Tag: lion’s gate project results

NJPW Lion’s Gate Project 13 results: Shota Umino vs. Yoshida

Posted on by Ethan Renner

At Tokyo’s Shinjuku Face, New Japan Pro Wrestling held their 13th Lion’s Gate Project show on Wednesday.

The main event saw K-DOJO’s Ayato Yoshida take on NJPW’s standout Young Lion Shota Umino, before a reported crowd of 364, in a building typically scaled to hold near 500, the smallest crowd to date for a Lion’s Gate Project event. 

Here are the results from the show:

Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura went to a time limit draw

The story here was that Tsuji couldn’t put Uemura away, and Uemura showed great fighting spirit. 

Uemura was the aggressor early, refusing to break cleanly against the ropes. They traded hammerlocks until Tsuji got a shoulder block takedown and worked a heel hook and a kneebar. Uemura did a nice job selling his leg. 

Tsuji continued working the leg, applying another heel hook. Uemura made a comeback, including hitting a sweet dropkick. He applied a Boston Crab, but Tsuji made the ropes, then came back with a dropkick of his own. 

They traded strikes, and Tsuji took control of the bout. Tsuji applied a crab, but Uemura survived — and the bell rang at the time limit. A nice simple match, with a good story and good selling. 

Ren Narita defeated Shunsuke Sayama

This was my first time seeing Sayama, who has worked some K-DOJO and Wrestle-1 shows. He did okay here, but it was clear that Narita was working down to Sayama’s current level. 

Narita gave Sayama a good bit of offense, as Sayama took roughly the first half of the match. Narita made a comeback with strikes and applied a crab, but Sayama reached the ropes. 

Sayama came back and hit a cool leg lariat, but his enzuigiri could use some work. They exchanged strikes until Narita decided he had enough, hitting a dropkick for a near fall. He followed with a crab, forcing the submission. 

Manabu Nakanishi & Toa Henare defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Dinosaur Takuma

Wrestling needs more dinosaurs. Not specifically more guys like Takuma, I just mean more dinosaurs in general. 

Speaking of dinosaurs, Nakanishi demanded that the referee inspect Takuma’s tail before the match. His gear has a tail, folks. This is real life. 

Takuma and Nakanishi started and Nakanishi no-sold all of Takuma’s offense. Henare and Tenzan tagged in, and business picked up slightly. Tenzan wasn’t in long. Henare and Nakanishi worked over the Dinosaur, and Nakanishi mocked Tenzan. 

Nakanishi missed the world’s slowest knee drop and ate a shoulder block, and Dinosaur made the hot tag to Tenzan. Tenzan hit a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Nakanishi swept the leg, hit a soft lariat on Tenzan, and a double sledge on Dinosaur, before tagging Henare. They did stereo Argentine Backbreaker Racks. 

Tenzan was able to make a tag to Dinosaur, who hit a cool standing front flip onto Henare for a near fall. He hit a spinebuster and made a cover, but Nakanishi made the save. While Tenzan and Nakanishi ambled to the floor, Dinosaur hit a falcon arrow for a near fall. 

Henare survived the Dinosaur’s wrath, then hit a pair of uranages for the pin. 

After the match, Tenzan shook hands with Henare and Nakanishi. Nakanishi then offered a handshake to Dinosaur. Dinosaur first offered his tail to Nakanishi to shake, then denied that as well. I give the post-match seven stars. I hope to see Dinosaur Takuma again soon. 

Yuji Nagata defeated Tomoyuki Oka

They traded headlocks and headscissors in the early going. Oka refused to break cleanly and hit some clubbing forearms. Nagata fired back with kicks, targeting Oka’s left leg. Oka sent Nagata into the corner and stomped a mudhole in him, but Nagata fired up, taking the action to the floor. Nagata hit some strikes in the crowd, but the small venue didn’t allow for too much outside brawling. 

Back inside, Oka made a comeback, hitting an avalanche and a side suplex for a near fall. He applied a chinlock and a camel clutch, but Nagata made the ropes. Oka fought for a gutwrench suplex, and finally got it. He used two variations of a crab, but Nagata again reached the ropes. 

Oka went for an Irish whip, but Nagata took his arm, and used a Nagata Lock, but Oka got his foot on the ropes, forcing a break. Nagata hit the Justice Knee, then hit an exploder for a near fall. 

Nagata used a crossface, but Oka reached the ropes. Nagata went for the Backdrop Hold, but Oka blocked it. They traded strikes until Oka gave out, and Nagata was able to hit a wheel kick, then the Backdrop Hold, and got the pin. 

This was as solid as you would expect. Nagata can still go, and Oka, in my opinion, is the best of the featured Young Lions and has an aura about him. 

Ayato Yoshida defeated Shota Umino

They traded hard palm strikes to the chest to start. Umino shoved down the referee and hit Yoshida with some short forearms in the corner and on the mat. Yoshida countered with a crucifix, hitting a series of elbows from that position.

Yoshida hit a flapjack for a near fall, then toyed with Umino, measuring some kicks and stomps to the back, then using a rear naked choke and a guillotine. They traded strikes, and Umino hit a dropkick, a forearm, a spinning back elbow, and a dropkick off the top rope as the momentum shifted his way. 

Umino used a crab, but Yoshida reached the ropes. He went for a deadlift suplex, but Yoshida countered with a series of knees. He went for a kick, but Umino caught it, got a takedown, and applied the crab again. The fans sensed a possible finish, but Yoshida finally reached the bottom rope. 

Yoshida hit a uranage for a near fall, then hit a series of knee lifts. He bounced off the ropes, but right into a spinebuster from Umino. Umino went up top and hit another top rope dropkick for a near fall, then a bridging German for another. 

Umino hit the ropes, but ran into a jumping knee strike from Yoshida. They traded strikes from their knees, selling exhaustion. They climbed to their feet and continued to trade, until Yoshida got an underhook and applied a rear naked choke from a back mount. After a struggle, Umino reached the ropes. 

Yoshida hit a pair of kicks, earning a one count and a two count, respectively. He then hit a high kick and a high angle suplex to pick up the victory. 

This was a good main event, but Yoshida is lacking something. His intensity level was not on par with Umino’s, and the match lacked a really hot closing sequence. 

All in all, this was a fun, easy to watch show. 

NJPW Lion’s Gate 12 results: Daisuke Sekimoto in action

Posted on by Ethan Renner

New Japan Pro Wrestling ran their twelfth Lion’s Gate Project show Tuesday in Tokyo, with an eclectic card typical of these developmental-style events.

The main event saw New Japan stalwart Yuji Nagata defeat K-DOJO’s Ayato Yoshida, while the semi-main featured Big Japan’s Daisuke Sekimoto earning a victory over one of the most promising NJPW Young Lions, Shota Umino.

The show drew a reported 419 people to the Shinjuku Face venue, which holds 600, according to the venue’s website. Thanks to BushidoRX at http://puroresuspirit.net for the attendance figure.

Below is a full recap of Tuesday’s card.

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Tsuji Yota and Yuya Uemura went to a time limit draw

Yota piefaced Uemura during the introductions. They did some mat work in the early-going, leading to a clean break against the ropes. Uemura got the best of an exchange of holds, and Yota resorted to more of a brawling style, with a kick to the gut and a shoulder tackle. 

They continued a very basic exchange of holds, dropdowns, and hip tosses. Uemura worked on the left leg of Yota, softening him up for an STF. Yota escaped and hit a nice dropkick, and some overhand chops. They traded dropkicks, which brought the crowd into the match. 

Uemura used a Boston Crab, and Yota fought to the ropes, reaching them on his second attempt. Yota came back with a slam and a back bodydrop, and locked on a Crab of his own, but Uemura survived the time limit. Yota attacked with strikes after the bell, and Uemura countered with some of his own.  These two will meet again. 

A solid opener. 

Manabu Nakanishi defeated Tomoyuki Oka

Oka had his left shoulder taped up and a pad on his right knee. 

They tied up, with Oka working a side headlock. They traded shoulder blocks for a long time, until Oka finally dropped Nakanishi. They brawled to the floor, and Manabu worked on the taped shoulder, ramming it into the post. He continued to work the shoulder in the ring, and got a nearfall with a big splash. 

Oka made a comeback and hit a vertical suplex and a belly-to-belly for a nearfall. He used an STF, and a Boston Crab, but Nakanishi powered out and hit a pair of lariats. The crowd loved Nakanishi, but also chanted for Oka.

They traded nearfalls until Nakanishi put Oka in the Argentine backbreaker rack, picking up the tapout victory. 

Oka is my favorite of the Young Lions to watch, and he has a special charisma. Seeing him sell for the largely immobile Nakanishi stretches the suspension of disbelief at times, but that’s the lot in life for the future stars here. 

Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Hiro Saito defeated Ryusuke Taguchi and Ren Narita

Taguchi begged Tenzan for a fist bump, then a too sweet, and Tenzan relented after a tease, which got a big reaction. Tenzan hit a chop, and Taguchi hit a hip attack. Narita and Saito tagged in, and Narita chopped Saito twice, before Saito took over. 

Saito and Tenzan worked Narita over in their corner, and Tenzan scored a few nearfalls. They threw Narita outside, and Saito liberally used a chair. Saito hit the safest DDT you’ll ever see on the floor, and Narita just beat the count back inside. 

Narita hit a desperation dropkick, which led to the hot tag to Taguchi. After several teases, Taguchi hit Saito with a hip attack, forcing a tag to Tenzan, who also ate a hip attack. Narita tagged in and hit a flying forearm. Taguchi came in for some tandem offense, then chased Saito from the apron. 

Saito laid Taguchi out on the floor, then hit a senton on Narita. Tenzan covered, but Taguchi broke up the pin. Saito and Taguchi brawled to the outside, and Narita cradled Tenzan for a nearfall. They traded nearfalls off a small package and a lariat, until Tenzan slapped on the Anaconda Vise for the submission. This was nothing special. 

Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Shota Umino

Umino held his own in the opening hold exchange, and got a one count, though Sekimoto was never in any danger of being pinned. Umino lingered too long on a break against the ropes, drawing an angry shove from Sekimoto. Sekimoto hit a vicious chop and a series of bodyslams, but could not put Umino away. 

Sekimoto used a Single-leg Crab and some elbows to the back of the head, but Umino reached the ropes. Daisuke was working completely as a heel, including flipping off the pro-Umino crowd, but they still reacted in a big way for his offense. 

Umino continued to eat chops, but refused to stay down. Sekimoto hit a headbutt, but Umino countered with a dropkick and forearm to the throat. He followed up with a front dropkick from the second rope, and applied the cross armbreaker. He fully extended the arm after a struggle, but Sekimoto reached the ropes. 

Sekimoto hit a standing enziguri, and Umino hit another dropkick from the turnbuckle and a bridging suplex for a nearfall. Sekimoto quickly recovered, and hit a backbreaker, then locked in the Boston Crab, but Umino reached the ropes for a break.  

They exchanged chops and palm strikes in the center of the ring, until Sekimoto hit a lariat and a vertical suplex for a nearfall. He hit a top rope missile dropkick, and got a pair of nearfalls from it, then followed with a spinout slam and a lariat, which Umino took a flip bump from, and scored the pinfall. 

This was excellent, and worth a look if you need a good match to watch this week. Umino’s selling was the highlight of the show.

Yuji Nagata defeated Ayato Yoshida

The story of this match was that Nagata appeared to treat Yoshida as a typical Young Lion in the early-going, and paid the price for it. He tried to outwrestle Yoshida, employing an arm-wringer, a side headlock takeover, very basic holds, but Yoshida took, and countered all of them, forcing Nagata to resort to brawling.

 They brawled to the floor and around ringside, with fairly even results. They went back inside and Yoshida took and countered Nagata’s kicks and forearms, eventually dropping Nagata with a forearm of his own. Yoshida slipped a kick, hit a bulldog and followed with an axe kick, picking up a nearfall. He continued with a guillotine, but Nagata was able to reach the ropes and force a break. Nagata came back with an enziguri, leading to a double down. 

Nagata went for the Backdrop Hold, but had to settle for a modified Nagata Lock. Yoshida reached the ropes, and Nagata reapplied the hold, but Yoshida again forced a break. Nagata hit the Justice Knee and a high kick. He ate a high kick, and Yoshida hit a high angle suplex, leading to another double down. 

They traded strikes on the mat, and then standing. Nagata fired up, but Yoshida kept moving forward. Nagata hit a flurry of strikes, and scored a nearfall, then lifted Yoshida for the Backdrop Hold, and got the pin. 

The psychology here was excellent, both men worked hard, and Nagata did his best to give Yoshida a really good match. Check this one out as well. 

NJPW Lion’s Gate Project results: The seventh installment

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Tokyo’s Shinjuku Face was home to another edition of the Lion’s Gate Project, the seventh show featuring New Japan young lions, veterans, and a mix of wrestlers from other promotions. Here are the results from today’s card:

Shota Umino and Ren Narita went to a time limit draw

Narita is the newest graduate of the New Japan dojo. With a birthdate of November 29th, 1997, he is officially the youngest member of the New Japan roster at 19 years old, surpassing Hirai Kawato who was born in March of that year.

He looked good here in his debut. After escaping the Boston crab once, Umino managed to drag him in the middle for another one, but Narita wouldn’t submit as the time limit expired. The two shoved and slapped one another after the match, a sign of their strong style determination.

Taka Michinoku defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi

Yagi is the second-newest young lion, having made his debut last month at Lion’s Gate Project 6. I wouldn’t say he’s a standout yet, but he’s perfectly able and is doing really well for someone who has wrestled for a month. He looked good here before eventually submitting to a crossface.

Dinosaur Takuma & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Katsuya Kitamura & Manabu Nakanishi

Kitamura’s been talked about on here as someone with probably the most potential just based on his look — he’s an overly tan giant of a man who has shown some really good charisma during his matches. Dinosaur Takuma, who is a regular for Kaientai Dojo, has none of that save the charisma and a tail.

Nakanishi has been mentoring Kitamura on these shows, so they did some tandem work with one another during the match, including a double torture rack spot. Takuma managed to keep Nakanishi on the outside, allowing Tenzan to sink in the Anaconda Vise for the win.

Dick Togo defeated Hirai Kawato 

Kawato is one of the more advanced young lions, debuting last year. He’s grown into a great babyface-type wrestler who always shows a great amount of tenacity and intensity in his matches.

Dick Togo has been wrestling for decades, competing regularly in Michinoku Pro and even wrestled in WWE briefly in 1998-99. This is his first appearance at a Lion’s Gate Project show.

This was a good back-and-forth match. Kawato showed the intensity he’s known for, and Togo was great at being the general of the match. He took out Kawato and pinned him with a giant senton off the top rope.

Satoshi Kojima defeated Tomoyuki Oka

Oka is another top heavyweight prospect. With Yuji Nagata as his mentor, he’s a high-class amateur wrestler who has continually shown improvement and star quality. This too was a good back-and-forth match. Oka kicked out of a brainbuster, but Kojima responded with a lariat and picked up the win.

YOSHI-HASHI defeated Koji Iwamoto

Iwamoto is a regular with All Japan and has wrestled since 2012. This was a nice, easy back-and-forth match that people got into towards the end. Iwamoto had a submission locked in for a long time until YH finally made it to the ropes. YH made his comeback, hit a lariat, then locked in the butterfly lock for the submission.

Yuji Nagata defeated Go Asakawa

Asakawa is a Kaientai Dojo regular, wrestling since 2015. He’s replacing Ayato Yoshida, who suffered a jaw injury recently and will be out of action for a while.

This was a fun main event. I liked the story of Asakawa giving it everything he has, while Nagata brought it back and continued to absorb whatever Asakawa would give him. Asakawa did manage to escape from Nagata’s armbar submission, but he eventually fell to the backdrop suplex. 

Nagata cut a promo to end the show, possibly teasing a future Young Lion’s Cup for the next event (though it wasn’t outright confirmed).

NJPW Lion’s Gate Project 6 results: A look at the young lions

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The sixth edition of the Lion’s Gate Project took place this morning at Shinjuku Face. Let’s take a look at the young lions New Japan currently has on their roster, along with a smattering of other young talent from other promotions.

El Desperado defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi

Yagi is the latest New Japan young lion, making his debut on May 9th on the last Lion’s Gate show. He worked a lot during both the Best of the Super Juniors and Dominion tours and looked pretty solid in what he did, improving each time I saw him.

If he bulked up a bit more, he could be a heavyweight, something that until recently New Japan was lacking as far as young talent went. He looked green in this match, but definitely has improved in the last month. Desperado won with his new submission finish, the stretch muffler.

Jado & Gedo defeated Shota Umino & Hirai Kawato

Kawato has been wrestling for about a year and a half, making his debut last January. He’s always struck me as the one who personifies the “fighting spirit” aspect of what New Japan expects in their young lions — he’s always confrontational and does everything in his power to win. He’s progressed very well in the last year and could be a standout junior heavyweight wrestler in a few years.

Umino is the son of Red Shoes, aka Hirooki Unno, a referee for NJPW. He started back in April, and has also shown advancement in the couple months he’s been wrestling. Not a total standout yet, but he has plenty of time to improve. He took the fall in this match, submitting to Jado’s crossface in a decent bout.

Tiger Mask IV &  Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Takuya Nomura & Dinosaur Takuma

Dinosaur Takuma has been wrestling for Kaientai Dojo since 2015. His gimmick, as you may notice by the name, is coming to the ring with a dinosaur tail and carrying a bone with him. Wrestlers usually do spots with him like grabbing his tail to get heat.

Nomura is a wrestler from Big Japan Pro Wrestling and has wrestled in various promotions such as All Japan and Zero One since his debut last April.

Takuma lost the match for his team, submitting to Tenzan’s Anaconda Vice. I think Takuma has a gimmick that could work pretty well wherever he goes. I’ve heard good things about Nomura, but here he just seemed like a guy who has very good basics.

Manabu Nakanishi defeated Katsuya Kitamura

Kitamura is an accomplished amateur wrestler who made his debut back in March. He immediately stands out as being one of the bigger young lions in some time; at 6’0 and 265 pounds it’s very clear he’s a heavyweight, and one with potential future star power. With an impressive tan and jacked to the gills, once his young lion tenure is over there’s no doubt he’ll be fast tracked into a main event-level position.

Nakanishi has been a mentor to him, so it made sense for them to have a match here. The match wasn’t that great, though — Nakanishi moved slower than usual and just didn’t look good. Kitamura looked fine enough. Nakanishi picked up the submission win with the torture rack.

YOSHI-HASHI defeated Yuma Aoyagi

Aoyagi has been wrestling for All Japan since 2014. He also represented them in the Super J-Cup last year. He looked good then, and looked better here today. He’s someone to watch outside of New Japan as he’s really good, at least a standout here on a show with relatively green workers.

He sold a ton for YOSHI-HASHI, enough that the crowd got into the match. YH put him in a lot of submissions and Aoyagi refused to tap, each time making it to the ropes. Aoyagi finally made a quick comeback, but YOSHI-HASHI cut him off with a clothesline and then sunk in the butterfly lock for the submission win.

One of the All Japan young lions had words with YOSHI-HASHI after the match.

Ayato Yoshida & Satoshi Kojima defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Yuji Nagata 

I don’t know much about Yoshida other than he’s been wrestling since 2015 and was representing Kaientai Dojo here tonight. He’s been on other Lion’s Gate shows before. 

Oka is an accomplished amateur wrestler that Nagata is really high on, bringing him into the dojo and and teaming with him off and on during tours. He doesn’t have a physique like Kitamura’s, but he’s still tall and is currently pegged for big things in his future.

Yoshida looked good in the time he was in here. Oka as well — since his official debut in February he’s turned into a pretty good worker. He has a big chance to break out as well because while he does not have Kitamura’s body, he still has the size to make it far.

After a solid back-and-forth affair, Kojima and Oka were in the ring and traded some good action with one another until Kojima hit the lariat for the win. Yoshida got in Nagata’s face after the match as he attacked him. Nagata no sold it and laid him out with some slaps, sending him on his way.

Kojima cut a promo to close out the show.