Tag: new beginning in osaka

The third and final New Beginning show of the year this morning in Osaka will feature tow big title matches.

Jay White will look to upend Hiroshi Tanahashi’s title run quickly, as he looks to take Tanahashi’s IWGP Heavyweight title this morning. White has gotten the big push over the last year, restructuring the Bullet Club under his leadership and even getting Gedo to join his side. It will be interesting to see if he will continue this momentum tonight by winning the biggest title in New Japan.

The IWGP Jr. title will also be on the line, with Taiji Ishimori scheduled to face Ryusuke Taguchi in this first title defense. In a special singles match, Kazuchika Okada will continue to do battle with the Bullet Club, as he faces a familiar foe with Bad Luck Fale.

Join us this morning for live coverage starting at 3 a.m. Eastern. Don Callis and Kevin Kelly will be on commentary.

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JUSHIN LIGER, SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN DEFEATED TAKA MICHINOKU, TAKASHI IIZUKA & MINORU SUZUKI BY DQ (12:57)

Tenzan cut a promo before the match, reminding Iizuka that they used to be friends. Tenzan wants to tag with Iizuka once more before Iizuka retires this month. 

They started brawling before the bell. Tenzan got the best of Iizuka in the ring, allowing Liger to hit a baseball slide. Liger went for the Romero special, but Suzuki cut him off. Suzuki-gun got the upper hand as the match again broke down into a ringside brawl. 

TAKA took Iizuka’s muzzle off, and Iizuka bit everyone. Liger and Suzuki traded strikes. Suzuki got a nearfall off a kick. TAKA got a tag and hit a shining wizard for a nearfall. Liger hit a shotei, and Kojima and Suzuki got tags. 

Kojima hit his machine gun chops in the corner. Suzuki fired back with strikes. Iizuka and Tenzan tagged back in. Tenzan hit a mountain bomb and a brainbuster. Suzuki jumped in, but Tenzan stopped him with chops. 

Suzuki brought a chair into the ring. Iizuka stopped him from using it on Tenzan, but Iizuka then used the chair on Tenzan himself for the DQ. 

After the bell, Iizuka used the iron glove on Tenzan and Liger. 

EVIL & SANADA DEFEATED SHOTA UMINO & AYATO YOSHIDA (10:09)

Solid match. Umino and Yoshida got a fair amount of offense on the tag champs, but they didn’t tease an upset as heavily as they might have. 

Yoshida and EVIL kicked things off. They traded shoulder blocks. Umino tagged in and managed a slam, but EVIL came back with a shoulder block and a slam of his own. EVIL and SANADA exchanged a series of tags, and hit Umino with a series of slams. EVIL made a cover, but Yoshida jumped in to make the save. 

EVIL used a chinlock. Yoshida jumped in to break the hold. Umino went for a dropkick, but EVIL avoided it, and used a half crab. Umino reached the ropes. EVIL used an irish whip, but Umino countered with a second rope dropkick. Yoshida got a tag, kicked SANADA off the apron, and lit EVIL up with chops. 

Yoshida hit a PK for a nearfall. EVIL hit a senton for a two count, then tagged SANADA. SANADA ran into a kick, and Yoshida tagged Umino. Umino hit a flying forearm, a running back elbow, and used a vertical suplex for a two count. 

SANADA teased skull end, but Yoshida jumped in for the illegal double team. Umino hit a missile dropkick off the top for a two count. Yoshida and EVIL brawled on the floor, while SANADA and Umino went at it in the ring. 

Umino hit a bridging suplex for a two count. Umino hit a dropkick. He went for the fisherman buster, but SANADA reversed into skull end. Umino slipped out and used a rollup for a two count, then a la magistral cradle for a two count. 

EVIL took Yoshida out on the floor, then jumped in to help SANADA. They hit Umino with the magic killer, and SANADA got the pinfall. 

TETSUYA NAITO, BUSHI & SHINGO TAKAGI DEFEATED TAICHI, YOSHINOBU KANEMARU & EL DESPERADO (11:06)

The match was just okay. These guys have worked each other a ton lately, and there’s only so much you can do to keep the matches fresh, especially when you’re this low on the card. The post-match was good. 

Suzuki-gun jumped LIJ before the bell. Taichi used his mic stand and a chair on Naito. He ripped Naito’s baseball jersey off. Naito’s shoulders and left arm were heavily taped. Kanemaru hit a leg slice on Naito as he was draped over the barricade. 

Suzuki-gun tripled up on Naito while BUSHI and Shingo collected themselves on the outside. Taichi took off his pants and hit a buzzsaw kick on Naito for a two count. Naito came back with a rana and a dropkick, and BUSHI and Desperado got tags. 

BUSHI hit a rana and a missile dropkick. BUSHI hit a double rana on Kanemaru and Desperado. Desperado came back with a spinebuster. BUSHI hit a DDT, then made a tag to Shingo. Shingo hit a chop and a big right hand. He teased the pumping bomber, but they used a misdirection spot and Desperado hit a spear. 

Kanemaru got a tag and went for deep impact, but Shingo caught him and hit a throw. Shingo hit a brainbuster, and made a tag to Naito. Naito teased gloria, but Taichi jumped in. Taichi ate an enziguri. BUSHI hit a flying headscissors from the ring to the floor. 

Shingo hit Kanemaru with a pumping bomber, and Naito hit a destino for the pin. 
Naito and Taichi had a staredown after the match and exchanged words. 

SHO and YOH came out on the ramp as Shingo and BUSHI exited, and attacked them. They grabbed their tag belts and marched to the ring. YOH cut a promo and announced Roppongi 3K as the next challengers for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles. 

YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & CHASE OWENS DEFEATED YOSHI-HASHI & TOMOAKI HONMA (9:39)

Not good. 

Honma and Yujiro started off. Owens jumped in and interfered liberally, and Yujiro slowly worked over Honma. Honma hit a suplex and tagged YH. YH hit a shoulder tackle. Owens tried to trip him from the floor, but YH countered. 

YH hit a bunker buster. They did some very clunky spots, ending with Yujiro hitting a fisherman buster. YH hit a spin kick and both tagged out. 

Honma hit Owens with right hands. He hit a forearm in the corner and a bulldog. Honma missed a kokeshi. Owens hit a knee strike and made a cover, but YH came in for the save. Honma hit a diving kokeshi, YH hit a kick, and Honma used a standard kokeshi for a two count. 

Yujiro jumped in for the double team, and Owens and Yujiro hit a tandem neckbreaker for a two count. Owens used a package piledriver on Honma for the pin. 

KOTA IBUSHI PROMO 

Kota Ibushi came out for a promo. He thanked the fans for their concern about his head and neck.

He said he’s in New Japan Pro Wrestling, he’s not going anywhere. He announced that he’s going to be in the New Japan Cup tournament. 

TAMA TONGA AND TANGA LOA DEFEATED TORU YANO & TOGI MAKABE (9:44)

This was really more of an extended angle than a match. They sold this on commentary as a number one contender’s match for EVIL and SANADA’s tag titles. 

Tonga and Loa jumped Yano and Makabe on the ramp as they made their entrance. They fought into the crowd. Tonga emptied the contents of a fan’s purse. Yano just beat the count back inside. 

Makabe finally got a tag and ran wild on GOD. Makabe hit ten punches in the corner on Loa. Makabe dropped Loa with a lariat, but Loa came back with a powerslam. Makabe hit another lariat, and Yano and Tonga got tags. 

Yano exposed a turnbuckle. He hit an inverted atomic drop, and used the buckle pad on Tonga. Jado provided a distraction at ringside, and Tonga hit Yano with a dropkick. The GOD hit a tandem neckbreaker and covered, but Makabe broke up the pinfall. 

Makabe hit the ropes, and Jado hit him with a kendo stick. Tonga hit a gun stun on Makabe. The ref took a bump. Tonga hit Yano with the kendo stick, hit a gun stun, and got the pin. 

Tonga went nuts after the match and hit a bunch of Young Lions with the kendo stick, then continued to go after Yano and Makabe with the stick. He pushed a camera man off the ramp as well, which looked really bad. 

TAIJI ISHIMORI DEFEATED RYUSUKE TAGUCHI TO RETAIN THE IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (16:11)

Good stuff here. 

Taguchi went for a single-leg, but Ishimori stuffed it. They backed into the ropes, and Taguchi broke cleanly. Ishimori used a wristlock, a hammerlock, and a side headlock. Taguchi grabbed an ankle lock, but Ishimori slipped out and rolled to the floor. Taguchi danced. Ishimori sent Taguchi to the floor and danced. 

Ishimori used a seated senton, then cranked on Taguchi’s head with his legs. Ishimori applied a chinlock, but Taguchi reached the ropes. Ishimori avoided a pair of hip attack attempts. Taguchi hit a sweet dropkick, and Ishimori rolled to the floor. Taguchi hit a springboard plancha to the floor, a springboard dropkick back inside, then a tope con hilo. 

Back inside, Taguchi hit three amigos for a two count. Ishimori hit a handspring into a kick. Ishimori hit a sliding german. He missed a charge into the corner, and crashed knee-first into the buckle. Taguchi targeted the left leg. He used an ankle lock, slipped into a la magistral cradle for a two count, then back to the ankle lock. Ishimori reached the ropes. 

Taguchi hit a bomaye for a nearfall, then went back to the ankle lock. Ishimori reached the ropes again, forcing a break. Ishimori hit a lungblower. He went for the bloody cross, but Taguchi countered into the ankle lock. Taguchi gave up the hold and hit a dodon for a nearfall. 

Ishimori hit double knees in the corner. He followed up with a DVD for a two count. Taguchi hit an enziguri. He went for a second dodon, but Ishimori countered with the bloody cross, and got the pin. 

After the match, Ishimori called for Liger to enter the ring. Liger was already at ringside doing commentary. Liger said that Ishimori will regret calling him out, and he accepts his challenge, any time, any place. 

KAZUCHIKA OKADA DEFEATED BAD LUCK FALE (18:10)

Lots of smoke and mirrors here, as you almost have to do in a long Fale match. After the ref bump, the closing sequence was excellent. 

Okada tried to attack before the bell, but Fale fought him off. Okada low-bridged Fale, who went to the floor. Okada hit a plancha. Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi came to ringside with Fale and provided a distraction, allowing Fale to hit a clothesline on the floor. Fale took the ref, and Yujiro and Owens double-teamed Okada. 

Back in the ring, Fale used stomps, and stood on Okada’s back. Fale hit a series of forearms to the back, and Okada sold them big. Fale hit a backdrop, and Okada continued selling his lower back. 

They did the Hulk/Andre spot from Wrestlemania 3, where Okada went for a slam, but Fale dropped on top of him for a nearfall. Okada hit a series of rights, sent Fale into the ropes, and used the rebound momentum to slam the big man. Okada hit a dropkick to a seated Fale. 

Okada hit a back elbow in the corner, and used a DDT for a two count. Fale hit a shoulder block and a Samoan drop for a nearfall. Okada backdropped out of a bad luck fall attempt. They traded forearms. Okada dropped Fale to a knee. Fale dropped Okada. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick. 

Okada hit an air raid crash for a nearfall. He hit a top rope elbow, then hit the rainmaker pose. Fale hit a clothesline for a two count. Fale hit a splash in the corner, then a splash in the center of the ring, picking up another nearfall. 

Okada used the ropes to escape a bad luck fall, then hit a dropkick off the top. Okada went for a tombstone, but Owens jumped on the apron for the distraction. Okada turned back around and accidentally forearmed the ref, who took a bump. 

Owens and Yujiro attacked Okada. Owens went for a package piledriver, but Yoshi-Hashi ran in and made the save. Fale sent Yoshi-Hashi to the floor. Fale hit Okada with a spear. Okada slipped out of a bad luck fall, and hit two dropkicks. 

Fale countered a rainmaker, Okada countered a grenade. Okada tried for the rainmaker again, but Fale hit the grenade for a nearfall. 

Fale went to the top rope, but Okada cut him off and nailed him with a dropkick. Okada hit a superplex. Okada hit a spinning rainmaker, then a traditional rainmaker, and got the pin. 

SWITCHBLADE JAY WHITE DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI TO WIN THE IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (30:28)

A tremendous match. 

White rolled to the floor immediately, stalling. Back inside, they locked up. Tana used a headlock takeover, but White made it back to a vertical base. They ran the ropes, White dropped down, and Tana applied a headlock. 

White tried to escape, but Tana maintained the hold. White pulled the hair, backed Tana into the corner, and stomped on the bad right knee. White rolled outside and tried to post Tana’s legs, but Tana posted him instead. Tana sent White into the barricade. Gedo hit him with a cheap shot. 

Tana chased Gedo into the ring, allowing White to get back inside. White suplexed Tana over the top rope. White sent Tana into the barricade, then into the ring frame, again and again. White attacked the right leg, hitting a chop block. 

White hit an uppercut in the corner, then suplexed Tana into the turnbuckle. He posted Tana’s right leg, then dropped Tana over the barricade onto a table. Tana beat the count back inside at 17. 

Tana hit a flying forearm, continuing to sell his right knee. He followed up with a somersault senton for a two count. He went for a cloverleaf, but White reached the ropes before the hold could be applied. Tana hit a dropkick to White’s left knee. 

White hit a flatliner, a deadlift german, then a blade buster. Tana rolled to the apron, and White hung him up in the ropes. He hit a series of chops, then a big uppercut. White stepped to the apron, and Tana hit a dragon screw over the middle rope. 

White rolled to the floor, and Tana hit a high fly flow to a standing White. Gedo jumped on the apron, and slid White a chair. White swung and missed, hitting Gedo with the chair. 

They did an awesome sequence of reversals and counters to their trademark spots, ending with Tana hitting three twist and shouts. White escaped a slingblade, sliding to the corner. Tana hit two dragon screws in the corner and went for slingblade again, but White dropped down and avoided it. 

Tana hit a bridging german for a two count. Gedo jumped on the apron. Tana kicked him off, then hit a high fly flow. Tana missed a second high fly flow, and at the moment he landed, you could have heard a pin drop in the arena. Dead quiet as people sensed a title change. 

White went for the TTO, but Tana slapped him. White stomped on the bad knee, then hit a series of inverted dragon screws. White applied the TTO. Tana sold it huge, then finally reached the ropes.

White hit a Saito suplex, then another. White hit a DVD for a two count. He used a kiwi crusher for a two count. White hit a suplex, then teased a blade runner, but Tana turned it into an inside cradle for a two count. 

Tana hit a pair of chops, a dropkick to the knee, and two inverted dragon screws. He applied a cloverleaf, but White reached the ropes. Tana kept the hold applied, and pulled him back to the center of the ring. Tana turned the hold into a Styles clash. 

White escaped a dragon suplex, tried to hit a blade runner, but Tana countered with two slingblades. Tana hit a bridging dragon suplex for a nearfall. 

Tana went for high fly flow, but White caught him coming off the top, hit a blade runner, and got the pin to win the title. 

White cut a promo. He said he had his last Young Lion match in Osaka two years ago. He thought Osaka was his home, but he was wrong. None of the people there believed he could beat Tanahashi, but he did. He doesn’t wrestle for the people, he wrestles for himself, Gedo, and Bullet Club. Breathe with the Switchblade, welcome to his new era.