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.
