14 in a non-title match after the Bad Luck Fall by Fale on Shibata. Cody Hall attempted to get involved in the match in mid-progress, just for Shibata or Goto to keep attacking the Young Lion. Tonga and Fale taunted Shibata and Goto after the match, this win allowing them a future shot at the IWGP Tag Team Championships.
6. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura & Kazushi Sakuraba) def. G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) in 13:06 after the Bomaye by Nakamura on Honma.
7. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) def. BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall) in 10:17 after the sliding lariat by Ishii on Hall. After the match, the Bullet Club tried to attack CHAOS, just for Kazuchika Okada to run down to the ring and chase away the Bullet Club with a steel chair.
8. NEW JAPAN CUP 2015 FINALS MATCH KOTA IBUSHI vs KARL ANDERSON w/Doc Gallows, Tama Tonga & Bad Luck FaleThe final stage of the tournament was upon us - as the "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi had approached the finals of the 2015 New Japan Cup, something that he has waited for since graduating from the junior heavyweight weight class and beginning to make it on his own in the heavyweight ranks - something he has been uneventful in doing up to this point. After being a three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, as well as winning the Best of Super Juniors in 2011, Kota Ibushi decided to try and step up his game last October upon his contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling extending - the "Golden Star" beginning by challenging and almost taking Shinsuke Nakamura to the limit in a match for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship back at Wrestle Kingdom 9. Now, after defeating Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale and Tetsuya Naito, Ibushi was here in the finals - limping down to the ring after already enduring a hard fought encounter against Naito in the semi-finals earlier tonight - definitely not looking 100% in his second match of the night. On the contrary, the "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson, a part of the illustrious Bullet Club faction, came in looking well, although perhaps not at the best condition after a battle with Kazuchika Okada in the semi-finals - Anderson having cheated his way to this stage, and he wandered down to the ring accompanied by Biz Cliz members - as expected - this time Doc Gallows, and the two men that defeated the IWGP Tag Team Champions Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto earlier tonight; Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale. Anderson appeared arrogant as he stepped inside the ring - ring announcer Kimihiko Ozaki doing formal in-ring introductions for the final match of this tournament.
The "Machine Gun" locked up with the "Golden Star", with Karl Anderson quickly overpowering the much smaller Kota Ibushi - Ibushi, at best, being 200lbs, whereas Anderson at 240lbs. Anderson immediately tried to go after the leg of Kota that was worked over in the semi-final round against Tetsuya Naito, but Kota managed to block Anderson's attempt, connecting with an enzuigiri! Ibushi quick to his feet, trying to ignore the pain and refuse to show weakness, as he laid into Anderson with several kicks to the legs of Anderson, before running off of the ropes just for Tama Tonga to trip the "Golden Star"! Ibushi was down, and whilst Bad Luck Fale, Tonga and Doc Gallows tried to look nonchalent in doing so, Red Shoes Unno spotted this interference, and therefore exiled the Biz Cliz members from ringside! "The Underboss", the "Bad Boy" and "the Outlaw" were out of there, and Karl Anderson was furious about it, getting in the referee's face! The Bullet Club members were eventually escorted out of the ringside area by two more referees, while back inside of the ring, the distraction almost cost Anderson the match, as Kota rolled Anderson up for a near fall! Ibushi continued his offense with a series of forearms, before Anderson tried to fight him off by kicking the leg - the "Machine Gun" delivering two or three forearms to the face - just for Ibushi to come back with an open hand slap, followed by a spinkick to the abdomen, but Anderson began to rake the eyes of Ibushi, drawing boos from the disapproving Hiroshima crowd! Anderson cornered Ibushi and mounted him on the second rope, then biting the forehead of Ibushi to more boos - since Anderson's Bullet Club teammates weren't around, he was going to go to further extents in order to try and win this bout. Anderson followed up with a big boot in the corner, before drilling the "Golden Star" with an uppercut! Anderson whipped Ibushi across the ring to the other corner, but Kota managed to go up to the top rope, and come off with a big dropkick, taking Anderson down, but Ibushi was right back to doing what he did earlier, favoring his injured leg!
"The Golden Star" was down and unable to follow up, and ironically Karl Anderson was first to his feet - Anderson connecting with a big elbow drop into the leg, before grapevining the leg and attempting a modified Indian deathlock - very similar to Tetsuya Naito earlier on tonight. Ibushi was continuing to struggle, but made the bottom rope to make the submission attempt. Anderson was obviously trying to slow Kota down even more than before, with Karl picking up the leg and stomping away at it, then covering again for a close attempt! Anderson was twisting and torting the leg of Kota Ibushi, but Ibushi eventually managed to fight back, as Karl mistimed a big boot attempt to the cornered Ibushi - the "Golden Star" catching Karl with a big kick to the side of Anderson's head - Ibushi following up with a scoop sideslam - Ibushi going up to the top rope and attempting a moonsault, but Anderson rolled out of the way - Ibushi managing to land on his feet, but dropped to the mat in pain from his leg! It appeared that Ibushi was trying to land on his feet and attempt a standing moonsault as we have seen in the past from the "Golden Star", but the damage had been done to his leg, and Anderson was fast to capitalize, connecting with a spinning spinebuster! Anderson covered, but Kota managed to kick out at two! Ibushi had a lot of Fighting Spirit in this high times match up, an opportunity for Kota to make it big and win the 2015 New Japan Cup! Anderson slowly picked Ibushi up to his feet and body slammed him, following up with a further knee drop to the leg of his weakened opponent - Anderson now realizing that he had Kota essentially where he wanted him, and Anderson with that, set up for the big boot - but Kota sidestepped it and kicked Anderson right in the back of the leg - Ibushi with a reverse hurricanrana dropping Anderson right on top of his head! Kota covered Karl, but Anderson kicked out on two! Kota limped to his feet where he met Anderson with a big open hand slap, attempting a kick combination - but Anderson kitchen sink kneed Kota in the gut, then nailed him with a chop, followed by an uppercut - but Ibushi dodged a forearm, nailing one of his own - then a spinkick to the solar plexus, and Ibushi nailed a big crane stomp to the back of Karl's head, following with a roundhouse kick laying Karl Anderson down on the mat - Ibushi coming out of nowhere with a standing shooting star press - the cover only scoring a two count!
"The Golden Star" was putting on the performance of a lifetime in this tournament final match, Kota Ibushi desperately wanting the 2015 New Japan Cup in his grasp after coming so far - defeating two Bullet Club muscles and the 2013 G1 Climax winner in Tetsuya Naito to get here, remorseless and hungry for beating Anderson in the finals tonight! Ibushi slowly recovered and got back to his feet, getting Anderson up for a powerbomb, but he managed to pull off the elevated sit-out powerbomb, covering Anderson, but again Anderson managed to fire out at two! Karl tried to roll out of the way of Ibushi, as Kota decided one more time to go up to the top rope, just for Anderson to cut him off! Kota and Karl battled it out on the second rope, trading forearms, but Anderson eventually fell off - Kota immediately coming off of the top rope with the Golden Star Press! Kota Ibushi covered, but Karl Anderson was not staying down, powering out at two! Anderson had shied away from Kota's victory attempt, and the Hiroshima Sun Plaza was in disbelief - as was Ibushi! Anderson tried to recover when Kota set up for another big kick - Anderson blocking it suddenly and following up with the fisherman buster right across the knee! Anderson picked Ibushi's carcass up and got him on his shoulders - connecting with the Swivel Gun Stun cutter! Anderson hooked the leg, but Ibushi managed to kick out this time! Ibushi was holding his leg in pain, but was not letting Anderson steal this tournament, not like this! Karl rolled out to the apron, then tried to climb the ropes, but Kota was up and delivered a big right hand to the jaw of Anderson, just for Anderson to respond with an uppercut of his own - Anderson flipping over the top rope and right into a big kick to the chest, Ibushi covering Anderson, but Karl kicked out one more time! Ibushi and Anderson meeting in a stalemate, slowly got to their feet - where Anderson delivered a high knee to the face of Kota, but Kota came back with a spinning backfist - Ibushi spinkicking and attempt to go low on Karl - but Anderson came off the ropes, nailing Ibushi with a huge lariat, covering for a near fall again! Anderson had just about had enough of Kota Ibushi, as he got up and stalked his prey - going for the Gun Stun, just for Ibushi to shove him off into the ropes, and a hurricanrana followed!
Kota on the warpath, the "Golden Star" as he held his leg before trying to ignore the pain - Ibushi picking Anderson up and dropping him with the bridging Dragon suplex - the shoulders down, but Anderson powered out and rolled out to the apron! Anderson was trying to get away from Ibushi at this point, but Ibushi, in perhaps one of his last ounces of agility left in his leg, bounced off the ropes, jumped over the top rope onto Anderson's shoulders, and connected with a huge hurricanrana, the carnage spilling out onto the floor! Both men were down, but neither responded for several moments - Anderson eventually able to drag himself back into the ring, but for Kota it did not look so good, as Ibushi was clutching his leg - Red Shoes Unno counting Kota out - and despite his best efforts, Ibushi was struggling to even stand on his leg! Thankfully at the count of nineteen, Kota was able to slide back into the ring, breaking the count! Anderson was waiting though, as he scooped Ibushi up and connected with a sit-out powerbomb, covering for another near fall! Anderson was so frustrated at this point, as he decided to set up for the Bernard Driver belly-to-belly piledriver - a tribute to his best friend, Giant Bernard, rarely done by Karl. Anderson got Kota on his shoulder for it, but Ibushi slid onto his good foot, before catching Anderson with a leaping enzuigiri! Kota rolled out to the apron, where he used the top rope as an assist to return to his feet. Ibushi performed an exhilarating springboard 450 splash, but Anderson managed to get his knees up at the last second - Anderson, as quick as a cat, picking Ibushi up and dropping him with the Swivel Gun Stun, covering Kota Ibushi, but Karl Anderson had done it!
Winner: Karl Anderson in 20:13 [****¼] ***TITLE CHANGE*** "The Machine Gun" had managed to win the 2015 New Japan Cup, and the Hiroshima Sun Plaza were actually applauding Karl Anderson on such an exhausting fight in this main event final round war! Anderson almost couldn't believe it either - finally, after seven long years in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Karl Anderson had won a singles tournament! But you had to believe it was not all by himself, after defeating YOSHI-HASHI, Katsuyori Shibata and Kazuchika Okada by controversial measures with assists from his Bullet Club allies in order to get here! Kota Ibushi was down and hurting, but Anderson was up on his feet, the "Machine Gun" posing for the Hiroshima Sun Plaza!
Confetti fell, as Kimihiko Ozaki announced Anderson as the victor, the "Machine Gun" joined by various Bushiroad representatives, who handed Anderson a cheque for ¥5 million, Anderson victorious in also receiving the New Japan Cup trophy itself, Anderson posing with it and taunting with the Machine Gun fire pose, as all members of the Bullet Club soon stepped into the ring, including Doc Gallows, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Yujiro Takahashi and Cody Hall. Anderson with the microphone in hand talked about this marking the first day of the rest of New Japan's life, declaring that the Bullet Club was taking over the professional wrestling world - now that he was the New Japan Cup winner, he would be challenging Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Invasion Attack - where he would win the belt, and take New Japan into the Bullet Club era! He said that Biz Cliz is for life, and that he had faith in "the Bad Boy" Tama Tonga and "Underboss" Bad Luck Fale claiming the IWGP Tag Team Championship after their win against Meiyu Tag earlier tonight, and that in the future, more Biz Cliz members would join them, that they would be the elite of professional wrestling, and it was only a matter of time!
Anderson continued the celebration with a collective 2Sweet in the ring with his allies, when Hiroshi Tanahashi suddenly came out to the ring, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion climbing onto the apron, where the "Once in a Century Talent" faced off with Anderson defiantly, despite Anderson being backed by his Biz Cliz troops! Tanahashi warned Anderson not to mess with him - the proclaimed-by-many "Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling" - but Anderson shrugged it off, telling Tanahashi that he would see him on April 5 at Invasion Attack!
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Post by DTP. on Mar 1, 2016 11:13:04 GMT -5
| WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER March 16, 2015 by Dave Meltzer |
NEW JAPAN CUP FINALS Thumbs Up 18
Thumbs Down 0
In the Middle 0
The main event for the 4/5 Invasion Attack show was confirmed on 3/15 when Karl Anderson defeated Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi in a surprising result during the finals of the 2015 New Japan Cup tournament and revealed that he would go on to challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Many anticipated that Okada or Ibushi would win the tournament, given their potential leading into 2015. For Okada, the motivation would have been that he would be looking at getting back his title against the man that beat him and made him cry at the Tokyo Dome show in January. For Ibushi, almost like a motivational quest to solidify himself as a heavyweight. Instead, Anderson will be the man to face Tanahashi in the main event with the idea being that Anderson represents the Bullet Club in their domination of New Japan. Anderson has never won the IWGP Heavyweight title and has mainly worked as a tag team wrestler in his seven year tenure in the promotion - however he is very talented, and has proven so in singles tournaments such as the G1 Climax, as well as this tournament in recent weeks.
The full card for Invasion Attack should be announced in the next week one would think. The tour leading into the 4/5 card begins on 3/22, with shows running in Nagoya, Amagasaki City (which has Jushin Liger vs Tiger Mask for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship), Takoaka, Nagano, Fujisan, and Hamamatsu prior to Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo on 4/5. Gaijins included on the tour include A.J. Styles, Michael Bennett, Matt Taven, Maria Kanellis, Bobby Fish, Kyle O'Reilly, Rocky Romero, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga, Kenny Omega, among others. None of the lead-in shows to Invasion Attack will be aired on New Japan World, excluding the 3/29 show in Hamamatsu, which is the final stop on the tour before 4/5.
Hiroshi Tanahashi worked minor matches on the New Japan Cup, either in tags or with Young Lions, and did not do much, which seems to indicate that he is wrestling hurt and trying to recover at the same time.
An update on KUSHIDA's broken hand from last week - he continued to work the New Japan Cup tour, but didn't do much after his injury on March 6. He is not booked for the Invasion Attack tour at this time, but things could change. It is known that he is trying to rehab the hand before the Best of Super Juniors tournament in late May.
New Japan Pro Wrestling legend Tatsumi Fujinami, 62 was revealed earlier this week to be the next inductee into the WWE's class of 2015 Hall of Fame. Fujinami wrestled for New Japan from 1972 (when the promotion was founded) until 1999 when he began decreasing his role. During that time, Fujinami held the IWGP Heavyweight Championship six times, the IWGP Tag Team Championship five times, the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (after a controversial angle with Ric Flair that subsequently lead to the split between WCW/NWA), and the WWWF Junior Heavyweight Championship (back in the 1980s that went almost unrecognized completely by the WWF). He was also voted by Observer readers as the Best Technical Wrestler in 1985, 1986 and 1988), Most Outstanding Wrestler (1988) and was voted into the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame class of 1996. He won two Best Bouts in years 1983 and 1986, won the Outstanding Performance Award four different years of the 1980s, and the MVP Award as well, as voted by Tokyo Sports.
In Pro Wrestling NOAH, Minoru Suzuki captured the GHC Heavyweight Championship from Naomichi Marufuji, in the midst of the Suzuki-gun faction's "invasion" of the promotion on 3/15 in Ariake Colosseum. This is Jado's first big challenge as the booker for the promotion, essentially booking NOAH as New Japan's sidekick in the sense that he's showcasing the stars of NOAH, as well as the Suzuki-gun faction, whilst also using certain New Japan stars for bigger shows. Taichi, also of Suzuki-gun, captured the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship from Atsushi Kotoge, TAKA Michinoku and El Desperado won the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Kenou & Haijime Ohara and Daisuke Harada & Genba Hirayanagi in a three-way, and the Killer Elite Squad retained the GHC Tag Team Championship against TMDK, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls. Essentially cementing Suzuki-gun's domination of NOAH. The first show under Jado's regime drew an announced 6,300, although it was more along the lines of 4,500.
This win for Suzuki means that he is the first man to win the King of Pancrase Championship, the Triple Crown, and now the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 1, 2016 12:29:20 GMT -5
| PRO WRESTLING NOAH SPOTLIGHT |
NOAH GREAT VOYAGE in TOKYO 2015 Sunday, March 15, 2015 - Ariake Colosseum - Koto, Tokyo
5. Takashi Sugiura & Masato Tanaka def. Suzuki-gun (Shelton X Benjamin & Takashi Iizuka) in 16:34 after the Olympic Qualifying Slam by Sugiura on Iizuka.
6. Suzuki-gun (TAKA Michinoku & El Desperado) def. Kenou & Haijime Ohara (c) and Daisuke Harada & Genba Hirayanagi in 10:02 to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships in a three-way tag team match after the diving body press by Desperado on Hirayanagi. ***NEW CHAMPIONS***
7. Taichi def. Atsushi Kotoge in 18:57 to win the GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship after the Black Mephisto. ***NEW CHAMPION***
8. Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr) def. The Mighty Don't Kneel (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) in 15:45 to retain the GHC Tag Team Championships after the Killer Bomb on Nicholls.
9. Naomichi Marufuji def. TAKA Michinoku in 10:22 after the Shiranui. After the bell, Minoru Suzuki attacked Marufuji and challenged him for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
10. Minoru Suzuki def. Naomichi Marufuji in 23:44 to win the GHC Heavyweight Championship after the Gotch-style Piledriver. As a result of this match, Suzuki-gun as a faction now own all championships in Pro Wrestling NOAH. Following the match, all of the NOAH talent came out to confront Suzuki-gun. ***NEW CHAMPION***
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Post by DTP. on Mar 1, 2016 14:28:58 GMT -5
| NJPW ROAD TO INVASION ATTACK 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015 - International Conference Hall - Nagoya, Aichi Sunday, March 22, 2015 - Memorial Park Gymnasium - Amagasaki, Hyogo Monday, March 23, 2015 - Takoaka Techno Dome - Takaoka, Toyama |
Day 1 - Nagoya International Conference Hall - Aichi, Japan (March 21)
1. The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) def. Jay White & Sho Tanaka in 8:24 after the Indytaker on Tanaka.
2. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi def. TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) in 10:03 after the Backdrop Driver by Nagata on Kojima. The four shook hands after the match.
3. ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly), Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada def. Tiger Mask, Rocky Romero, Yohei Komatsu & Ryusuke Taguchi in 10:12 after the Chasing the Dragon by Fish and O'Reilly on Taguchi. After the match, Romero attacked Taguchi, frustrated in his ongoing quest at finding a new tag team partner. Meanwhile Liger and Tiger Mask had a staredown, setting up for tomorrow's title match in Amagasaki.
4. Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) & Alex Shelley def. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Kenny Omega) in 11:22 after the Go To Penalty Kick by Shibata on Tonga. Kenny Omega and Alex Shelley got into a staredown after the match.
5. Tetsuya Naito, Togi Makabe & The Kingdom (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven) w/Maria Kanellis def. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) in 12:31 after the King Kong Knee Drop by Makabe on Ishii. After the match, Makabe challenged Ishii to a rematch for the NEVER Openweight Championship at Invasion Attack on 4/5. Ishii accepted and a small brawl broke out.
6. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Gedo) def. BULLET CLUB (Cody Hall & Doc Gallows) in 9:32 after the Rainmaker Lariat by Okada to Hall. Okada and Gedo got on the microphone after the match, vowing victory on the Bullet Club after costing Okada the New Japan Cup.
7. BULLET CLUB (A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson & Yujiro Takahashi def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Captain New Japan & Kota Ibushi in 16:24 after the Styles Clash by A.J. on New Japan. Anderson taunted Tanahashi after the match.
Day 2 - Amagasaki Memorial Park Gymnasium - Hyogo, Japan (March 22)
1. Toru Yano def. Sho Tanaka in 5:48 after the Akaikira roll-up.
2. ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly), Jay White & Ryusuke Taguchi def. TenCozy (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan), Yohei Komatsu & Manabu Nakanishi in 8:59 after the Funky Weapon sliding hip attack by Taguchi on Komatsu.
3. BULLET CLUB (Kenny Omega, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) def. Alex Shelley, Rocky Romero & Máscara Dorada in 11:36 after the One-Winged Angel by Omega on Dorada. Romero left on his own after the match, discouraged by the idea of teaming with Shelley and Dorada.
4. Tiger Mask def. Jushin Thunder Liger in 14:31 to win the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship after the Diving Headbutt. ***NEW CHAMPION***
5. BULLET CLUB (A.J. Styles, Doc Gallows, Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi) def. Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata & The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Michael Bennett) in 11:21 after the Styles Clash on Taven. Kota Ibushi nailed A.J. with a spinkick after the match, aggravating Styles.
6. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito & Captain New Japan def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii) in 11:43 after the Pluma Blancha by Naito on Nakamura. Naito celebrated crazily after the match, whilst Shinsuke Nakamura appeared unimpressed by the loss. 7. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) def. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga) in 17:23 after the High Fly Flow by Tanahashi on Tonga. After the match, a brawl broke out, before ending with Tanahashi taunted Anderson.
Day 3 - Takoaka Techno Dome - Toyama, Japan (March 23)
1. Ryusuke Taguchi def. Jay White in 7:38 after the Dodon chickenwing facebuster.
2. The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Michael Bennett) & Yohei Komatsu def. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Sho Tanaka in 8:03 after the Hail Mary spike piledriver by the Kingdom on Tanaka.
3. Tetsuya Naito & ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) def. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura & Rocky Romero) & Tiger Mask in 12:31 after the Chasing the Dragon on Tiger Mask. Rocky Romero attacked Tiger Mask after the match, the quest for a new tag team partner continuing.
4. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) def. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata), Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada in 14:20 after the Bad Luck Fall by Fale on Goto. The Bullet Club posed with the IWGP Tag Team Championships after the match.
5. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & Gedo) def. Togi Makabe & TenCozy (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan) in 13:44 after the sliding lariat by Ishii on Tenzan. Ishii and Makabe brawled further after the match.
6. BULLET CLUB (Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi) def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) in 9:23 after the Bukko Nuki German by Takahashi on YOSHI-HASHI. Bullet Club bailed after the match to escape the wrath of Okada. 7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Captain New Japan & Alex Shelley def. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, A.J. Styles, Doc Gallows & Kenny Omega) in 18:25 after the WA4 by Shelley on Omega. Styles and Ibushi brawled after the match with Ibushi being jumped by Anderson and Gallows. Tanahashi, Captain New Japan and Alex Shelley made the save, running the Bullet Club away.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 3, 2016 3:29:21 GMT -5
| WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER March 23, 2015 by Dave Meltzer |
NEW JAPAN CUP FINALS Thumbs Up 59
Thumbs Down 0
In the Middle 1
The next show to be broadcast on New Japan World will be on 3/29 for the second to final show leading up to Invasion Attack.
Held in Act City, Hamamatsu, the show has A.J. Styles & Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale vs Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi & Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI vs Yujiro Takahashi & Doc Gallows, Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano & Rocky Romero & "X" vs Togi Makabe & Tetsuya Naito & Yuji Nagata & Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly (it is believed that Romero's tag partner will be announced officially here), Matt Taven & Michael Bennett & Manabu Nakanishi vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Yohei Komatsu, Kenny Omega & Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson & Cody Hall vs Alex Shelley & Sho Tanaka & Jushin Thunder Liger & Mascara Dorada and Tiger Mask vs Jay White
New Japan World's schedule for April has the final lead-in show on 4/2 at Korakuen Hall, Invasion Attack on 4/5, Korakuen Hall on 4/27, and 4/29 in Kumamoto.
The full card for Invasion Attack was announced on Tuesday. Held on 4/5 from Ryogoku Kokugikan, the show has Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Karl Anderson for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Kota Ibushi vs A.J. Styles, Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto vs Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, Doc Gallows & Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall vs Kazuchika Okada & Yoshi-Hashi & Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii vs Togi Makabe for the NEVER Openweight Championship, Kenny Omega vs Alex Shelley for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Shinsuke Nakamura & Rocky Romero & "X" vs Tetsuya Naito & Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish, Mascara Dorada & Jushin Thunder Liger vs Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson, Matt Taven & Michael Bennett vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & Sho Tanaka & Tiger Mask vs Jay White & Captain New Japan & Ryusuke Taguchi & Yohei Komatsu.
At the conclusion of a Mask vs Mask match at the Arena Mexico for a CMLL event, Kamaitachi lost to Dragon Lee and was unmasked, where he revealed to the crowd that his name was Hiromu Takahashi, 25, a former New Japan Pro Wrestling young lion. This was known to most prior to the unmasking, however New Japan played it up as a big fact. There are rumors that New Japan will be bringing Kamaitachi back for the Best of the Super Juniors tournament this May.
Talks with Samoa Joe have continued with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Joe, who has spent the last nine years with TNA Wrestling, left the promotion back in January and has been working the indies ever since. He has competed for Ring of Honor recently, which has a working relationship with New Japan, and could wind up having some interesting matches if he remains with ROH in May for the New Japan North American/Canadian tour. That said, Joe is also targeted by the WWE, whilst New Japan is also pursuing him simultaneously.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 3, 2016 3:31:09 GMT -5
| NJPW INVASION ATTACK 2015 Sunday, April 5, 2015 - Ryogoku Kokugikan - Sumida, Tokyo |
champion
"Once in a Century Talent" Hiroshi Tanahashi | IWGP Heavyweight Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | "The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson(BULLET CLUB) |
| Special Singles Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | | champions
"Meiyu Tag" Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto | IWGP Tag Team Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | challengers "BULLET CLUB" Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale
(BULLET CLUB)
| "CHAOS"
Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI and Toru Yano
(CHAOS) | Special 6-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | "BULLET CLUB" Doc Gallows, Cody Hall and Yujiro Takahashi
(BULLET CLUB) | champion "Stone Pitbull"
| NEVER Openweight Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | challenger "Bousou Kingkong" Togi Makabe
(G.B.H.)
| champion "The Cleaner" Kenny Omega
(BULLET CLUB) | IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit]
| challenger "Made in Detroit" Alex Shelley
| "CHAOS" Shinsuke Nakamura, Rocky Romero and "X"
(CHAOS)
| Special 6-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Tetsuya Naito, Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly
| "The Young Bucks" Nick Jackson and Matt Jackson
(BULLET CLUB)
| Special Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Jushin Thunder Liger and Máscara Dorada
| "TenCozy" Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan
| Special Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | "The Kingdom" Michael Bennett and Matt Taven
| Ryusuke Taguchi, Jay White, Captain New Japan and Yohei Komatsu
| Special 6-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Sho Tanaka and Tiger Mask
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Post by DTP. on Mar 3, 2016 4:31:33 GMT -5
| NJPW ROAD TO INVASION ATTACK 2015
Thursday, March 26, 2015 - Movement Park Gymnasium - Nagano, Nagano Saturday, March 28, 2015 - Fujisan Messe - Fujisan, Shizuoka Sunday, March 29, 2015 - Act City Hamamatsu - Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
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Day 4 - Nagano Movement Park Gymnasium - Nagano, Japan (March 26)
1. TenCozy (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan) def. Tiger Mask & Jay White in 7:35 after the Cozy Cutter by Kojima on White.
2. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura & Rocky Romero) & Sho Tanaka def. Tetsuya Naito, Ryusuke Taguchi & Yohei Komatsu in 8:15 after the Bomaye by Nakamura to Komatsu. Rocky Romero drilled Sho Tanaka with the Gargoyle after the match, disapproving of this particular tag team partner.
3. Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) & Alex Shelley def. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Kenny Omega) in 11:22 after the Go To Penalty Kick by Shibata on Tonga. Kenny Omega and Alex Shelley got into a staredown after the match.
4. Togi Makabe, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata def. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Gedo & Toru Yano) in 9:15 after the King Kong Lariat by Makabe on Gedo.
5. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga) & The Kingdom (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven) def. Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) & ReDRagon (Kyle O'Reilly & Bobby Fish) in 11:29 after the Valeno by Tonga on Goto. Bullet Club brawled with Meiyu Tag after the match.
6. BULLET CLUB (A.J. Styles & The Young Bucks) def. Kota Ibushi, Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada in 12:26 after the superkick assisted Styles Clash by A.J. on Liger.
7. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) def. BULLET CLUB (Yujiro Takahashi & Cody Hall) in 10:13 after the Loose Explosion by YOSHI-HASHI on Hall.
8. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Alex Shelley & Captain New Japan def. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Kenny Omega & Doc Gallows) in 16:18 after the WA4 by Shelley on Omega. Karl Anderson brawled with Tanahashi after the match.
Day 5 - Fujisan Messe - Shizuoka, Japan (March 28)
1. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata def. Cody Hall & Jay White in 8:20 after the Argentine Backbreaker Rack by Nakanishi on Jay White. Cody Hall did not like teaming with Jay White.
2. The Kingdom (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven) & Sho Tanaka def. TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Yohei Komatsu in 8:12 after the Go Back to Japan Anaconda Vise by Bennett on Tenzan. Tenzan locked in an Anaconda Vice of his own after the match on Bennett.
3. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) def. Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi in 8:20 after the Ishii Driller on Taguchi. Ishii and Makabe brawled after the match.
4. Tetsuya Naito & ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) def. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura & Rocky Romero) & Tiger Mask in 10:29 after the Stardust Press by Naito on Tiger Mask. Rocky Romero walked out on Tiger Mask after the match. Naito and Nakamura had a staredown at one point.
5. Meiyu Tag (Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata), Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada def. BULLET CLUB (Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson, Bad Luck Fale & Tama Tonga) in 13:29 after the Dorada Screwdriver on Matt Jackson.
6. BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows & Yujiro Takahashi) def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano) in 10:13 after the Hangman's Noose by Gallows on Yano.
7. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, A.J. Styles & Kenny Omega) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Alex Shelley in 17:12 after the Gun Stun by Anderson on Shelley after a distraction from Omega. Omega and Kota Ibushi, former tag team partners, had a staredown at one point during the match.
Day 6 - Act City Hamamatsu - Shizuoka, Japan (March 29)
1. Tiger Mask def. Jay White in 7:11 after the Millenium Suplex.
2. TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) & Yohei Komatsu def. The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Michael Bennett) & Manabu Nakanishi in 9:25 after the Anaconda Vise by Tenzan on Bennett. Bennett also used the Go Back to Japan variation of the Anaconda Vise during the match on Tenzan.
3. BULLET CLUB (Kenny Omega, Cody Hall, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) def. Alex Shelley, Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada & Sho Tanaka in 12:38 after the One Winged Angel by Omega on Tanaka. A brawl pursued with Omega and the Young Bucks against Shelley, Liger and Dorada after the match.
4. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, Rocky Romero & Barretta) def. Togi Makabe, Tetsuya Naito, Yuji Nagata & ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) in 14:16 after the Dudebuster by Barretta on O'Reilly. Rocky Romero unveiled his official tag team partner as Barretta and celebrated with him after the match.
5. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI) def. BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows & Yujiro Takahashi) in 11:30 after the Rainmaker Lariat on Takahashi. Gallows attacked Okada with a steel chair after the match. 6. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, A.J. Styles, Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) in 16:03 after the Styles Clash followed by the Swivel Gun Stun by Anderson on Tanahashi. The Bullet Club gloated after the match, a possible sign of things to come at Invasion Attack.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 4, 2016 11:03:00 GMT -5
| WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER March 30, 2015 by Dave Meltzer |
The Invasion Attack show on 4/5 in Sumo Hall has sold out completely, making it the fastest sell-out for a non-G1 Climax or special show in the past decade. The PPV has Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Karl Anderson for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, A.J. Styles vs Kota Ibushi, Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto vs Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale for the IWGP Tag Team Championship, Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI vs Doc Gallows & Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi, Tomohiro Ishii vs Togi Makabe for the NEVER Openweight Championship, Kenny Omega vs Alex Shelley for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, Shinsuke Nakamura & Rocky Romero & Trent Barreta (who returned on 3/29 in Hamamatsu as Romero's new tag partner) vs Tetsuya Naito & Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly, Nick & Matt Jackson vs Mascara Dorada & Jushin Liger, Michael Bennett & Matt Taven vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi & Tiger Mask & Sho Tanaka vs Ryusuke Taguchi & Captain New Japan & Jay White & Yohei Komatsu
There is one more card between now and Invasion Attack on 4/2 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. This show will be broadcast on New Japan World. The show has Hiroshi Tanahashi & Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto & Mascara Dorada & Jushin Thunder Liger vs Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale & Nick & Matt Jackson, Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano vs Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi & Captain New Japan vs A.J. Styles & Doc Gallows, Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero & Trent Barretta vs Togi Makabe & Tetsuya Naito & Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima & Alex Shelley vs Michael Bennett & Matt Taven & Ryusuke Taguchi, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata vs Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu, and Jay White vs Cody Hall.
New Japan Pro Wrestling on AXS TV has been renewed for a second season officially. The current run of episodes concludes on 4/10 with a recap of the Yokohama Arena show from last year which had A.J. Styles beating Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. There will be a break, before the show returns on 5/22 for a second twelve-episode run which will conclude on 8/14. The series will run events from June through to August of 2014, concluding with the match of the year candidate G1 Climax 24 finals between Kazuchika Okada and Shinsuke Nakamura. Besides this, the emphasis will be on the 2014 Best of the Super Juniors and G1 Climax 24, to air almost simultaneously with the up-to-date 2015 product.
The money from Wrestle Kingdom 9 comes in this week, which was co-promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling and Global Force Wrestling. It will be known only this week how the pay-per-view did back on January 4, and have real numbers on the success rate of the show. It could lead to further specials down the line (something that GFW founder Jeff Jarrett has said recently is to bring together all of his business partner promotions for a series of supershows somewhere down the line), or squash the working relationship between NJPW and GFW. Everybody knows estimate buys for the show, but nothing will be known for sure until they come in. Said estimates have had strong first indications, in the sense that insiders have spoken about 14,000-15,000 buys from the show. This is overwhelming when you consider the fact that New Japan have promoted nothing via television and almost run a strict Internet business at this point. Not to mention the awkward time of broadcast in the United States and Canada. Win, lose or draw, this is a great success for a PPV that has been marketed strictly via the Internet. We hope to have more when the money comes through.
Because of tickets selling so well in the United States and Canada, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling has come to terms of bringing over seven New Japan stars for the tour this coming May. The tour, which includes a television taping and three supershows (two in the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, USA, and the other two shows in the Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto, Canada), has sold out very far in advance, and will feature Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, Kushida and booker Gedo - not to mention New Japan young lion on excursion, Takaaki Watanabe, and Bullet Club members A.J. Styles, the Young Bucks, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. ROH is expected to start publicly announcing these names in the coming days.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 4, 2016 11:20:06 GMT -5
| NJPW ROAD TO INVASION ATTACK 2015
Thursday, April 2, 2015 - Korakuen Hall - Bunkyō, Tokyo
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Day 7 - Korakuen Hall - Tokyo, Japan (April 2)
1. Cody Hall def. Jay White in 6:57 after the Razor's Edge.
2. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi def. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu in 7:06 after the Nagata Lock on Komatsu. The veteran complimented the Young Lions after the match.
3. The Kingdom (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven) & Ryusuke Taguchi def. TenCozy (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan) & Alex Shelley in 10:45 after the Dodon by Taguchi on Shelley after Kenny Omega came out and distracted his Invasion Attack opponent, Shelley.
4. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii, Rocky Romero & Barretta) def. Tetsuya Naito, Togi Makabe & ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly) in 13:23 after the Gargoyle by Romero on Fish. After the match, Romero and Barretta declared their team name to be 'Roppongi Vice'.
5. BULLET CLUB (A.J. Styles & Doc Gallows) def. Kota Ibushi & Captain New Japan in 8:20 after the Hangman's Noose by Gallows on Captain New Japan. A.J. and Kota brawled at ringside during the closing moments of the match. After the match, Styles delivered a Styles Clash to Kota, indicative of their upcoming match at Invasion Attack.
6. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano) def. BULLET CLUB (Yujiro Takahashi & Kenny Omega) in 12:31 by count-out after Yano tied Takahashi to the ringside barrier using rope.
7. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto), Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada in 18:12 after the Bad Luck Fall by Fale to Goto. After the match, a big brawl broke out between members of the Bullet Club, Tanahashi and Meiyu Tag with Tanahashi causing Anderson's faction to bail. Anderson got on the mic after the match and vowed that Bullet Club would make a clean sweep on April 5, where Anderson claimed he'd win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, Fale and Tonga would win the IWGP Tag Team Championship, and A.J. Styles would destroy Kota Ibushi.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 14, 2016 14:25:04 GMT -5
| NJPW INVASION ATTACK 2015Sunday, April 5, 2015 - Ryogoku Kokugikan - Sumida, Tokyo
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The opening video package aired, presenting us with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2015. Following this, a video package aired running down the line-up for this event, Invasion Attack being one of the biggest shows of the calendar year in New Japan.
The video package covered the background to each match, from Kota Ibushi and A.J. Styles' rivalry beginning back at the New Beginning in Sendai; to Karl Anderson winning the 2015 New Japan Cup and vowing to win Hiroshi Tanahashi's IWGP Heavyweight Championship; to Bullet Club declaring war on CHAOS by assaulting YOSHI-HASHI, a series of battles following the way; to Rocky Romero unveiling his official tag team partner as Barretta, and that their team name is 'Roppongi Vice'; to the Kingdom's feud with TenCozy as displayed on the Road to Invasion Attack tour; from Alex Shelley pinning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega in a tag team bout; to Tomohiro Ishii and Togi Makabe brawling continuously; and the roots of a feud brewing between Shinsuke Nakamura and Tetsuya Naito. It all goes down tonight in Tokyo, Japan!
Ryogoku Kokugikan, home of the 2014 King of Pro Wrestling, was now home to Invasion Attack 2015, where a sold out 9,500 fans anticipated the show ahead. In the middle of the ring, Kimihiko Ozaki welcomed us to this special show and ran down the line-up for the night.
- Ryusuke Taguchi, Jay White, Captain New Japan & Yohei Komatsu vs Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Sho Tanaka & Tiger Mask
- TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) vs The Kingdom (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven)
- The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada
- CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Rocky Romero & Barretta) vs Tetsuya Naito & ReDRagon (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly)
- Kenny Omega (c) vs Alex Shelley for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
- Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs Togi Makabe for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
- CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano) vs BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows, Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi)
- Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) (c) vs BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship
- Kota Ibushi vs A.J. Styles
- Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs Karl Anderson for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
1. RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, JAY WHITE, CAPTAIN NEW JAPAN & YOHEI KOMATSU vs YUJI NAGATA, MANABU NAKANISHI, SHO TANAKA & TIGER MASKEight man tag team action opened up this year's edition of Invasion Attack from the sold-out Sumo Hall in Tokyo, as the Young Lions blended in with the more experienced members of the New Japan roster, as Jay White and Yohei Komatsu were paired with the promotion's resident superhero, Captain New Japan, and the former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, "Funky Weapon" Ryusuke Taguchi, set to take on Sho Tanaka, who was joined by veterans, two-time IWGP Tag Team Champions Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi, as well as the new NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion Tiger Mask. Tiger Mask was coming into this match with a lot of momentum, having defeated Jushin Thunder Liger to claim the historic championship belt back on March 22 in Amagasaki City. The match started off with Yohei Komatsu and Sho Tanaka facing off, the two career rivals and allies battling it out on the mat, before Yohei allowed the newest Young Lion, the 22 year old New Zealander, Jay White to get involved in the match. White, who only joined the New Japan Dojo back in January, did battle with Sho Tanaka on the mat with a legscissors, until Tanaka managed to slip out of it and tag in Tiger Mask, who proceeded to come in and take down Jay White with several thigh kicks before looking for the Scissored Armbar early - just for Jay to smoothly slip out of the hold, getting the tag to Ryusuke Taguchi. Taguchi came in and took Tiger Mask down with a headlock takedown, before bouncing off the ropes looking for the sliding hip attack - just for Mask to dodge it, then hip tossing Taguchi down onto his own "Funky Weapon"! Tiger Mask wristlocked Taguchi and tagged in Manabu Nakanishi, who proceeded to deliver several forearms, before following up with many chops for Taguchi in the corner! Taguchi fled towards his corner, wrapping his arms around the waist of Yohei Komatsu, who reluctantly tagged in. Yohei Komatsu ran in and began to try and forearm the elder Manabu Nakanishi, though the 26-year-old from Miyagi was unsuccessful in knocking down Nakanishi, let alone stunning him! Manabu simply glared at him, before delivering a thunderous axe handle across the back. Jay White decided to come in for moral support, delivering a dropkick to Manabu, throwing the bigger man off of his game. White and Komatsu attempted a double suplex to Manabu, but the strength and weight combined caused this to backfire, and Nakanishi suplexed both men almost with ease! Nakanishi tagged in his partner "Blue Justice", and in came Yuji Nagata, the two-time former IWGP Heavyweight Champion, delivering a big chest kick to Jay White, and then one for Yohei Komatsu, and then another to Jay White, and another for Komatsu! Nagata relented until Captain New Japan ran in, just to get a big boot to the jaw, and Nagata quickly tried to deliver a Backdrop Driver to Komatsu, just for Ryusuke Taguchi to run in, delivering a big hip attack to the face of Nagata! Nagata backstepped to his corner, where Sho Tanaka came back in and darted at Komatsu, the two continuing their running series of matches as Young Lions - Komatsu taking down Tanaka with a bridging northern lights suplex for two, and then Tanaka managed to come back with a flurry of offense of his own, connecting with a deadlift gutwrench suplex! Meanwhile, Captain New Japan and Manabu Nakanishi brawled, as did Yuji Nagata and Jay White; whilst Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask traded blows at ringside - and inside of the ring, Tanaka attempted a suplex, just for Komatsu to reverse it into an inside cradle; then turning the cradle into a single legged Boston crab! Tanaka tried to fight it, but just as Captain New Japan tried to make the save, Tanaka tapped out.
Winners: Ryusuke Taguchi, Jay White, Captain New Japan & Yohei Komatsu in 8:13 [**] Yohei Komatsu was joined by an energetic Jay White and Captain New Japan in the ring, the three celebrating their victory in this match, whilst Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata attended to Sho Tanaka back in the ring. Meanwhile, conspicuous by their absence, at ringside, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask were engaged in a staredown, Taguchi appearing to want some more of Tiger Mask after what transpired during this match.
2. TENCOZY (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) vs THE KINGDOM (Michael Bennett & Matt Taven) w/Maria Kanellis After an impressive showing during the World Tag League back in December, Michael Bennett and Matt Taven of Ring of Honor over in the United States were back in New Japan Pro Wrestling for this tour, in an effort to further impress officials by taking on and hopefully defeating the five-time former IWGP Tag Team Champions, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima. The Kingdom - who are also joined by Adam Cole on occasion - amounted to scoring eight points during the 2014 World Tag League, having wins against Tetsuya Naito and La Sombra, A.J. Styles and Yujiro Takahashi, and even TenCozy themselves, before they were eliminated due to coming in second place of their block. The Kingdom were joined as always by Michael Bennett's luscious wife Maria Kanellis, which cameramen made sure to capture up close in all her little-clothed glory. On the contrary, TenCozy were here to avenge their loss from the World Tag League, coming to the ring and immediately getting it underway with Bennett and Matt Taven, clubbing blows before sending Taven and Bennett to the floor. Both pairs of men brawled around ringside, with Taven being sent flying into the ringside barrier by Tenzan - whereas Kojima brought Bennett back into the ring, where he laid into the American with several drilling forearms, before taking Michael down with a big shoulder block off the ropes. Kojima tagged in Tenzan, and together they teased ending things early in sending Bennett off the ropes for the TenKoji Cutter, but Maria grabbed the foot of Bennett, when Matt Taven came from behind, delivering a superkick to Tenzan! Kojima turned to try and target Bennett, but Taven delivered a superkick to the back of the head of Kojima! Bennett and Kojima remained legal from this point, and Bennett had gained an easy advantage against "Gōwan", targeting the arm of the former two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and stomping away at it, when the Kingdom began to make frequent tags, both targeting the arm of Kojima in an attempt to weaken any potential Lariats coming later on.
Taven and Bennett talked trash to Tenzan as he watched intently, eager to enter the match, whilst they had Kojima where the Kingdom wanted him - Taven applying a unique triangle armbar and wrenching the arm backwards behind his body before Bennett came in to stomp on Satoshi. Bennett and Taven continued their frequent tags, until Kojima suddenly woke up. Bennett and Taven sent Kojima off of the ropes and went for a double clothesline, but instead Satoshi had something else planned, and "Cozy" connected with two Lariats for the Kingdom! Maria panicked from ringside, as Kojima clutched his worked over arm before getting the tag to Hiroyoshi Tenzan! "Mōgyū" darted into the ring, the reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion hitting the ring and delivering a shoulder block to Taven, before taking Bennett by the head and clobbering him with a big headbutt, Tenzan now on the offense as he began to dish out the Mongolian Chops to a defenseless Taven repeatedly. Hiroyoshi Tenzan was stopped initially by Bennett from behind, but Tenzan then delivered a big series of Mongolian Chops for him - and when Taven tried to prevent this, in came Kojima again, who sent him into the corner for a charging forearm. Kojima sent Taven back into the centre of the ring and led the crowd into a chant, before going up to the top rope and coming off with a big diving elbow drop! Meanwhile Tenzan sent Bennett into the corner for a lariat, but Bennett dodged it and connected with a spinning spinebuster to Hiroyoshi; "Mōgyū" down, and Bennett followed up with a spear to Kojima - but Kojima delivered a big Lariat to Bennett! Tenzan covered Bennett, but Maria got on the apron, distracting both members of TenCozy! Kojima closed in on Maria, which is when Taven came from behind with an enzuigiri to the back of the head, then sending Kojima to the outside floor. Back inside, Tenzan went for the Anaconda Vise on Matt Taven, but Michael Bennett came from behind with multiple right hands! Michael Bennett connected with a spinebuster, whilst Taven followed with a springboard moonsault, and both members of the Kingdom covered Tenzan whilst Kojima crawled back inside in an attempt to break the pin, but Maria had her ankle - the Kingdom picking up another win against TenCozy!
Winners: The Kingdom in 10:41 [**¼] Matt Taven and Michael Bennett very quickly slid out of the ring, as the Kingdom had succeeded in defeating the veteran gatekeepers of the tag team division in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima. "Cozy" looked annoyed at the loss, whilst "Mōgyū" recovered from the loss - all the while, Taven and Bennett mocked TenCozy on the aisle with Maria Kanellis - the trio talking trash to the five-time former IWGP Tag Team Champions with their arms high in the air.
3. THE YOUNG BUCKS (Nick & Matt Jackson) vs JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER & MÁSCARA DORADA Since arriving in New Japan Pro Wrestling, Nick and Matt Jackson, also known as the Young Bucks have ran roughshot over the junior heavyweight tag team ranks. The Young Bucks, aligned with the notorious Bullet Club faction of Gaijin from overseas, won the 2013 Super Junior Tag Tournament, and then won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships all on their first tour - and since then have been a constant headache for teams such as the Time Splitters, Forever Hooligans and ReDRagon. However with the arrival this past January of CMLL luchador Máscara Dorada, veteran New Japan junior Jushin Thunder Liger appears to have found an ally - the two masked men having teamed up on multiple occasions since Dorada's signing with the promotion. The Young Bucks came into this match with confidence like no other as usual, with Nick and Matt obnoxiously talking into the cameras during their entrance, greeting their friends watching from the United States. On the contrary, Jushin Liger knew that he needed to regain some momentum, especially after losing the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship to Tiger Mask back on March 22 in Amagasaki City. Dorada however, the CMLL World Welterweight Champion, knew that he needed to win big in his first major match on the New Japan roster, against the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. Initially, Nick and Matt underestimated their opponents, crotchchopping and calling shenanigans, which ultimately led to Jushin Liger connecting with a big Shotei to the throats of both Bucks, whilst Dorada sent Nick into the ropes, connecting with a hurricanrana then sending Nick into Liger who delivered a big tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! Matt meanwhile tried to enzuigiri Liger but Liger ducked it, and Dorada came off the middle rope delivering a springboard crossbody, causing the Young Bucks to bail to the floor! The Jackson brothers regrouped at ringside, which is when Liger and Dorada decided that it was time to take action - which is when Dorada connected with a big somersault senton topé over the top rope - just to crash and burn on the floor below! Liger noticed the Young Bucks side stepping, which is when he gave it a try, going for a baseball slide but again the Young Bucks moved out of the way, and responded with stereo superkicks knocking Liger down!
Back inside, Nick and Matt were sly and steady about how they manipulated the match, with frequent tags, whilst at the same time trying to manipulate the elder, more experienced Jushin Liger - the former eleven-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion having his leg worked over in an attempt to slow him down by the villainous Bullet Club members, who continued to mock the suffering veteran even during their beatdown. Nick and Matt traded tags whilst maintaining a Terry Funk-style spinning toe hold at one point, until Liger finally kicked Matt off and connected with the Kuchu Dojime Otoshi Lou Thesz cover, but Nick managed to get in and break the pin attempt. Liger tried to crawl towards Máscara Dorada, who was desperately waiting for the tag, but Nick took the leg of Jushin Liger, just for Liger to connect with the Abisegeri rolling koppu kick! Liger got back up, but Matt, unbeknownst to Liger or Dorada, dragged Dorada off the apron right at the last second, causing Liger to remain the legal man on a bad leg! Matt sent Dorada up the aisleway before slipping back in the ring; Matt handspringing into a headscissor hold on Liger, whilst Nick connected with a sharp spinning kick to the temple of Liger - covering him, just for Liger to remain resilient! Nick and Matt then knew what they had to do in order to put the junior heavyweight legend down for good - Matt picking Liger up and attempting the Tombstone Piledriver, whilst Nick went out to the apron. Nick was ready to springboard off of the top rope with an Indytaker, but Dorada came up at the last second, dragging Nick back down to gravity, his jaw bouncing off of the apron! Inside, Liger reversed the tombstone piledriver and executed one of his own on Matt Jackson, before making the tag! Dorada came in with a diving crossbody off the top rope on Matt, before nipping up to the second rope and tightrope walking into a front dropkick taking down Matt again! Nick came in and tried to halt the momentum of the CMLL World Welterweight Champion with a harsh back elbow, but Dorada took the arm of Nick regardless and sprung up to the top rope, connecting with a big armdrag! Dorada tried to go up to the top rope for a moonsault, but Matt was up and shoved him harshly to the floor; whilst Nick handsprung out to the apron, before connecting with a tornado DDT on the floor for Dorada! Nick brought him back in for a cover, but Liger managed to break it up, and before you knew it all four were in action in the ring once more. Liger tried for a brainbuster but Nick reversed it into an inside cradle, releasing and sending Liger right into a superkick from Matt - and then both Young Bucks went for stereo superkicks on Dorada just for Máscara to duck them both - both Liger and Dorada with stereo dropkicks of their own! The Superkick Party had been derailed, as Liger picked up Matt whilst Dorada picked up Nick - Liger with the Brainbuster to Matt; Dorada trying for the Dorada Screwdriver, but Nick slipped out; Nick with a spinning kick to both Liger and Dorada in one! Matt slowly getting back up, and the two Jacksons connected with stereo superkicks for Liger! Dorada tried to go for a tornado DDT on Matt, just to wind up on his shoulders; and Matt connected with the rolling fireman's carry; Nick with the 450 splash; Matt with a top rope hurricanrana - More Bang For Your Buck connected, and that was all!
Winners: The Young Bucks in 11:20 [***½]Nick and Matt Jackson were successful in this tag team outing against Jushin Thunder Liger and Máscara Dorada had tried their best, but the Young Bucks with their experience as a tag team had gotten the better of the masked duo, the Young Bucks proceeding to showboat their victory whilst Liger attended to Dorada inside of the ring. Nick yelled into the camera on the Bucks' way out that they were coming back for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships and going to become two-time champions.
4. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Rocky Romero & Barreta) vs TETSUYA NAITO & REDRAGON (Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly)In Tetsuya Naito's next step following a rocky start to the year of 2015, coming off of losses to Hiroshi Tanahashi in a match for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the New Beginning in Osaka; and then having advanced to the semi-finals of the New Japan Cup last month just to come up short at the hands of Kota Ibushi - the "Stardust☆Genius" had recently had several exchanges with the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Shinsuke Nakamura. Naito, who is hungry for big wins after coming up short so many times, wanted to get a measure of success by starting off with a win tonight against the team representing CHAOS. Speaking of which, CHAOS member Rocky "Azucar" Romero had struggled in recent weeks to find himself a new tag team partner upon the retirement of Forever Hooligans partner Alex Koslov in January. Romero experimented by teaming with Ryusuke Taguchi, Alex Shelley, Máscara Dorada, Tiger Mask and Sho Tanaka, but was unsatisfied with all options - that is until he unveiled on March 29, the return of former WWE star and 2013 Best of the Super Juniors participant, Barreta. The contingent known as 'Roppongi Vice' were here to make themselves known, by taking on the reigning double champions, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and ROH World Tag Team Champions, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly of ReDRagon. "The King of Strong Style", off of his latest defense against La Sombra at the New Beginning in Sendai, was intrigued by the idea of facing Naito in such a situation, as both men started with Naito showing an uncharacteristic refusal to shake Nakamura's hand. The two wrestled on the mat early on, exchanging holds with Naito sending Nakamura off the ropes from a side headlock, but Nakamura attempted a big boot; Naito rolled out of the way and connected with a fast dropkick perplexing the IWGP Intercontinental Champion early in this match. The two locked up again, with Nakamura delivering knee strikes to the abdomen of Naito; snapmaring him and delivering a knee drop before tagging in Romero - who came in and delivered some stomps to the solar plexus of Naito. The "Stardust☆Genius" was worked over by "Azucar" with several punches, but Naito returned the favor with a big forearm, before connecting with a step-up enzuigiri - tagging in Bobby Fish shortly thereafter. Fish lit Romero up with several kicks, but Rocky was prepared for them, demanding Fish to bring them, and Fish did by grabbing the foot and taking him down, before stomping on the foot and tagging in Kyle O'Reilly.
ReDRagon were in their prime element right now, with Fish and O'Reilly cornering Romero and lighting him up taking it in turns to deliver some chest kicks. O'Reilly charged Romero in the corner looking for a forearm, but Romero dodged it, then delivering a Forever Clothesline to O'Reilly! Romero tagged in Barreta for the first time in this match, and the crowd applauded as RPG Vice arrived in the ring. Barreta snapmared O'Reilly to a seating position, before Romero charged off the ropes, connecting with a hard-hitting socker kick to the chest of O'Reilly, and Barreta proceeded to deliver a standing moonsault which got two, as Fish got in to break up the pin attempt. Barreta delivered a bridging northern lights suplex to O'Reilly, but Kyle - a man with backgrounds in amateur wrestling, jiu-jitsu and kickboxing, somehow managed to transition it into a reverse front facelock - bringing Barreta to his feet before planting him with several forearms! O'Reilly tagged in Fish, who kicked Barreta in the abdomen upon entry. O'Reilly crane kicked down onto the head of the doubled over RPG Vice member, followed by a forearm, and then a back suplex from Fish - and to top this off, Tetsuya Naito then entered the ring, bouncing off the ropes and delivering a big standing somersault senton into the ribs of Barreta! The CHAOS members waited eagerly for a tag, as Bobby Fish trash talked and slapped around the newest tag partner of Romero, telling him that they would never get close to their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Barreta responded with a body punch, but Fish replied with a stiff chest kick, followed by a spear tackling Barreta into the corner of ReDRagon, and this time Naito got the tag. Naito came in as Fish held Barreta in place; Naito with a running dropkick to the jaw of Barreta in the corner; landing on the apron, and then delivering a slingshot dropkick to the jaw of his opponent again! Naito brought him to his feet and delivered a snapmare before connecting with a front dropkick to the face of Barreta before tagging in O'Reilly again - isolating the newest addition to the CHAOS faction. Barreta managed to fight off O'Reilly however, connecting with a big enzuigiri stunning Kyle, and he began crawling, headed for the corner of Romero and Nakamura - but just before he could get the tag, in came Bobby Fish and Tetsuya Naito, knocking both Shinsuke and Romero off the apron! Romero tried to reenter the ring and complained with the referee, allowing time for Naito to deliver a big bridging German suplex to Barreta - with Fish and O'Reilly delivering stereo kicks to the chest of the defenseless CHAOS member! The match raged on further, with Bobby Fish locking in a single-legged crab near his corner; tagging in Kyle O'Reilly, who maintained the hold and kept it locked in; before tagging in Tetsuya Naito, who came in and continued the hold on his own; in came Fish again, and in came O'Reilly - but this time Barreta was in enough pain to know what to do, and that's reach the bottom rope with all of his might! Kyle O'Reilly sized up Barreta, who limped to his feet - and Kyle connected with a hard-hitting combination of a thigh kick, a slap, a knee to the abdomen, a chest kick - but Barreta responded with a big forearm, catching O'Reilly off-guard momentarily. O'Reilly bounced into the ropes, using the top and middle rope to rebound, but when he came back he walked right into the Gobstopper single legged high knee! Barreta proceeded to crawl, but a dazed O'Reilly had tagged in Fish - Fish darting in to try and further the isolation of Barreta, but he made the tag to Rocky Romero! "Azucar" hit the ring with a springboard dropkick, followed by a clothesline, and a big chop knocking Fish back into the corner. Romero connected with the Forever Clothesline, not once, not twice, but three times - which is when Kyle O'Reilly came in, just for Romero to send him into the opposite corner of Fish; Romero with a Forever Clothesline for each - but when Romero returned to go and get a corner lariat on Fish one more time, O'Reilly followed Romero - Romero sidestepped, and O'Reilly struck Fish with a forearm in the corner! Romero tagged in Shinsuke Nakamura as O'Reilly rolled to the floor - and Romero followed, delivering a running knee off of the apron onto Kyle O'Reilly on the floor! Inside, Shinsuke Nakamura placed Fish on the top rope and delivered the big top shelf knee in the corner, before connecting with the inverted powerslam - when Tetsuya Naito came in and jumped Nakamura, connecting with the Gloria out of nowhere! Naito returned to the apron, as Fish covered, the junior heavyweight tag wrestler almost beating the IWGP Intercontinental Champion thanks to Naito's controversial tactic! Fish got up and forearmed Shinsuke, but it simply woke him up; the "King of Strong Style" with a backstabber double knee backbreaker - Fish down in the corner, allowing for Shinsuke to get in the Strong Style Facewash, gyrating as he did so. Nakamura then tagged in Barreta, before immediately charging at Naito, knocking him off the apron and trading blows with the "Stardust☆Genius"; Nakamura not about to let Naito get away with the attack from behind! Back inside, Barreta looked for another Gobstopper, just for Fish to take the knee and attempt the Fish Hook Deluxe Edition heel hold; but Rocky Romero broke it up. In came Kyle O'Reilly shortly after, but Barreta and Romero connected with a stereo high knee for O'Reilly, taking him out of the ring! Barreta got Fish up for the Dudebuster - the cradle back-to-belly kneeling piledriver - when Romero came from the apron with a springboard dropkick - known officially as the 'Strong Zero' - and Roppongi Vice had just successfully defeated ReDRagon in this six-man tag team bout!
Winners: Shinsuke Nakamura & Roppongi Vice in 12:44 [***¼]
Rocky Romero's self-produced theme music for Roppongi Vice played, as "Azucar" raised the hand of his new, permanent partner Barreta in RPG Vice's first major show victory in New Japan Pro Wrestling. After the retirement of Alex Koslov, followed by the frustration of Romero in not having a tag team partner and remaining unsatisfied with his interims, Romero and Barreta in their fourth outing as a tag team had just knocked off a win against the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions and ROH World Tag Team Champions, ReDRagon. As Kyle O'Reilly attended to Bobby Fish, there had to be a thought that somewhere down the line, ReDRagon and RPG Vice would meet again, this time in a standard tag team bout, with the IWGP titles on the line.
Meanwhile, the battle between Shinsuke Nakamura and Tetsuya Naito had developed even further at ringside, as the "Stardust☆Genius"'s uncharacteristic attack from behind during the closing moments of this match against the "King of Strong Style" had resulted in a brawl between the IWGP Intercontinental Champion and the usually respectful Naito - frustration had seemingly set in on Naito, who wanted glory - and as he was restrained by the Young Lions and ringside attendants, he knew that in order to get that glory, he had to go through someone of Shinsuke Nakamura's calibre!
5. IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP KENNY OMEGA (c) w/The Young Bucks vs ALEX SHELLEY It was back in October when Kenny Omega signed officially with New Japan Pro Wrestling - the former Dramatic Dream Team representative had always been respectful in NJPW, evidenced by his performances in the Best of the Super Juniors tournaments, and his reigns as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Kota Ibushi as the "Golden☆Lovers" - but that was then, and this was now. Despite telling the media that he would not join the Bullet Club, Kenny did just that in his debut, claiming that he only wanted the money and the gold out of the promotion. Now dubbed "the Cleaner", Omega won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in his first match in the organization at the Tokyo Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 9, uncrowning Ryusuke Taguchi. Since then, he has said he wants to "clean the garbage" of the junior ranks - defeating "Cuban Trash" Rocky Romero at the New Beginning in Osaka. But now, Omega is faced with what he calls "American Garbage", the former three-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion Alex Shelley of the Time Splitters. Shelley said going into this match, he was going to win the title for the good of New Japan - and had a confrontation with the champion leading into this match. And much like at Wrestle Kingdom, the Young Bucks, fresh off of their victory earlier tonight against Jushin Liger and Máscara Dorada, were here to support "the Cleaner" in his second defense. A very game Alex Shelley didn't seem to mind the numbers disadvantage, as he approached the ring with a look of intent and determination, whilst driving the Sumida crowd to support him. Omega was hesitant to lock up right off the bat, too busy discussing apparently more important matters with Nick and Matt Jackson, which is what prompted Shelley to kick Omega in the thigh, jumpstarting the match and forcing him into a side headlock turned into a takeover. Omega got warmed up with a headscissors breaking free, and Omega began to dictate the pace of the match with a combination of arm-based transitions, from a hammerlock into a wristlock, into an arm wrench, but Shelley was able to turn things around, managed to send Omega down with a snapmare, then applying a seated abdominal stretch, forcing Omega to try and reach the ropes before rolling backwards, almost scoring a fast one on Shelley. Shelley rolled back to his feet and attempted to kick Omega again, just for Kenny to catch the foot, but Shelley rotated around Omega and sweeped him off of his feet, before picking up the leg, stepping on the hip, and rolling over, hyperextending the leg of the champion! Shelley allowed Omega time to get back to his feet in the corner before charging at him, but Omega sidestepped it and delivered a big kick to the back sending Shelley into the corner again! Omega picked Shelley up on his shoulder, before delivering a snake eyes to the Time Splitter, then taking him down with a big boot! "The Cleaner" was on offense early, as he had Shelley in the corner, choking him with his boot before distracting the referee - Kenny Omega keeping the referee with him allowing enough time for Nick and Matt - either side of the corner - to deliver stereo superkicks to the head of Alex Shelley! Omega quickly covered the challenger, but he remained alive, storming out at two. Kenny accepted it, smiling as he picked Shelley up and delivered a big forearm, but Shelley responded with a big thigh kick in return. Shelley delivered a clubbing forearm to Omega of his own and tried to run off the ropes just for Omega to follow, a big knee to the abdomen of Shelley against the ropes. Omega turned Shelley around and bounced him off the ropes, then shoulder blocking him in the kidney repeatedly; Omega back on the offense now as he stomped away at the back of Shelley, trying to slow down the challenger whose main style of wrestling involves fast-paced, high-flying manoeuvres. Omega sent Shelley off the ropes but Shelley ducked an axe handle attempt; Shelley bouncing off the opposite ropes just for Omega to duck it and go for a Kotaro Krusher; leapfrogging Shelley and trying to bulldog him, just for Alex to drop to a knee and sidestep it, then connecting with a neckbreaker to the champion! Nick and Matt tried to get Omega back in, as Shelley slowly returned to his feet and sent Omega off the ropes; Omega this time ducking a lariat attempt and continuing running, but Shelley connected with a belly to belly suplex, quickly following up with a big spinebuster, covering Omega for a near fall! At this point, Shelley went back for the leg of Omega, delivering a shinbreaker to Omega before dropping Omega with a soccer kick to the chest! The cover again, this time it was the distraction of Matt Jackson with a crotch chop on the apron, which goaded Shelley to dropkick Matt off the apron; Shelley landing on the apron himself, and running off of the apron with a charging running knee to Nick! Shelley then got back onto the apron and tried for a slingshot to a rising Kenny Omega in the ring, but Omega caught him on his shoulders, dropping him down with a big rolling fireman's carry! "The Cleaner" had regained control with help from the interfering Young Bucks; the Bullet Club's pack of wolves mentality outnumbering the challenger in this match. Kenny Omega picked up Alex Shelley for a suplex, but Shelley tried to fight his way back down to the mat; the champion responding by squatting and deadlifting the challenger; the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion succeeding in pulling off a vertical suplex whilst showing plenty of raw strength - and it almost put Shelley down for three, had it not been for Shelley powering out still moments before three! Omega was getting slightly frustrated by this point, as he displayed by mounting Shelley and planting several more forearms to the jaw of Shelley, but the challenger would not back down, rolling Omega over and executing him with a sharp enzuigiri before following up with a Dragon suplex attempt; Omega blocking it and attempting a Dragon suplex of his own, but Shelley flipped over onto his feet before bouncing off the ropes and dropkicking Omega again in the leg! Shelley connected with a front dropkick to the jaw of the champion, before Shelley locked in a single legged Boston crab - "Made in Detroit" Alex Shelley trying to make his name known further by winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship tonight! Omega's bad leg was giving him problems as Shelley continued to tort away on the leg of the champion in his second defense; but "the Cleaner" gritted through the pain, managing to reach and grab the bottom rope! Shelley wasn't phased though - the damage done to Omega's leg, and Shelley was going to capitalise on it by connecting with the Sliced Bread #2, but Omega flipped Shelley backwards onto his feet, a big boot to the chest following before an enzuigiri taking Alex down to the mat! Omega with a desperation move, followed up with a springboard moonsault from the middle rope, covering again for a near fall! Omega wanted to put Shelley away, which is when he picked him up for the Dragon suplex again, but again Shelley fought out of it and connected with one of his own; Shelley picking Omega up and getting him over his shoulder for the Automatic Midnight, but Omega grabbed the referee's shirt and Shelley dropped Omega right on top of the referee; Omega quick to get back to his feet, and he caught Shelley with a Dragon Suplex, the full nelson applied, and the Young Bucks darted in and connected with stereo superkicks to Shelley! Omega connected with the Dragon suplex dropping Shelley on top of his head before picking him up on his shoulders - the One Winged Angel connecting, and upon the Young Bucks reviving the official, the match was over!
Winner: Kenny Omega in 13:49 [***¾] ***STILL CHAMPION*** "The Cleaner" had picked up the win in his second successful title defense against Alex Shelley, as Kenny Omega celebrated alongside the Young Bucks, before being handed his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship belt. Omega and the Bucks continued their celebration, until the former champion, "Funky Weapon" Ryusuke Taguchi arrived in the ring to attend to Shelley. The Bullet Club were about to leave when Taguchi picked up the microphone and told them in Japanese not to leave. Taguchi then spoke about how Omega was too stubborn to grant him what was rightfully is after losing the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship to him back at Wrestle Kingdom 9. "Funky Weapon" told Omega that he wanted what was his, the rematch he so justly deserves - and in response, the Biz Cliz trio just superkicked Taguchi down to the mat as well! Picking up the microphone, Omega laughed evilly, telling Taguchi that he will never hold his title ever again.
- TWENTY MINUTE INTERMISSION - It was time for the mid-show intermission, as Kimihiko Ozaki noted that the show would continue in twenty minutes time. The announce team, Shinpei Nogami and Milano Collection A.T. were joined by Jushin Thunder Liger, as the trio went over the results of the first-half of the show, before discussing the backstories going into the upcoming matches left on the card - three more championships to be defended at Invasion Attack 2015. 6. NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP TOMOHIRO ISHII (c) vs TOGI MAKABE The "Stone Pitbull" was going into his fourth defense of the NEVER Openweight Championship against somebody that has wanted more out of him since he first won the title last October at King of Pro-Wrestling. The "Bousou Kingkong" Togi Makabe first voiced his opinion and challenged for the title upon Tomohiro Ishii's first defense back at Power Struggle last November, after Ishii defeated Hirooki Goto - but when the two met at Wrestle Kingdom 9 this past January 4 in the Tokyo Dome, Ishii was successful in retaining his championship. Makabe however, he wanted another shot at the gold; a rematch was set for the New Beginning in Sendai this past February, but ultimately did not happen due to Makabe falling ill days before the big match. In his place was Makabe's partner in Great Bash Hell - Tomoaki Honma, who fought hard, but Ishii managed to retain the title against "Minna no Kokeshi" as well. In recent weeks, Makabe has made it clear that he finally wants his rematch with Ishii, vowing to uncrown the "Stone Pitbull" and become the NEVER Openweight Champion for the first time in his career. And if their confrontation at Wrestle Kingdom 9 wasn't a heated, hard-hitting affair between a "Stone Pitbull" and a "Kingkong", this bout tonight at Invasion Attack was sure to be, as Togi Makabe demonstrated by walking to the ring with furious intent, the chains usually wrapped around his neck this time were swinging in his hand, Makabe going into this looking for a war, whilst taking some inspiration from his idol, the late, great Bruiser Brody. In response, Tomohiro Ishii was his usual self - simply walking to the ring, wasting no time with frills or theatrics as he approached the ring and faced his challenger from across the ring. Whilst in-ring introductions began however, Togi Makabe suddenly attacked Ishii, and the brawl began immediately between the two hosses, with Ishii and Makabe trading blows furiously, if not for Ishii being able to clobber Makabe and make him stumble. Ishii waited as Makabe picked up his chains from nearby; and whilst Ishii went to place his title belt down, Makabe charged Ishii with the chain wrapped around his arm, looking for a King Kong Lariat early, but Ishii managed to duck it, and a lariat in the corner followed, stunning Makabe! The chain dropped off of his arm, as Ishii proceeded to clobber Makabe with a series of forearms to the face, pummelling Makabe - but the challenger was eager to make change in the Openweight division, as he responded the favor with more forearms of his own - but Ishii came out of nowhere with a big enzuigiri, knocking Makabe down in the corner! With Makabe down, Ishii took it as an opportunity - the NEVER Openweight Champion running off the opposite corner, charging for Togi in the corner, but Makabe managed to roll out of the way; Makabe getting up to his feet and delivering a lariat sending Ishii over the top rope to the floor! The "Bousou Kingkong" was not about to let Ishii get chance to take a breather however, as evidenced when Makabe immediately left the ring in pursuit of a recovering Ishii - Togi tackling Tomohiro, sending him crashing spine-first against the barrier; Makabe delivering several more forearms to Ishii against the barrier, before trying a standing lariat; but Ishii managed to backdrop him over and into the aisle of the audience of Ryogoku Kokugikan! The Sumo Hall was taken aback by Makabe's relentless approach in this rematch three months in the making; and Ishii decided to follow Makabe over the barrier into the audience, where he looked for a powerslam on Makabe onto the concrete floor, but Makabe broke the attempt, then dropping him with the King Kong Lariat, leaving him lying! Makabe slowly returned to the ring, as the ring-out count began - with Ishii not only outside, but in the audience as well! The count reached ten and Ishii was still down in the crowd, but upon thirteen, Ishii was able to crawl over the barrier, but struggled to make it back up to his feet again - but thankfully Ishii was able to slide into the ring at the count of nineteen-and-a-half! Ishii slowly reached his feet, before Makabe quickly took a hold of Ishii and tried running through him with a shoulder block, just for Ishii to put an arm out, stunning Makabe with a big lariat in response! Makabe was dazed, but not out of it, and responded with a big forarm that Ishii responded to. Suddenly, the intensity increased and a heated war of forearms took place with neither man appearing to back down, as Ishii demanded Makabe bring him more harsh shots to the face; Makabe drilling him with several just for Ishii to respond with some of his own. Makabe went for a forearm at one point, but Ishii cut him off, a big headbutt striking Togi in the chest! Makabe stumbled backwards, before Ishii sent him off the ropes and connected with a big powerslam, covering Makabe for a near fall! Ishii slowly got to his feet again, clubbing Makabe with an elbow before sending him into the corner; Ishii breaking out several elbow smashes to his opponent, followed by a chop - but it really annoyed the "Unchained Gorilla", who responded with a tense faceoff with Ishii, forehead to forehead! Ishii went for another one, but Makabe ducked and cornered Ishii, smashing him with a right hand smash to the head. Makabe went up to the second rope and began raining down some punches on the head of Ishii, sure to damage the conscious state of the NEVER Openweight Champion - but after several of these, Ishii managed to grab Makabe on his shoulders, delivering a big powerbomb with the jackknife cover; Makabe storming out of it at the count of two! Sumo Hall was heated with this fight-like atmosphere, between two men that wanted to prove they were the better wrestler - as well as worthy of being NEVER Openweight Champion - whilst also beating the living hell out of one another in the process! Ishii picked Togi up and looked for another powerbomb, but Makabe backdropped out of it, before body slamming Ishii for a one count - Ishii showing here that he was not about to back down and let Makabe take his title! Makabe picked Ishii up and ran him head-first into the turnbuckle, before connecting with several standing lariats stunning the champion further; the G.B.H. leader clobbering Ishii in the corner until the referee got involved - when the CHAOS member grabbed Makabe and cornered him, delivering a chop then an forearm; a chop, then a forearm, and repeated so until Makabe was dazed! Ishii then picked Togi's dead weight up and placed him on the top rope; Ishii delivering two more forearms until Makabe clubbed him to back him away. Makabe began to climb the top rope until Ishii crotched Makabe by running the ropes; Ishii going up to the second rope and looking for the stalling superplex; but after being in the air, Makabe used his body weight to bring himself back down to the top rope. Makabe hammered Ishii with several more right hands, before climbing down to the apron, climbing inside of the ring, and going up to the second rope for the Spider Suplex German from the top rope! Makabe hooked the leg of Ishii - but Ishii miraculously woke up at the count of two! Makabe was wondering what he had to do to put the NEVER Openweight Champion away - which is when he picked Ishii up to his feet, powered him over his shoulder and dropped him with a big death valley drive; Makabe covering Ishii again, but Ishii was alive and well, powering out at the mere count of one! The "Stone Pitbull" began to revive as Togi Makabe stomped away at the bandaged shoulder of Ishii, then delivered a right hand to the champion; but Ishii came back to his feet and clocked Togi with a big headbutt! This caught Makabe unaware, and Ishii bounced off the ropes, connecting with a furious lariat, covering Makabe for two! Tomohiro Ishii was thinking hard about what he had to do in order to retain the NEVER Openweight Championship for the fourth time in his second reign, the "Stone Pitbull" then decided to pick Makabe up to his feet, and attempt a German suplex, but Makabe managed to slip out of it, bouncing off of the ropes looking for the King Kong Lariat, just for Ishii to duck it and deliver another big headbutt! Ishii followed with a deadlift German suplex, bridging it into a cover - just for Makabe to once again kick out at two! Ishii was ready for this however, and immediately picked Makabe up and looked for the vertical suplex; Makabe managing to halt him in his efforts; connecting with one of his own before following up with the sliding lariat to the seated Ishii - the same sliding lariat that Ishii has put away many opponents with before! Makabe covered, but Ishii this time kicked out! Makabe wanted to keep things going, as he picked Ishii up to his feet and connected with a side slam, before going up to the top rope - looking for the King Kong Knee Drop - but Ishii was back up to his feet, not wanting Togi to win this whatsoever - Ishii going up to the second rope when another forearm war took place; Makabe aiming to knock Ishii back to the mat, Ishii wanting to stop Makabe dead in his tracks - and ultimately, Ishii sent Makabe into a dazed state! The "Stone Pitbull" picked up Makabe, and connected with the stalling superplex, before getting back to his feet, and connecting with the lariat to the seated "Bousou Kingkong"! Ishii covered, but again Makabe kicked out! Ishii needed to do more, as he lifted Togi to his feet and looked for the Ishii Driller; but Makabe broke free, bounced off the ropes and connected with a hard King Kong Lariat knocking Ishii down, but for another two count! Makabe was breathless, as was Ishii, as the two knelt facing one another in a heated faceoff. One more forearm war took place, with Makabe knocking Ishii into a loop; but when Makabe went to run the ropes once again, Ishii responded with a big headbutt knocking Makabe into a loop himself! Makabe dropped to a knee, and Ishii came off with the ropes with a big lariat knocking Makabe to a seated position, his head resting on the bottom rope - and Ishii followed immediately with a second lariat, this time sandwiching the challenger between the bottom rope and Ishii's powerful arm! Ishii covered, and Makabe was out!
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii in 15:30 [****] ***NEW CHAMPION***
"The Stone Pitbull" was triumphant in his fourth defense of the NEVER Openweight Championship, Tomohiro Ishii remaining down on the mat after a gruelling battle with Togi Makabe, the "Bousou Kingkong" out cold by the ropes as a result of the hard-hitting warfare he had brought Tomohiro Ishii in this rematch from Wrestle Kingdom 9 in the Tokyo Dome. Ishii finally began to move, the Young Lions helping him to his feet and handing him his well-deserved NEVER Openweight Championship belt, Ishii actually up to his feet although stumbling after such a beating endured.
Suddenly, Daisuke Sekimoto came through the crowd, Sekimoto marching to the ringside area! Sekimoto, who had made his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut on January 5 at the New Year Dash event in Korakuen Hall, by assaulting Tomohiro Ishii, was here again for a second time, and this time Ishii saw him and told Sekimoto to bring it right here and now! Ishii waited for Daisuke to enter the ring, which is when Sekimoto quickly brutalized Ishii with a backhand chop, before connecting with a spear knocking Ishii down! The NEVER Openweight Champion after such a fight was defenseless against this fresh, new face in New Japan - who delivered a big deadlift German suplex leaving Ishii laying! Sekimoto picked up the NEVER Openweight title before dropping it on Ishii's chest, another challenger for Ishii's title evident as Sekimoto began to leave!
7. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano) w/Gedo vs BULLET CLUB (Doc Gallows, Cody Hall & Yujiro Takahashi)With tensions running high between the Bullet Club and practically every man on the New Japan Pro Wrestling roster, it was the Biz Cliz who manipulated the New Japan Cup tournament last month, and was able to secure "the Machine Gun" Karl Anderson his victory in the tournament allowing him to move on to challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship tonight; but in the semi-final round, it was the assistance of Doc Gallows and Cody Hall that cost Kazuchika Okada a chance to win the tournament, and ultimately Karl Anderson was able to steal a victory over him. Meanwhile, it was Bullet Club that attacked YOSHI-HASHI after his first round match of that tournament, which prompted to a heated brawl between members of CHAOS and the Biz Cliz moments after. This set the stage for tonight, where Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi, and Bullet Club's honorary "young boy" Cody Hall were to do battle with the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada, YOSHI-HASHI and Toru Yano - and in an interesting twist, it was CHAOS outnumbering the Biz Cliz, with "Rainmaker"s mentor Gedo in their corner, whereas the Biz Cliz's allies in Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale and Karl Anderson were all preoccupied with their IWGP Tag Team and Heavyweight title matches later on - leaving for seemingly an even playing field here. YOSHI-HASHI started with Yujiro Takahashi, with "Loose Explosion" managing to get the better of the former NEVER Openweight Champion in the opening moments, connecting with a hurricanrana and a dropkick to the back of the head, before "Mr R Sh*tei" cut him off and turned the flip-over neckbreaker attempt into a stungun, draping the head of YOSHI-HASHI over the top rope. Yujiro was without a valet by his side tonight, but he didn't mind either way: stomping on the chest of YOSHI-HASHI and even choking him in the bottom corner of the ring before tagging in the son of legendary wrestler, Scott Hall. Cody came in and delivered several knees to the abdomen of "Loose Explosion", before connecting with a sideslam and swiftly tagging in "the Outlaw" Doc Gallows. Gallows came in and began dishing out further punishment to the CHAOS member, talking trash through expletive insults aimed at YOSHI-HASHI, and dropping a big legdrop across the throat of him. Gallows cornered YOSHI-HASHI again and looked at a big rear bump in the corner, just for YOSHI-HASHI to get the tag to Toru Yano, and in came the DVD-selling, unorthodox CHAOS member. Doc Gallows immediately tried to get his hands on Toru Yano, but Yano did what only he does - cowering back into the ropes, yelling for the referee to call a break. Unfortunately on this occasion, Gallows did not let him get away with this - "the Outlaw" delivering multiple punches into the head of "YTR" before picking him up and dropping Yano with a sideslam followed by a big elbow drop. Gallows brought Yano back to the Biz Cliz's corner, tagging in Yujiro Takahashi again, who delivered some stomps to Yano. Takahashi grinned as he picked Yano up and dropped him with a suplex, then picking him up and going off the ropes looking for a big boot - Yano sidestepping him and quickly rolling Takahashi up for a close two count. Yano stayed right on top of "Mr R Sh*tei", raking the eyes and then being adorned by the official, before pushing the referee backwards right into Takahashi! The referee adonished Takahashi this time, allowing Yano enough time to untie the turnbuckle pad, nailing Takahashi with it and trying to toss it at Cody Hall in the corner - just for Hall to catch it, toss it back at Yano; and in Yano's distraction walked right into Takahashi with a big boot! Takahashi and Hall worked together at double choking Toru, whilst Kazuchika Okada and YOSHI-HASHI tried to goad Yano back into their corner. Hall was overconfident for a Young Lion however, and in trying to whip Yano into the corner, Toru reversed it and sent Cody spine-first into the exposed turnbuckles! Yano tagged in "Rainmaker" and in came Kazuchika Okada for the first time in this match; Okada coming in with a back elbow to Cody, and then a flapjack for a charging Yujiro Takahashi; before YOSHI-HASHI came in to assist with a dropkick stunning Doc Gallows through the ropes to the apron - which is where Okada levelled the big man with a double axe handle sending him to the floor; whilst Okada back inside caught an attacking Cody off-guard, a kick to the gut and a snapmare connecting, before rebounding off of the ropes and executing a sliding dropkick! Okada was on fire tonight, as Cody quickly tagged in Takahashi; Yujiro coming in and kicking Okada in the abdomen, before damaging the leg of Okada with a shinbreaker - Takahashi stomping at the leg of the former two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion and looking for the fisherman buster, just for Okada to break loose, tagging in Toru Yano. Toru Yano came in and ran for Takahashi just for Yujiro to duck it, Yano running right into Doc Gallows on the apron, who clocked Yano with a throat thrust! Toru then walked right into Yujiro, who connected with a deadlift gutwrench suplex, covering for two as Yano stayed alive. Takahashi brought in Doc Gallows, the former IWGP Tag Team Champion cornered Yano in the corner and delivered some body punches to Yano, before realising the exposed turnbuckles on the other side of the ring. Gallows whipped Yano into them, but Yano blocked it - unbeknownst to Gallows - and Yano faked being in the corner, with Gallows then charging Yano for a big corner splash; Yano dodging it and Gallows getting a chest full of metal! Yano taunted for the crowd's adoration, before tagging in YOSHI-HASHi who followed up with the Head Hunter flipover neckbreaker on Gallows, covering for a near fall again! YOSHI-HASHI tried to follow up with an attempt at the German suplex, but Gallows was too heavy and broke free of his grip, "Loose Explosion" getting himself a sidewalk slam for his efforts. Gallows tagged in Cody Hall, who came in and looked for the Razor's Edge - his father's finisher - but YOSHI-HASHI managed to backdrop Cody out of it, before tagging back in Okada. In came "Rainmaker" again, who ducked a lariat from Hall and knocked Takahashi off of the apron in the Biz Cliz's corner - then picked Hall up and dropped him with the Heavy Rain! Okada picked Hall up and sent him into the ropes, executing a picture-perfect dropkick, and in the midst of it all, Okada began signalling for the Tombstone Piledriver, picking Cody up just for Hall to reverse it into a fireman's carry - but Okada slid out, and a second dropkick stunned Hall! At ringside, Yujiro and Gallows got into it with YOSHI-HASHI and Toru Yano, with Yano using a steel chair to the back of "the Outlaw"! Inside, Okada did the Rainmaker Pose, and one Rainmaker Lariat later, Cody Hall was out, and down for the count!
Winners: Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano in 10:35 [***] Kazuchika Okada celebrated his win over Cody Hall after a barnburner of a six-man tag team exchange between members of CHAOS and members of the Bullet Club; "Rainmaker" regaining momentum after a big loss to Karl Anderson in the semi-finals of the New Japan Cup last month; Okada being joined in the ring by Toru Yano and YOSHI-HASHI, the three members of CHAOS victorious, whilst Doc Gallows and Yujiro Takahashi consoled a groggy Cody Hall, the Biz Cliz trio leaving.
8. IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MEIYU TAG (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) (c) vs BULLET CLUB (Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale) Since winning the IWGP Tag Team Championships back at Wrestle Kingdom 9, Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto, two childhood friends from the same school, have been on a career height like no other. The two uncrowned the reigning IWGP Tag Team Champions, Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson back in the Tokyo Dome, ending Gallows and Gun's 365 day reign as champions - and have since gone on to successfully defend the titles against them at the New Beginning in Osaka as well. Last month in the first round of the New Japan Cup, Goto and Shibata also warred over an opportunity to advance to the quarter-final round, and when the smoke cleared, it was Shibata who advanced. Shibata would fail in his efforts by losing to "the Machine Gun" in the quarter-final round, but Shibata and Goto's bond continued. That is however, until the day of the finals of the New Japan Cup, when two other members of the Bullet Club - "the Underboss" Bad Luck Fale and "Bad Boy" Tama Tonga - managed to defeat the two in a non-title bout. This immediately brought Fale and Tonga to the top of tag contendership ranks, which brings us here, with the Tongan contingent of the Biz Cliz challenging for the titles. Tonga in his facepaint stalked to the ring ahead of the calm and collected bouncer for the Bullet Club; "the Underboss" wearing shades and not showing a single hint of excitement for this title bout. On the contrary, Meiyu Tag also showed little enthusiasm other than Katsuyori Shibata's power-walk to the ring, whilst Hirooki Goto accompanied showboating a little more for the crowd - this being the second title defense for Meiyu Tag, three months into their reign as champions of the division. The match began just as Hirooki Goto was removing his ring jacket, but Shibata was wide awake, "the Wrestler"'s no-nonsense attitude saving his partner from a beating as he delivered a big boot to Bad Luck Fale, then gave Tonga several forearms; Hirooki Goto joining in on the fight with a lariat that merely paintbrushed the 300-plus pounder from Tonga, Fale responding with a right hand and some body blows against the ropes, before Tonga sent Goto out to the floor. With Goto out of the picture, Shibata tried to fend off Fale and Tonga further, but Fale delivered a big body blow slowing him down. Tonga sent Shibata off the ropes and Fale shoulder blocked him, before heading to the apron allowing Tonga and Shibata to take their places as the legal men in this high stakes match-up with the IWGP Tag Team Championships on the line. Tama Tonga tried to keep on top of Shibata, but Katsuyori had other plans, as Tonga sent him off the ropes again, leapfrogging him both forwards and backwards - but Shibata turned around and delivered another hard-hitting forearm to the face of Tonga! Shibata followed with a big boot rocking Tama back into the corner; "the Bad Boy" being the brunt of a forearm-embedded assault in the corner, courtesy of Shibata - but when he tried to walk around and set up for the basement dropkick to Tonga in the bottom corner - it was "the Underboss" who came in, a big shoulder block knocking Shibata down! Fale sent Shibata out to the floor whilst Tonga slid out of the ring and began to brawl with Goto; body blows on one side of the ring for Shibata, as Fale had him under his control, taking him into the staff section and slamming him face-first off of a conference table. Meanwhile, Goto tried to fight with Tonga, who responded with several punches to the face - clenched fists not extremely common in New Japan, but here with the Bullet Club's Tongan contingent around, it was anything goes, seemingly. Tonga tossed Goto up the aisleway, before sliding back inside of the ring - by which point the count-out was at eleven, and Shibata was in trouble of being counted out - but "the Wrestler" - who has never been known to quit very often, climbed back inside, just for Fale to deliver a big lariat to Shibata from the apron. Tonga tagged in the big man, and in came the former IWGP Intercontinental Champion - who began dishing out some punishment with a series of body blows for Shibata in the Biz Cliz's corner - somewhere Shibata definitely did not want to be. Fale tagged in Tonga, who ran in and knocked Goto off of the apron he had just climbed onto, before connecting with a big corner splash - and Fale started running in pursuit, connecting with another big corner for Katsuyori Shibata! Tonga covered, but Shibata remained in the fight. Moments later, Tonga began choking Shibata with both his hands and his boots - the mentality of "the Bad Boy" with ties to the Western culture of professional wrestling doing whatever it would take to grant him his first IWGP title victory tonight at Invasion Attack in front of ten-thousand strong in Ryogoku Kokugikan! Tonga picked Shibata up for the fireman's carry facebuster, but Shibata managed to break free - then connecting with a big slap to the chops of Tama - followed with a big spin kick to the gut - Shibata running off the ropes and ducking a lariat from Tonga; the German suplex connecting from Katsuyori, who then reached out and achieved the tag to Hirooki Goto! "Aramusha" came in a head full of steam for the fresh legal man, Bad Luck Fale - Hirooki Goto delivering several chest kicks to Fale to try and stun the big man; the "Underboss" not budging upon two shoulder blocks - which is when Shibata came back in - Meiyu Tag executing Fale with a double back suplex! Goto continued to pound away at Fale with multiple forearms, then lighting up the chest of Fale with more chest kicks, this time with Bad Luck on his knees, before running into a Samoan drop from Fale out of nowhere! Fale tagged in Tonga, who slid inside and crawled around the recovering Goto - the "Bad Boy" stalking Goto before attempting a Tongan Twist cutter - Goto slipping out of it but connecting with a Tokko discus lariat in response! Goto tagged in Shibata, who came in and immediately gave Tonga a series of chest kicks, before getting him up and connecting with the death valley driver! Shibata ran the ropes and attempted the Penalty Kick, just for Fale to come in and cut him off with a big lariat; and Fale attempted the Falling Coconut big splash off of the ropes, just for Goto to come in and deliver a big spinning wheel kick cutting Fale off at the ropes; a lariat sending Fale over the top rope to the floor! Goto left to brawl with Fale at ringside whilst Shibata picked Tonga up and dropped him with a front facelock suplex, before picking him up against and attempting the G2PK; but Tonga managed to slip out and execute "the Wrestler" with the Veleno double-underhook jumping DDT! Tonga covered, but Shibata miraculously kicked out at two! Shibata, whose first IWGP title win was this IWGP Tag Team Championship with Goto back at Wrestle Kingdom 9, in front of the Tokyo Dome, was not about to let Tonga and Fale slip away with their gold. Fale at ringside sent Goto into the guardrail, and as Shibata waited to get up, Tonga called for Fale to return to the ring - the two connecting with the Dawn Rawd - Tonga's spear in sync with Fale's lariat - clobbering Shibata, but when Tonga covered, Goto came in and shoved Fale on top of the count, breaking it up! Goto kicked Fale in the chest sending him out of the ring again - and leaving Tonga to fend for himself. Goto picked Tonga up on his shoulders and launched him into Shibata for a big Penalty Kick to the falling "Bad Boy" - Shibata covering him, and they picked up the three.
Winners: Meiyu Tag in 11:26 [***¼] ***STILL CHAMPIONS*** Meiyu Tag had managed to pick up the victory against another duo that the Bullet Club had put in their way, Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto celebrating their second successful defense by holding the IWGP Tag Team Championship belts high in the air, whilst Bad Luck Fale attended to Tama Tonga; the Tongan contingent unsuccessful in dethroning the champions in this particular outing - the Biz Cliz now to fight another day.
A video package aired, highlighting the career of Kota Ibushi - the thirty-two year old with roots coming from the Dramatic Dream Team promotion - known as the "Golden Star" with some astonishing aerial attacks named after this. Kota's reigns as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion was spotlighted, with Ibushi giving comments about how he fought hard to be the Ace of the junior heavyweight division, but ultimately wanted a greater challenge. He said that he wanted more, and always has. Which is why he graduated to the heavyweight class, striving to be accepted as a heavyweight. His matches with Shinsuke Nakamura from G1 Climax 23 and Wrestle Kingdom 9 were focused upon, with Ibushi failing on both occasions. Ibushi noted that so far, he has been unable to win a heavyweight crown, including the G1 Climax in 2013, the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and has failed to win the NEVER Openweight Championship in the past as well. Not to mention recently, where he fell in the finals of the 2015 New Japan Cup at the hands of Karl Anderson.On the topic of A.J. Styles, Ibushi said that he once respected him when wrestling overseas. He saw "the Phenomenal One" and was thrown aback by how gifted he was. But A.J. with the Bullet Club, he sees no such gifts. Ibushi said that he actually sees A.J. as being on the same level as himself - as footage aired from the New Beginning in Osaka - where Styles tried to interfere in Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson's match with Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto; Styles trying to cost Meiyu Tag their IWGP Tag Team Championships - just to fall to Shibata and Goto with the help of Ibushi. Kota said that he wanted to prove to everybody that A.J. used to be a big fish in a small pond - but in New Japan Pro Wrestling, how he had become a part of the furniture.
9. KOTA IBUSHI vs A.J. STYLESWith a lot to prove, the "Golden Star" made his way down to the ring determined, Kota Ibushi - the winner of such feats including three reigns as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, a run as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and winning the Best of the Super Juniors in 2011 - was now a heavyweight and wanting to do everything he could to say that he is accepted in this division. Ibushi, who came close by reaching the finals of the New Japan Cup last month, was embarking upon the IWGP Heavyweight Championship alongside fellow contender, and his rival in recent months, the "Phenomenal One" A.J. Styles. As Kota stood in the ring awaiting the arrival of the Bullet Club leader, A.J. came out with guns ablazing; the showman from Gainesville, Georgia - a former IWGP Heavyweight Champion himself, as well as a former multi-time TNA World Heavyweight Champion and NWA World Heavyweight Champion - he was here to continue the renaissance run of a lifetime - the sixteen year veteran ready to take Kota Ibushi to school, whereas Ibushi wanted to take Styles down a notch, to prove that not only was he on the same level of the "Phenomenal One", but that A.J. was nothing special in comparison to himself, and the rest of the New Japan Pro Wrestling locker room. Notably, Styles was not bringing company down to the ring with him, as he marched down the aisle showing off the symbols on his gloves - A.J. coming alone, ready for a special one-on-one singles affair in the semi-main event of Invasion Attack 2015. The two stood on opposite sides of the ring, as A.J. actively mocked Ibushi from affair with a sly crotch chop - trying to remind Kota who he was. Ibushi however, remembering the hard-fought battles with Shinsuke Nakamura and Karl Anderson already this year, was unimpressed and remained out to make a point. The bell sounded, and the two began close in on one another - the "Phenomenal One" going for a test of strength with Kota, just to hesitate at the last second. Styles was stalling Kota and trying to get the better of the young man, but Ibushi suddenly locked up with A.J. and cornered him, enabling Styles to call for a clean break, officially kicking off the match. The two locked up officially, and Ibushi trapping A.J. in a full nelson, before snapmaring him and working a headlock, but A.J. fidgeted his way out of it and into a leglock, gravevining it just for Kota to slide out freely, then going for the arm in a hammerlock hold on the mat. Styles slipped out of that and returned to his feet where he turned the hammerlock into another drop toe hold, before mounting Kota and applying a side headlock - Ibushi slowly trying to break himself free, but the grip A.J. had was too tight. Kota did however rise up to his feet, and he finally broke loose, just for Styles to kick him in the back of the leg, knocking Ibushi down - breaking the sequence - and when Kota got back up he was hot, but A.J. backed up. "The Phenomenal One" had an arrogant smirk on his face, trying to get under the "Golden Star"'s skin, but the two locked up again, this time with Kota going for the arm again and wrenching away at it - but Styles was fast to respond; rolling through, nipping up and taking the leg out from under him, dropping a simple knee across the skin of the younger Ibushi. Styles torted on the leg a little bit before changing over to a side headlock, but Kota once again was able to get to his feet, then running Styles off of the ropes and shoulder blocking him - Ibushi continued running the ropes, as Styles leapt up and leapfrogged over Ibushi, then dropped down as Ibushi continued to charge; but when Styles attempted a forearm smash, Kota ducked it and followed up with a front dropkick sending Styles through the ropes and to the floor! The "Golden Star" had mounted some offense now, as he shot across the ring to the corner, slingshotted to the middle rope on the apron looking for the moonsault to follow but Styles cowered away from it - wanting no part of Ibushi's aerial offense! Kota was very aware of this, as he climbed back into the ring, waiting for A.J. to give this match another try. The two locked up again, but this time Kota was a lot more offensive, trying to kick Styles just for A.J. to grab the leg, duck beneath Ibushi and angle his leg, slamming it across the back of his shoulder! "The Phenomenal One" stomped on the leg to add more insult to injury, wanting to try anything he could in order to slow down the known high flyer. Styles dictated the pace at this point, picking Ibushi up and executing the shinbreaker, forcing Ibushi to drop down to the mat once more - the veteran leader of the Bullet Club delivering a knee drop across the extended limb of his challenger; Styles showing his experience as he continued to stomp on Ibushi before covering for a quite easy kickout, keeping Kota alert. A.J. picked the leg of Kota up and attempted a submission, but luckily for Ibushi, he was able to drag Styles into the ropes, before getting back up and connecting with a right hand, followed by another one, and a low kick to the legs brought Styles to his knees for a big kick across the chest! Ibushi was back on offense though his leg was not as invulnerable as it was going into this bout; Ibushi picking Styles up and dropping him with a sideslam before heading up to the top rope, Ibushi coming off with a moonsault just for Styles to reach his knees; Ibushi landing on his feet and standing incorrectly on his damaged leg; Styles quickly capitalizing on delivering a back suplex-turned-seated facebuster to the "Golden Star"; A.J. covering, but Kota remained into the match. The "Phenomenal One" was doing a great job of isolating Ibushi at this point, trying to keep him grounded before executing wisely at the right time. A.J. Styles picked Kota Ibushi up again and cornered him, before stomping away at the raised leg, draped over the middle rope before Styles decided that he was ready to fly. A running splash in the corner followed, with Ibushi dropping to the mat, and a leaping knee drop followed suit - Styles covering again, just for Kota to kick out of his key offense. Styles had slowed the match pace down effectively, and continued to try and prove to Ibushi that he was superior than Kota's claim that they were both on the same level. Kota however, remained hungry as he reach his knees and delivering a right hand to the abdomen of Styles. A.J. responded with a knee to the head, taking Ibushi back a touch, but when Styles decided to go up to the top rope, Kota stopped him and delivering several drilling forearms to the jaw of the Biz Cliz member. Ibushi climbed up with Styles, where he attempted going for a top rope powerbomb, but Styles was able to block it out with some right shots to the back. A.J. slammed Ibushi's head against the turnbuckle padding, before attempting the Styles Clash from the top rope; just for Ibushi to miraculously reverse it into a super hurricanrana! Styles crashed to the mat and Ibushi was slow to capitalize, but Sumo Hall goaded him into covering, just for Styles to once again kick out! The "Phenomenal One" was not done fighting yet, although he did retreat to the ring apron, where Ibushi slowly crawled over, just to get elbow smashed away back into the centre of the ring. Styles came off the top rope with his springboard forearm smash to the face of Ibushi, and looked for the Styles Clash, just for Kota to reverse again into a hurricanrana with the legs hooked; the pin attempt only getting two as Styles powered out yet again; this time retreating out to the floor! In the heat of the moment, Styles needed time to breathe, which is when Kota rolled out of the ring on the other side; the two meeting on the floor with Kota trying to continue his ambush on A.J., but A.J. responded with some forearms before sending him face first into the ringside barrier. Styles continued to rain shots on Kota as the referee began to count both men out; the "Phenomenal One" trying to dump Kota over the barrier, just for Ibushi to respond with some defiant elbows and punches to A.J. in return; Kota with a head kick knocking Styles out on his feet; and Kota went up to the ring apron, before climbing to the second rope and attempting the moonsault again just for Styles to dodge it; Kota to land on his feet, hurting the bad leg even more, and Styles sent Kota sailing into the ring post! The count was at eleven at this point, as Styles crawled back inside of the ring, but Kota remained down, suffering from his leg injury sustained in this match, but he finally managed to break the count at nineteen! A.J. had Kota right where he wanted him, stomping away at the leg even further, as Kota attempted to fight him off. Styles charged off the opposite ropes, just for Ibushi to duck it, and connect with a Pelé kick to Styles; but Styles remained on his feet, turned his back to Ibushi and connected with the Pelé kick of his own, knocking Ibushi down! A.J. grabbed Kota's leg and rolled through, applying the Calf Killer and endangering Ibushi, whose leg was surely in a lot of pain after the damage done over the duration of this important match! Styles kept it locked in, as Kota continued to struggle, screaming for the ropes, but after seventy seconds locked in the hold, he managed to grab the bottom rope with his fingertips, despite being seconds away from tapping! Ibushi was in a world of hurt as A.J. attempted to bring him back into the centre by grabbing his foot; but Kota managed to knock A.J. off with a desperate enzuigiri! Ibushi, slow to capitalize again, limped over to A.J. and connected with a Dragon suplex before following with a roundhouse kick knocking A.J. down and out, as Kota limped up to the top rope! Ibushi was up, and looking for the Golden Star Press, just for Styles to roll out of the way - Ibushi wisely landing on his good foot, and nailing a big standing moonsault into the chest of Styles! The cover, but A.J. managed to kick out yet once again! Kota was giving Styles the fight of his life; the "Golden Star" here to win big, as Styles tried to use the ropes to bring himself back up to a vertical basis. Kota approached A.J. and attempted the elevated powerbomb, ready to pick him up for it, but Styles headbutted Ibushi wisely out of eyesight from referee Tiger Hattori; Styles backslid Kota, then got him up for the Styles Clash in the process, but Kota managed to slip out of it onto his feet; just in the knick of time for A.J. to try another Pelé kick; but Kota caught him by the waist, and connected with a deadlift German suplex - bridged, but A.J. yet again kicked out! Ibushi relented immediately, picking A.J. up for the elevated powerbomb successfully this time - but Styles slipped out and landed on the apron; delivering a stungun hanging Ibushi throat first on the top rope, before springboarding from the apron to the second rope in the ring, looking for the Stylin' DDT, but Kota dodged it and levelled Styles with a right hand, then a left hand, then a high kick dazing Styles! Ibushi connected this time around with the lifting sit-out powerbomb, but went up top for the Golden Star Press - this time landing right on the knees of A.J! Ibushi was hurting, and Styles hooked the head and dropped him with the Bloody Sunday underhook DDT; A.J. not releasing Kota, but instead lifting his limp body up, stepping over and dropping him with the Styles Clash - the cover, and that was it in an amazing effort by Kota Ibushi!
Winner: A.J. Styles in 21:35 [****¾]"The Phenomenal One" A.J. Styles had come out on top in the closing moments of what was admittedly a war between himself and "Golden Star" Kota Ibushi tonight at Invasion Attack, and arguably put on a match of the year candidate in the making, as Ibushi had tried his hardest to cement himself as a heavyweight, whilst proving that himself and Styles were on the same level - and you could argue that he succeeded in doing so. But at the end of the day, the leader of the Bullet Club had come out on top on his own with assistance from no other, as A.J. celebrated before being joined by Cody Hall in the ring, Hall helping Styles leave on his feet, exhausted from this hard-fought battle against the "Golden Star". Ibushi left on his feet, but limping as a result of the hard time A.J. had given him in this battle, Kota Ibushi sure to fight another day.
It was main event time, as a video package aired reviewing the lengthy history of the "Once in a Century Talent", Hiroshi Tanahashi. Tanahashi, a seven-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, has fought tooth and nail to get where he is today - the Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling, the man that helped bring New Japan out of dark days during the 2000s, bringing it to new, refreshing heights in 2015. Tanahashi in an interview said that he does it all for New Japan - that this is his life, and he wasn't going to let anybody ruin what he has helped rebuild and lead over the years. But in recent times, it was "the Machine Gun" Karl Anderson who has stood in his way. In 2013, Karl Anderson formed the Bullet Club, and ever since then, the villainous faction of outsiders have threatened NJPW like none other. Since their formation, the group has multiplied; Tanahashi has fallen numerous times to the Biz Cliz members, but despite this has hung onto the most valuable prize in this industry; defeating A.J. Styles at King of Pro-Wrestling last October to win it last.
Anderson claimed in an interview that NJPW is the Bullet Club's for the taking, that Tanahashi is a great athlete, but he has no place in the Biz Cliz's New Japan. He said that the old lion needs to put down, because he has a target on his back, and that he, "the Machine Gun" was going to put it down for good. Footage aired of Karl Anderson's rise to this point; also a New Japan veteran; a former four-time IWGP Tag Team Champion - but never had a taste of singles IWGP gold. He said that his day was here; evidenced by his desperate wins in last month's New Japan Cup, where he defeated YOSHI-HASHI, Katsuyori Shibata, Kazuchika Okada and Kota Ibushi in order to win the 2015 version of the tournament - all through the means of outside interference conducted by the Bullet Club. Going into tonight, it was the ultimate test for Anderson, and yet another test for Tanahashi's IWGP Heavyweight Championship career.
10. IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP HIROSHI TANAHASHI (c) vs KARL ANDERSON w/Doc GallowsThe "Once in a Century Talent", as Hiroshi Tanahashi proclaims himself to be, was walking into potentially the biggest challenge of his current reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion - the deep waters of facing another Bullet Club member, after managing to defeat A.J. Styles back at King of Pro-Wrestling last October to win the title for the seventh time. Sure enough, the proclaimed "Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling" has had a momentous reign as champion already, defending it successfully against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 9, then defeating Tetsuya Naito in a war of attrition at the New Beginning in Sendai. But in his third defense as champion, he was in deep waters against founding member of the Bullet Club, the "Machine Gun" Karl Anderson. This was evidenced as the challenger marched down to the ring accompanied by his best friend and tag team partner, "the Outlaw" Doc Gallows; the same man Anderson had held the IWGP Tag Team Championship with for 365 days throughout 2014. Anderson, given his track record through the New Japan Cup tournament's duration, was bound to have some assistance in claiming his first singles title against the man on the mountain in New Japan today. Hiroshi Tanahashi came down the rampway with poised confidence as always, like none other - the flashy, wild arm gestures of an air-guitar accompanying his bright red and white attire; the championship gold windowed around his waist. Tanahashi was unphased by Anderson's manager for the night, who continued to gloat his partner in the ring. Tanahashi entered, and got into a pointing match with Gallows and Gun from his corner; the "Once in a Century Talent" undressed of his ring jacket ready for competition in this main event bout with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line. The match began after in-ring introductions that went without any interference, but a lot of trash talking instead from Gallows and Anderson, who cockily talked trash about Tanahashi until Gallows left the ring. The two men circled the ring, as Hiroshi was alert of his surroundings with Gallows waiting like a shark from Anderson's corner; and in that slight second, Anderson attempted to jump Tanahashi, just for the champion to see him coming and with that the two men locked up, with Hiroshi holding Anderson up against the ropes, before Anderson then turned it around on the "Once in a Century Talent". The clean break remained clean, with Anderson honestly stepping away - and in that instance, the hyperactive Tanahashi took Anderson's head and applied a side headlock; Anderson standing on the heel of Tanahashi in order to break loose from it. Anderson locked in a side headlock of his own until deciding to take the arm and wrench away at it; the wristlock controlling Karl's offense in this bout, just before Hiroshi took Karl down with an arm wrench. Tanahashi kept the offense going on the mat, where Anderson tried to maintain his stance and remain on a championship calibre level with the champion; Anderson slipping out into an armlock of his own; but Tanahashi rolled backwards and locked in another side headlock; Anderson bringing Tanahashi up to his feet just for Hiroshi to send him off the ropes, where Tanahashi dropped down, and then leapfrogged, but Anderson stood waiting for Tanahashi to turn around, which is where Anderson tried a lariat; Tanahashi took the leg of Anderson and ducked it, before tripping "the Machine Gun" and trying for the ground Dragon Screw legwhip - Anderson managing to quickly reach the ropes! Karl Anderson tried to slip onto the apron, but Tanahashi saw him waiting there and dropkicked him down, before Tanahashi nipped up to the top rope, looking for an early High Fly Flow, wanting to get this match over and done with as soon as possible - but Doc Gallows stood defiantly in the way of Anderson and Tanahashi. Hiroshi dropped down and waited in the ring, allowing time for Anderson to slip back inside on his own terms, allowing for the match to continue. Hiroshi tried to lock up with Anderson, who went behind Tanahashi with a waistlock, just for Tanahashi to break free with a back elbow; running the rope just for Anderson to follow with a knee to the gut of Tanahashi, kitchen sinking the IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Karl began dishing out forearms for Tanahashi by the ropes, before sending him off the ropes, just for Hiroshi to duck it and come back with a flying forearm smash; Tanahashi with a dropkick for Anderson again, but when Tanahashi tried for a lariat, Anderson ducked it and connected with a running dropkick of his own laying the IWGP Heavyweight Champion out! Karl Anderson stomped away at Tanahashi, trying to ground the champion now; "the Machine Gun" sending Hiroshi into the corner and delivering a lariat there; the challenger following up by sending him face-fist into the padding repeatedly, leaving Tanahashi in a dazed state in the lower corner. Anderson ran the ropes, delivering a running boot to the face of Tanahashi, before the first cover of the match got a mere two count, with Tanahashi defiant to Anderson's attempts at victory. Karl followed with some heavy stomps to the head of Tanahashi, swinging for Hiroshi once more just for Tanahashi to fire back with a big forearm; and two more followed before the champion connected with a reverse DDT for two, as Doc Gallows cautiously knelt on the apron in case that was the match right there! Hiroshi saw him and tried to scare him off with a defiant kick to the air; the referee admonishing Gallows, when Anderson low blowed Anderson and connected with a back suplex! Anderson was back in control in this back-and-forth bout, wiping his foot confidently on the forehead of the "Once in a Century Talent". Anderson sent Tanahashi back into the lower corner, where he aimed for another running dropkick; but Tanahashi was able to dodge it before getting up to his feet quickly, then connecting with a standing senton in the corner! Hiroshi Tanahashi was once again in control, although his back was visibly bothering him; the "Once in a Century Talent" deciding to get even by picking up the leg and stomping on it, before this time succeeding with the Dragon Screw on Anderson! Karl's leg was hurting from the contortion of the leg and Tanahashi was now in control as he picked Karl up and body slammed him; the wise champion going to the second rope and coming off with a somersault senton just for Gallows to grab Anderson's foot and drag him out of the ring! Anderson goaded Tanahashi back to his feet from the apron, where he flipped over the top rope, connecting with a giant lariat knocking the champion down! Anderson followed by picking Tanahashi up and nailed him with a neckbreaker, the cover only getting two as Tanahashi yet again kicked out! Karl methodically stalked Tanahashi after the pin attempt, stomping away at Tanahashi's head and continuing to try and daze Tanahashi in hopes of setting up for the Gun Stun later on. He picked Tanahashi up and nailed him with a right hand, yet again getting him in the corner before darting across the ring, looking for the step-up kick to the jaw of Tanahashi, just for Tanahashi to side-step it and Anderson got himself tied up by a leg on the top rope! Tanahashi saw Anderson tied up on the second rope and climbed to the top rope via the apron - looking for a High Fly Flow; just for Anderson to slip loose of the hold; Anderson then going up top and nailing him with a second-rope assisted step-up boot to the face! Tanahashi this time fell in a tree of woe position, where "the Machine Gun" took advantage of, then picking up the head and delivering not one, but two neckbreakers right across the knee of the Biz Cliz leader! Anderson mocked Tanahashi with a machine gun pose, before charging Hiroshi and catching him with a back elbow in the corner; but the leg of Karl's was visibly bothering him - to which a toe kick went wrong, and Tanahashi dove through the ropes, hyperextending the leg of Anderson's over the middle rope! The referee aided to Anderson, whilst Tanahashi took a moment to catch his breath and got ambushed from behind by Doc Gallows! Gallows pounded on the back of Tanahashi's head, before Anderson slowly limped out of the ring; Anderson with a knee to the gut and a gorilla press slamming Tanahashi's chest into the blunt edge of the ringside barrier! Anderson picking Tanahashi up and tried to pick his foe up for a powerbomb; Tanahashi trying his hardest to block it, but Anderson delivering a big high knee to the face of Hiroshi; then delivering a powerbomb right on the apron! Karl slid back inside and picked Tanahashi up, dropping him with a fisherman buster yet again across the knee; and the cover still managed to only get two with Tanahashi remaining vigilant and able to kick out! Karl Anderson wanted to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to cement the Bullet Club's dominance over New Japan Pro Wrestling; "the Machine Gun" eyeing a prone Hiroshi Tanahashi up, almost to prepare himself for the Gun Stun, just for Tanahashi to see him coming and connect with the Sling Blade! Tanahashi slowly got back to a vertical basis, feeling the effects of the damage done to his neck and spine during this match still. Tanahashi met a recovering Anderson on their feet, where Hiroshi ducked a right forearm and dropkicked the leg of Anderson again, before picking the limb up and executing the Dragon Screw one more time! Tanahashi was on it again, as he tried to apply the Cloverleaf, just for Anderson to kick him off into the referee! Red Shoes Unno went down, and when Tanahashi turned back, he walked right into a spinning spinebuster from "the Machine Gun"! Anderson signalled to Gallows to enter the ring, and the big man brought a steel chair with him; "the Outlaw" nailing Tanahashi in the abdomen with it, and once more across the spine - Anderson following up with the Gun Stun, laying Tanahashi out! He covered Hiroshi and Gallows tried to wake Unno up from the referee slumber; when of all people Kazuchika Okada ran down to the ring, darting in and delivering a big lariat to Gallows knocking him over the top rope! "Rainmaker" was actually coming to the aid of his arch rival Tanahashi, which is when Okada pointed to Anderson - almost as if to say 'you cost me this opportunity back in the finals of the New Japan Cup last month!' - Okada slid out of the ring and grabbed a hold of Gallows; the two brawling their way up the aisleway, and out of sight! The referee awoke however, and began counting down on Tanahashi, who powered out somehow from the two-on-one assault that preceded it! Anderson was shocked, as he slowly picked Tanahashi up and attempted to get him on his shoulders for the Swivel Gun Stun; but Tanahashi slipped out, and connected with a second Sling Blade; the Tokyo Sumo Hall on their feet, as Tanahashi mounted the top rope, looking for the High Fly Flow - and he came off and met the knees of "the Machine Gun"! Anderson got back to his feet and picked Tanahashi up, dropping him with a big Bernard Driver - the belly-to-belly piledriver being a tribute to Anderson's former partner Giant Bernard - the cover, and Tanahashi managed to power out once again somehow, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line in this bout!
Anderson slowly picked Hiroshi Tanahashi up and looked to get him with the sit-out powerbomb, but the "Once in a Century Talent" slipped out and attempted a Dragon suplex; Anderson breaking the full nelson's grip - but Tanahashi turned it into a straightjacket suplex, the bridge effective, but Anderson kicked out again in the heat of a tense championship defense! Tanahashi slowly mounted to his feet over Anderson, delivering a big forearm to the challenger. "The Machine Gun" sent Tanahashi rocking with one of his own. Both men began battling it out over forearm exchanges, with neither man appearing to budge until Anderson suddenly scooped Tanahashi up, looking for the Swivel Gun Stun again - but Tanahashi broke loose and tripped his opponent; Hiroshi Tanahashi then applying the Cloverleaf on Anderson! Anderson rived in pain, now out there all alone with nobody to help him out, and Tanahashi had the submission locked in tightly! Anderson tried to reach the ropes, but Tanahashi managed to rope him back into the middle of the ring, with nowhere to go! Anderson was about ready to tap when he managed to miraculously turn himself onto his back, and send Tanahashi crashing into the corner! Anderson followed up with a big bicycle kick to the jaw of Tanahashi, then tried for the Gun Stun, just for Tanahashi to throw him off; Anderson then attempting to nail Tanahashi in the corner once more, just getting sent into the turnbuckle face first instead for his worries. Tanahashi charged and connected with a High Fly Flow crossbody in the corner, and Anderson dropped down to his knees; Tanahashi with a side slam followed up by mounting the top rope and coming off with a successful High Fly Flow! Tanahashi wasn't done yet though, as he once again came up to the top rope and connected yet again with a second High Fly Flow - the cover, and Anderson went down for the count!
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi in 22:29 [***¾] ***STILL CHAMPION***
When the smoke cleared, it was the "Once in a Century Talent" that managed to come out victorious yet again after a gruelling main event title fight against "the Machine Gun" Karl Anderson" Hiroshi Tanahashi, sore back and neck and all, rose to his feet and began to celebrate a hard-hitting bout full of twists and turns in an eventful third defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship crown! Anderson remained down, but Tanahashi continued to celebrate, unbothered by the lengths that his opponent had gone to; overcoming the Bullet Club once more tonight in Ryogoku Kokugikan! Though it was arguable that of all the people in the world, it was Kazuchika Okada who evened the score, and took care of a persistent shark in the proverbial water, in Doc Gallows during this bout - Okada, the same man that has rivalled Tanahashi since his return to New Japan in 2012 - and Anderson, the same man that stole the finals of the 2015 New Japan Cup away from the "Rainmaker". Was there a truce in place, conspired to cancel out the Bullet Club claiming the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, or mere shared rivals, with Okada not wanting Anderson anywhere near his title either?
Regardless, Tanahashi was in the ring celebrating when he was met with another familiar face: it was "the Phenomenal One" A.J. Styles. Styles climbed into the ring with Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks, whilst Cody Hall aided to the fallen Karl Anderson, taking him to the back. A.J. Styles had a staredown with Hiroshi Tanahashi, "the Phenomenal One" coming off of a hard-fought battle with Kota Ibushi earlier tonight, now motioning to Tanahashi that he wanted the IWGP Heavyweight Championship back. Styles and the Bullet Club left together, whilst Hiroshi Tanahashi nodded his head, as if to say he accepted the next challenge that the Bullet Club was about to throw his way. Tanahashi took the house mic and began to celebrate his victory, thanking the fans for supporting him and supporting New Japan Pro Wrestling. He closed by saying that A.J. Styles would be his next challenger, and much like the last time they met in October - one man will reign supreme - the "Once in a Century Talent" Hiroshi Tanahashi!
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Post by DTP. on Mar 14, 2016 21:44:33 GMT -5
| NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING - PRESS CONFERENCE NOTES
Sunday, April 5, 2015 - Post-Invasion Attack Edition |
After the events of Invasion Attack, there were a lot of questions to be answered, and these took place at the event's post-show press conference, held in Sumida, Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan venue, where the press gathered to bare witness to Kazuchika Okada discussing his reasoning for getting involved in the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match between arch rival Hiroshi Tanahashi and Karl Anderson. "Rainmaker" denied that there was any common bond or allegiance for that matter between himself and Tanahashi. He proclaimed Tanahashi a "rival for life", and that he would not ever contemplate a positive relationship with the "Once in a Century Talent" until he had passed the torch on. Okada did however say that his reasoning for getting involved in the main event was down to Karl Anderson not being worthy of the IWGP crown - stating that he wanted to get even for the way he was screwed out of the New Japan Cup last month, thanks to the antics of the Bullet Club. Gedo vowed that they were going to get Karl Anderson back for the loss sustained at New Japan Cup, and that tonight was only a mere beginning.
Karl Anderson had some different comments; "the Machine Gun" who had been unsuccessful in his efforts to beat Hiroshi Tanahashi moments earlier for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, touted by Cody Hall. Anderson was hurting visibly, as he emotionally yelled about how Tanahashi got lucky, and that the Bullet Club would decimate Tanahashi and take the IWGP throne. He spoke about Kazuchika Okada's involvement, accusing Okada of having a common bond alliance with Tanahashi; that Tanahashi and Okada are allies working together in secret within CHAOS to stop the Biz Cliz - but ignoring the fact that it was he who won at New Japan Cup - that he's the man, and Okada, the so-called "Ace of the New Era" - that nickname is redundant. Because as long as the Bullet Club are around, Okada isn't going anywhere but downhill. Anderson vowed retribution on both Okada and Tanahashi, as he grabbed a reporter by the neck and pushed him down; Anderson storming off with Cody following suit.
Hiroshi Tanahashi celebrated his victory against Karl Anderson with a beer, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Tanahashi was asked about his situation with Kazuchika Okada, to which he had no idea about. Tanahashi claimed that he was merely doing his job at defending New Japan Pro Wrestling against the Bullet Club. He said as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, and Ace of New Japan Pro Wrestling, he has to defend the homeland. He said that he wants to bring NJPW to new heights unforeseen even in the company's forty-three year history - and he rebuilt this land. But he's not done. Tanahashi admitted he wasn't even aware that Okada was out there to help him - but he doesn't need it; the stubborn champion stating that Okada can do whatever he wants, but he doesn't like somebody of "that group" - CHAOS - getting involved in his own business. It just makes for a bad situation. When asked about the challenge from A.J. Styles, he said that he has fought A.J. several times now since their first bout ten years ago. Tanahashi smiled as he said Styles brings out the youth in him. He told the press that he wasn't going to let Styles take the IWGP title from him - whenever this match happens, he was going to give A.J. a reminder of King of Pro-Wrestling last October when he beat him for the gold.
IN OTHER NEWS... Tetsuya Naito was asked about why he disrespected Shinsuke Nakamura in the midst of their six-man tag team bout earlier on. Naito mentioned that he doesn't dislike Nakamura at all. But he's had an unpleasant run so far, and he wants some gold around his waist. He claimed that Nakamura has something he hasn't got, but refused to comment on what it was...
An emotional Kota Ibushi spoke about how he has tried time and time again to beat someone big in the heavyweight ranks. He's tried to win heavyweight thrones, but he hasn't been successful at that either. But he said he will keep on fighting. He came close with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at the Tokyo Dome. He came close with the New Japan Cup last month. And tonight, he took A.J. Styles to the limit, whether he likes to admit it or not...
Shinsuke Nakamura and Roppongi Vice partied their way into the press conference room after a victory against Tetsuya Naito and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions ReDRagon earlier on, with Nakamura asking Romero and Barreta about when they're going to challenge for the titles. Barreta found it hard to understand Shinsuke's broken English, which led to Romero bantering with his new partner, and speaking in Japanese jokes at Barreta's expense, much to his confusion. RPG Vice left, vowing to claim the titles from Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish; whilst Shinsuke was asked about Naito; who said he was intrigued by the prospect of a match with him, and he definitely showed some promise tonight. But is it enough for Naito to actually win a big match? Not likely...but we'll see, Shinsuke smiled.
Daisuke Sekimoto made his first appearance at a New Japan press conference, appearing here after making his first appearance in months, attacking NEVER Openweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii after a hard-hitting match with Togi Makabe. Sekimoto was asked why he joined New Japan, which is when he commented that he wanted to be the hardest hitter in the country of Japan. He called himself "Muscle Monster", and said that Ishii walks around like the big dog, but the "Stone Pitbull" has no bite. Sekimoto was then interrupted by Togi Makabe, the "Bousou Kingkong" initially looking annoyed with Sekimoto for getting involved, which is when Makabe asked Daisuke how important that was to him. He told Makabe that he had waited months for another shot at Ishii, match or no match. Makabe grinned and offered a handshake to Sekimoto; which Sekimoto accepted. Makabe welcomed Daisuke Sekimoto, the newest member of the New Japan roster, and the newest member of Great Bash Heel.
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Joined on: May 9, 2024 16:50:10 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2016 4:39:29 GMT -5
> Sekimoto
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Post by DTP. on Mar 16, 2016 15:56:14 GMT -5
| WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER April 6, 2015 by Dave Meltzer |
NEW JAPAN INVASION ATTACK 2015 POLL RESULTS Thumbs up 46 Thumbs down 0 Thumbs in the middle 0
A.J. Styles and Kota Ibushi managed to have one of the year's best matches at the annual Invasion Attack show in Tokyo Sumo Hall on 4/5. The match was layered in order to make Kota look like a breakout superstar for New Japan, where he has previously been used particularly as a preliminary star that has been a top guy in the junior division. A.J. Styles winning the match and later challenging Hiroshi Tanahashi sets up for a rematch between the two, presumably on 7/5 at NJPW's next major show, Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall, although that's not official, at least yet.
Invasion Attack was a major success in terms of momentum for the company, selling out Sumo Hall at least eleven days in advance. The show was seen by 9,500 people in the building, which would be the first time Sumo Hall has sold out that far in advance for a non-G1 Climax or jointly promoted show. One big problem with the show was that New Japan World crashed and wasn't working for hours, and only a small percentage of people reported that they were able to watch the show live. This was the first time New Japan World had crashed since its launch, and the reason is unknown especially when considering how Wrestle Kingdom 9, which also aired on New Japan World in cooperation with the Flipps TV app, went off without a glitch.
The show clocked in at just under four hours in length, but was easy to watch with multiple very good matches. A few set up for their next tour, which will build up to Wrestling Dontaku on May 3 - and that tour begins on April 17 at Korakuen Hall (which will be shown on New Japan World). Prior to Dontaku, New Japan also has a special house show on April 29 in Kumamoto billed as 'Wrestling Hinokuni'.
A press conference will be held after this is released (4/6), which is sure to reveal the cards for these matches, as well as something related to the ROH tour in North America/Canada next month. We'll have coverage on these next week.
Daisuke Sekimoto is officially a part of the New Japan roster as of Invasion Attack. Sekimoto originally debuted on 1/5 for the post-Mania Wrestle Kingdom aftermath show in Korakuen Hall by attacking Tomohiro Ishii, but before signing a one-year contract wished to fulfil the rest of his commitments before becoming exclusive to the promotion. Sekimoto has been positioned as Ishii's rival due to their similar styles, and also been paired with Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma in the virtually invisible G.B.H. faction; apparently a decision has been made to revamp the faction, which has been a two-man group for several years now.
Tomoaki Honma was not present during the Invasion Attack tour due to suffering from an injured shoulder, but should be back on the next tour. Similarly, KUSHIDA should be working this tour after missing the last one due to suffering a sprained hand that was previously reported to be broken here.
Trent Barreta (for some reason in New Japan he is called simply 'Barreta') was revealed as Rocky Romero's official tag team partner moving forward, as revealed on the 3/29 show in Act City. Barreta made his first appearance since the Super Junior Tag Tournament in October 2013, and will be appearing full-time for New Japan as Romero's partner - as well as the independent circuit in the United States. This has been made clear as Barreta and Romero (billed as 'Roppongi Vice') are scheduled for upcoming Ring of Honor shows, as well as for various other promotions.
New Japan President Takaaki Kidani revealed this week that New Japan World currently has 23,000 subscribers, with 15% of this number coming from outside of Japan. New Japan World had 20,000 at the time of Wrestle Kingdom 9 in the Tokyo Dome, which means there has been little growth in the first quarter of 2015. The idea of online subscription streaming just hasn't caught on well in Japan at all. The WWE Network is yet to announce a launch date for the country, too.
Gaijin that will be over for the Wrestling Dontaku tour has names A.J. Styles, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Tama Tonga, Bad Luck Fale, Kenny Omega, Barreta and Rocky Romero, the Young Bucks, ReDRagon and The Kingdom from ROH (although they will be joining the tour on 4/27 due to having an ROH commitment on 4/25).
In an update on the Mr Niebla situation, which dates back to the NJPW/CMLL Fantastica Mania tour this past January where Niebla worked the first night of the tour and then disappeared from cards, and then was fired by CMLL. Niebla disappeared after the first night of the tour and didn't show up for the bus the next day because when somebody went to get him he was passed out on his bed. In Mexico, they probably would have dragged him onto the bus and brought him to the next town, but in Japan he spent three days in hospital. New Japan were furious and made CMLL pay the hospital bill; and as a result, CMLL fired Niebla. That is until this past week, where they re-hired him.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 16, 2016 16:11:16 GMT -5
| NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING - PRESS CONFERENCE NOTES
Monday, April 6, 2015 - Wrestling HINOKUNI/DONTAKU Announcements |
Unlike the press conference the night prior, this press conference was based solely around official announcements made by higher management in New Japan Pro Wrestling. The first of which came when NJPW President Takaaki Kidani announced that freelancer Daisuke Sekimoto had signed with the company to a one year contract, coming off of his debut for the promotion the night prior. Sekimoto appeared and put himself over as a force that New Japan hadn't seen yet, and vowed to make a lot of change and gain a lot of respect throughout the next twelve months.
Next came the announcement that the April 29 show in Korakuen Hall that's to be broadcast on New Japan World and Asahi-TV will be known as Wrestling HINOKUNI, and will feature the IWGP Tag Team Championships defended when Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto of Meiyu Tag take on A.J. Styles and Yujiro Takahashi of the Bullet Club. They didn't announce any more matches for the card, stating that this is to be determined.
Wrestling Dontaku's headline match on May 3 in Fukuoaka International Center will be Shinsuke Nakamura defending the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Tetsuya Naito. Shinsuke Nakamura appeared specially for the occasion, cutting a promo about how he knows little about Naito but knows that he is hungry and this is why he plans to shut him down. He talked a lot about how he has established the Intercontinental belt as the alternative number one championship in New Japan today, proclaiming it as being on the same level as the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion appeared briefly to declare his intentions of accepting A.J. Styles' challenge at Invasion Attack for a future title match, but will wait until A.J. is back in the country later this month for an official contract signing to take place.
Lastly, G1 Climax 25 was officially announced, boasted as being the biggest G1 of all time. Not much was divulged about the tournament at this stage, however it was revealed that this year will feature the biggest schedule ever, including the following dates:
July 20, 2015 - Hokkaido, Japan - Hokkaido Sports Center July 23, 2015 - Shizuoka, Japan - Twin Messe Shizuoka July 24, 2015 - Honshu, Japan - Kyoto City Budokan Center July 25, 2015 - Kanagawa, Japan - Takamatsu City Gymnasium July 26, 2015 - Hiroshima, Japan - Hiroshima Green Arena July 28, 2015 - Oita, Japan - Beppu B-Con Plaza July 29, 2015 - Fukuoka, Japan - Fukuoka International Center August 1, 2015 - Osaka, Japan - Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium August 2, 2015 - Aichi, Japan - Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium August 4, 2015 - Miyagi, Japan - Sendai Sun Plaza August 5, 2015 - Iwate, Japan - Iwate Industrial Bunka Center Apio August 7, 2015 - Shizuoka, Japan - Act City Hamamatsu August 8, 2015 - Kanagawa, Japan - Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium August 9, 2015 - Tokyo, Japan - Korakuen Hall August 11, 2015 - Tokyo, Japan - Korakuen Hall August 12, 2015 - Tokyo, Japan - Korakuen Hall August 14, 2015 - Tokyo, Japan - Ryogoku Kokugikan August 15, 2015 - Tokyo, Japan - Ryogoku Kokugikan August 16, 2015 - Tokyo, Japan - Ryogoku Kokugikan
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Post by DTP. on Mar 17, 2016 8:02:46 GMT -5
| WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER April 13, 2015 by Dave Meltzer |
NEW JAPAN INVASION ATTACK 2015 POLL RESULTS Thumbs up 149 Thumbs down 0 Thumbs in the middle 0
It is expected that the Wrestling Hinokuni show will have another title match in an attempt to boost the show further. The show was revealed officially at a press conference last Monday regarding the show, which will be held on 4/29 in Kumamoto. The show will be headlined by Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto defending the IWGP Tag Team Championship against A.J. Styles & Yujiro Takahashi. It could feature a proposed title match from the Wrestling Dontaku card (which is only five days later) being moved ahead to the date of this show, but nothing is official. It could be the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, held by Hiroyoshi Tenzan, that will be defended. Or the CMLL World Welterweight Championship held by Mascara Dorada.
The G-1 Climax was first announced during the same press conference as this, with nineteen dates announced - definitely their longest calendar schedule for the G-1 since its inception. It could be that this year's G-1 features more than two blocks, as they've made a point already of boasting that this year will be bigger than ever. That tour begins on 7/20 in Hokkaido and concludes with three shows at Tokyo Sumo Hall, the last of which being on 8/16.
Samoa Joe has decided not to continue negotiations with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Joe was previously in talks with the company, but nothing serious. Joe is currently the hottest free agent in professional wrestling, having left TNA in January and then worked for ROH until 3/27 in Ridgewood, which was his last date. He was working on pay-per-appearance, and all rumors point to Joe talking with WWE.
The Best of the Super Juniors tournament of 2015 will begin on 5/22 and conclude on 6/7. At this point it is expected that all shows will be shown on New Japan World. Names for the show currently include Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish, Nick Jackson (Matt will be absent due to his wife giving birth around this time), Mascara Dorada, Jushin Liger, Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi, Rocky Romero, Barreta, among others. There is a push to get Ricochet on board for the tour, but with his current Lucha Underground obligations, it's doubted that he will be available for this stretch of time.
The new tour begins on 4/17 in Korakuen Hall, broadcast live on New Japan World. The show has Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Kazushi Sakuraba & Gedo vs Tetsuya Naito & Daisuke Sekimoto & Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma as the main event, which will be Sekimoto's first match under contract. It is not known whether booking Naito with the revamped Great Bash Heel faction was intentional or not.
Add Takaaki Watanabe to the list of New Japan talent that will be working the North American/Canadian tour with Ring of Honor. Watanabe, now based in New Jersey, was trained in the Dojo as a young boy, and has been on excursion for over a year now. This would be his first reuniting with the company since he left.
Tiger Mask will work the Cauliflower Alley Club festivities on 4/13, where he is to defend the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship vs Chase Owens. If history has anything to do with it, Owens may win the title here, as New Japan are eager to bring Owens back overseas - and also because last year it was Rob Conway who regained the NWA World Heavyweight Championship by beating Satoshi Kojima. Owens previously appeared for New Japan in unsuccessfully challenging then-champion Jushin Liger for the title back at the New Beginnings show in Osaka.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 19, 2016 14:07:39 GMT -5
| NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING - PRESS CONFERENCE NOTES
Monday, April 17, 2015 - Official Wrestling HINOKUNI Conference |
Today, the official press conference for the Wrestling HINOKUNI event took place, on the same day as the opening tour date of the Road to Wrestling Dontaku in Tokyo, Japan's Korakuen Hall. Press gathered as the cards were released to the public, with Wrestling HINOKUNI on April 29 in Kumamoto featuring:
- Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto (MEIYU TAG) vs A.J. Styles & Yujiro Takahashi (BULLET CLUB) for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Champions Meiyu Tag took the stand first, talking about how much it means to them to be IWGP Tag champions together, leading the heavyweight tag team division and trying to keep the title gold away from the Bullet Club members - particularly after Gallows and Gun's reign of terror in 2014, where they held the throne for 365 days. They pronounced themselves fighting champions after beating Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga and Bad Luck Fale, then claiming that defeating A.J. Styles and Yujiro Takahashi will complete their cleansing of the heavyweight tag scene. A.J. Styles and Yujiro Takahashi spoke next, claiming that Shibata and Goto's little fairytale doesn't have a pleasant ending, with the Biz Cliz members taking the titles for themselves.
- Shinsuke Nakamura & Gedo & Tomohiro Ishii & Kazushi Sakuraba (CHAOS) vs Tetsuya Naito & Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma & Daisuke Sekimoto (G.B.H.). Tetsuya Naito spoke first, saying that he was not a member of G.B.H. nor did he want to be. He said that he's in this match for one thing, and that's to get a win against the so-called "great" Shinsuke Nakamura. He said that he will take the IWGP Intercontinental Championship away from him, and that in the past although he has shown respect to his opponents - this time is different, and this time he isn't letting himself slip further down the card. Daisuke Sekimoto spoke out about this being his official in-ring debut for New Japan, stating that he wanted to show that the new Great Bash Heel was dominating, and that he was going to display it by beating Tomohiro Ishii in the middle of the ring.
- Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale (BULLET CLUB) vs Kazuchika Okada & Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI (CHAOS). The Bullet Club took the stage first, with Karl Anderson stating that he was upset by his loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Invasion Attack but that it wouldn't bother him because now he realizes that it was all Kazuchika Okada's fault. Anderson called out Okada, stating that given a time and a place, he would replicate the semi-final round of the New Japan Cup, and that the Biz Cliz would destroy the "Rainmaker". The two had a tense confrontation with Kazuchika Okada and Anderson nearly coming to blows before being separated by their faction-mates. Things escalated when Toru Yano tossed his water bottle at Bad Luck Fale, who then swung for Yano, and the Young Lions had to get involved to break things up.
- Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson (YOUNG BUCKS/BULLET CLUB) vs Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada (HÉROES VOLADORES). With Nick and Matt not present due to working commitments in the States, Máscara Dorada took the time to thank the press for welcoming him into New Japan full-time, stating that although he does miss Mexico and CMLL at times, he relishes the thought of competing for big opportunity in Japan. Jushin Liger talked about this being a rematch from Invasion Attack, and how the Young Bucks stole victory. They called themselves 'Héroes Voladores' - their team name from now on, and stated that they wanted the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles.
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan (TENCOZY) vs Satoshi Kojima (TENCOZY) for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Both members of TenCozy took the stand at the same time, with Satoshi Kojima expressing his desire to regain the NWA title, calling it still a prestigious title belt in his eyes. Hiroyoshi Tenzan said that he likes wrestling Kojima whenever the opportunity arises, stating that they will beat up one another until the other cannot go any longer - and when that's all said and done, Tenzan will show that he is the NWA Champion for a reason.
- Tiger Mask vs Steve Anthony (NWA) for the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Championship. Tiger Mask said that he was surprised how he managed to beat Jushin Liger for the title on March 22, when he won the title - and that Steve Anthony is a hard-working competitor from what he has seen, and looks forward to their match.
Another press conference was announced for April 25 in Matsuyama, Ehime, where wrestlers on the card for Wrestling Dontaku will be announced. The official card for Dontaku will be revealed in the following days.
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Post by DTP. on Mar 19, 2016 14:31:09 GMT -5
| NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU '15 Sunday, May 3, 2015 - Fukuoka International Center - Fukuoka, Fukuoka |
champion
"King of Strong Style" Shinsuke Nakamura(CHAOS) | IWGP Intercontinental Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | "Stardust☆Genius" Tetsuya Naito |
| NEVER Openweight Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | challenger "Muscle Monster" | "Rainmaker" Kazuchika Okada
(CHAOS) | Special Singles Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | "The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson
(BULLET CLUB)
| Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma | Special 6-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | "BULLET CLUB" A.J. Styles, Doc Gallows, Yujiro Takahashi and Cody Hall
(BULLET CLUB) | champion "The Cleaner"
| IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | challenger "Funky Weapon" Ryusuke Taguchi
| champions "Meiyu Tag" Katsuyori Shibata and Hirooki Goto
| IWGP Tag Team Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit]
| challengers "The Kingdom" Matt Taven and Michael Bennett
(ROH)
| "BULLET CLUB" Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga
(CHAOS)
| Special Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Toru Yano and Kazushi Sakuraba(CHAOS) | champions "ReDRagon" Bobby Fish & Kyle O'Reilly
(ROH)
| IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship VS [1 fall, 60 minute time limit] | challengers
"Roppongi Vice" Rocky Romero and Barreta(CHAOS) challengers"The Young Bucks" Nick & Matt Jackson(BULLET CLUB) | "Loose Explosion" YOSHI-HASHI
(CHAOS)
| Special Singles Match VS [1 fall, 15 minute time limit] | | Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask and Sho Tanaka
| Special 8-Man Tag Team Match VS [1 fall, 30 minute time limit] | Jushin Thunder Liger, Máscara Dorada, KUSHIDA and Jay White
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Post by DTP. on Mar 23, 2016 11:58:48 GMT -5
| NJPW ROAD TO WRESTLING DONTAKU '15
Friday, April 17, 2015 - Korakuen Hall - Bunkyō, Tokyo Sunday, April 19, 2015 - Yamanashi Messe Hall - Kofu-Shi, Yamanashi |
Day 1 - Korakuen Hall - Tokyo, Japan (April 17)
1. CHAOS (Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano) def. Sho Tanaka & Yohei Komatsu in 7:23 after the Sakuraba Lock on Tanaka.
2. Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi def. Steve Anthony, Satoshi Kojima & Jay White in 8:08 after the Anaconda Vise by Tenzan on White.
3. Ryusuke Taguchi, Yuji Nagata & Héroes Voladores (Jushin Thunder Liger & Máscara Dorada) def. BULLET CLUB (Kenny Omega, Cody Hall, Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) in 9:23 after the sliding hip attack by Taguchi to Hall. After the match, the Young Bucks and Kenny Omega attacked Taguchi and Héroes Voladores.
5. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI) def. G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) & Tetsuya Naito in 11:32 after the sliding lariat by Ishii to Honma.
6. Gallows and Gun (Doc Gallows & Karl Anderson) def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Gedo) in 12:44 after the Magic Killer on Gedo.
7. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) & Captain New Japan def. BULLET CLUB (A.J. Styles, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Yujiro Takahashi) in 15:24 after the Shouten Kai by Goto to Tonga.
Day 2 - Yamanashi Messe Hall - Yamanashi, Japan (April 19)
1. Sho Tanaka def. Yohei Komatsu in 8:20 after the Boston crab.
2. Gedo def. Jay White in 7:40 after the Complete Shot.
3. Yuji Nagata & Satoshi Kojima def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Manabu Nakanishi in 10:04 after the Lariat by Kojima to Tenzan.
4. Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask def. Kenny Omega & Steve Anthony in 8:33 after the Millenium Suplex by Tiger Mask on Anthony. Kenny Omega didn't even try to break up the count in what was essentially a handicap match.
5. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI, Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano) def. BULLET CLUB (Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale) in 12:34 after the Akakiri roll-up by Yano on Fale.
6. BULLET CLUB (A.J. Styles, Cody Hall Nick Jackson, Matt Jackson & Yujiro Takahashi) def. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Meiyu Tag (Katsuyori Shibata & Hirooki Goto) & Héroes Voladores (Máscara Dorada & Jushin Thunder Liger) in 15:56 after the Indytaker by the Young Bucks on Dorada.
7. G.B.H. (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma), Tetsuya Naito & Captain New Japan w/Daisuke Sekimoto def. CHAOS (Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii & Barreta & Rocky Romero) in 13:22 after the King Kong Knee Drop by Makabe on Barreta. After the match a brawl broke out between Sekimoto and Ishii.
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