Tag: NJPW New Beginning In Osaka

The IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is on the line on the final night of the NJPW New Beginning tour in Osaka.

In the main event, Kazuchika Okada defends the IWGP World title against Shingo Takagi. It will be the fifth career singles meeting between the two, who have split their previous four meetings 2-2. 

In the semi-main, Tama Tonga defends the NEVER Openweight Championship against El Phantasmo. 

Jay White faces Hikuleo in a “loser leaves Japan” match on the show. 

The NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles are also on the line, with EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and SHO defending against Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Ren Narita. 

In a special singles match, Hiroshi Tanahashi faces KENTA. 

In another singles contest, Master Wato takes on Taiji Ishimori. 

Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, BUSHI, and Hiromu Takahashi will take on Shota Umino, Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, and Ryusuke Taguchi in an eight-man tag. 

In the opener, Great-O-Khan and Aaron Henare face Toru Yano and Oskar Leube. 

Our live coverage begins at 3 a.m. Eastern time. 

**********

Aaron Henare & Great-O-Khan (United Empire) defeated Oskar Leube & Toru Yano

Leube and Henare opened the match with a test of Leube’s will. Yano and O-Khan tagged in and had a slightly less intense sequence. UE quickly isolated Yano, eventually leading to a Leube hot tag.

UE rushed Leube, but Yano was close behind, helping Leube maintain his control. After clearing the ring of O-Khan, Leube locked Henare in the Boston crab. Henare escaped, dropped Leube with the rampage, and won the match.

BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask, Shota Umino, & Tomoaki Honma

After some playful back and forth with the veterans, LIJ lost the lead to Umino, who ran through his opposition. Eventually, Naito, with an assist from BUSHI, reversed Umino’s momentum, forcing a tag to Taguchi.

LIJ overwhelmed Taguchi, landing a quadruple dropkick for a nearfall. After a short stint of chaos, Hiromu hit Taguchi with Timebomb 2, winning the match for LIJ.

After the match ended, the lights dimmed, and a video package from Lio Rush played. Rush challenged Hiromu for the junior title, and Hiromu was quick to accept the match.

Taiji Ishimori defeated Master Wato

Wato gained the upper hand early, but Ishimori used an exposed corner to steal control. After an extended struggle, Wato hit a dive to the floor to challenge Ishimori’s advance.

Ishimori and Wato continued to go back and forth for some time before Ishimori cemented control with a sliding German, slam into the exposed corner, and a shoulder-breaker. Ishimori secured the bone lock, but Wato survived. Ishimori tried for bloody cross, but Wato escaped, leading into a slick sequence ending with a Wato German.

Ishimori hit a quick knee and lariat to turn things back in his favor. Ishimori hit bloody cross and pinned Wato to win the first singles match of the night.

Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated KENTA

This was a great outing from this pair.

As the match opened, both men fought for admiration from the crowd. KENTA rushed Tanahashi while he had his back turned, taking momentum early. KENTA worked Tanahashi on the mat, establishing a long period of control.

As Tanahashi reversed the flow of the match, he won over the previously split crowd, but a referee bump allowed KENTA to steal the lead back. Without an official, KENTA grabbed a chair and went to town on Tanahashi. Tanahashi avoided any significant damage from the chair, leading to a strike exchange. KENTA dropped Tanahashi with a rope-assisted DDT before landing the double foot stomp for a near fall.

KENTA tried for the GTS, but Tanahashi reversed into twist and shout. KENTA responded with two running knees, but Tanahashi held on. KENTA tried for GTS again, but Tanahashi reversed into a sling blade. After a second sling blade, Tanahashi climbed to the top and hit high fly flow, winning the match.

NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship: Ren Narita, El Desperado, & Minoru Suzuki defeated EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, & SHO (House of Torture) (c)

Before the match could begin, HoT attacked Narita on the ramp. As Suzuki and Desperado came to his aid, HoT continued the attack, using their belts to beat down the challengers.

After the opening bell, the lawless attack continued. For quite some time, HoT broke every rule in the book, beating down Suzuki and Desperado.

Suzuki began a rally late in the match, landing a forearm before tagging in Narita for the first time. Narita led a firey comeback, but a low kick let HoT maintain their advantage. HoT tried rushing the ring, but Suzuki and Desperado made the save and helped Narita retake their newfound lead.

Just as Narita had the win in sight, a referee distraction allowed HoT to rush the ring again. Again, Suzuki and Desperado made the save. Desperado, Suzuki, and Narita secured submissions, forcing HoT to tap out. Narita, Suzuki, and Desperado are 6-man champions.

After the match, Suzuki cut a promo, naming the trio “Strong Style.”

Loser Leaves Japan: Hikuleo defeated Jay White

White played chicken with Hikuleo early. White’s early bait attempts failed as Hikuleo hit a big boot which he followed with strikes in the corner to establish control. On the floor, Hikuleo continued making advances, throwing White into barricades and ringside tables.

A distraction from Gedo bought White a moment to breathe. White whipped Hikuleo into the barricade violently, buying more time and nearly stealing a count-out win.

Back in the ring, White mocked Hikuleo with demeaning chops; Hikuleo responded with a violent whip of his own into the corner. Hikuleo furthered this lead with a scoop slam.

Hikuleo forced White into the corner, but a swift shot to the knee allowed White to slide back into the lead. White targeted the knee relentlessly before hitting a blade buster. White’s legwork grounded Hikuleo long enough for some chair shots after a Gedo distraction.

White ripped off Hikuleo’s top and returned to the mocking strikes. Hikuleo responded with chops that sent White to the floor before hitting a powerslam. White blocked the chokeslam by bumping the referee and hitting a low blow. Hikuleo responded with a lariat.

Hikuleo tried for another powerslam, but White reversed into a Bladerunner. White tried for a second, but Hikuleo reversed into a giant powerbomb; White kicked out. Hikuleo then grabbed White by the neck. Before finishing the job, Hikuleo too sweeted White. After the gesture, Hikuleo hoisted White up, hit him with a chokeslam, and won the match. Jay White must leave Japan.

NEVER Openweight Championship: Tama Tonga (c) defeated El Phantasmo

This was needlessly long and painfully dull.

This match opened with an extended feeling-out process. ELP took control of the match first from the floor. Tama turned things around eventually, however, much to the delight of the Osaka crowd.

ELP caught Tama with a tope after he tried to catch a breath on the floor. On the way back into the ring, Tama connected with three dragonscrew leg whips to ground ELP. Tama continued to work the legs from this point on.

The pair traded strikes in the middle of the ring. Tama dropped ELP and hit supreme flow. After a back and forth, ELP answered with a styles clash.

After failing to close, ELP grabbed the NEVER belt; understandably, the referee stopped ELP from using the belt, buying Tama enough time to attempt some rollups. ELP reversed the gun stun, but failed to close again. Tama tried for gun stun again, and hit it, but ELP kicked out. Finally, to close, Tama hit the Jay driller and pinned ELP to retain the belt.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Shingo Takagi

The match opened with a textbook feeling-out process. After the grappling and chops, Okada hit a dropkick that sent Shingo tumbling to the floor.

Back in the ring, the pair traded heavy blows. Shingo dropped Okada and advanced with powerful drops and a lariat that sent Okada to the floor. On the outside, Shingo whipped Okada into the barricades, threw him onto the apron, and dropped him on the concrete. Once inside the ropes, Shingo hit a superplex and a sliding lariat for a nearfall.

After being on the back foot for some time, Okada hit a piledriver on the floor. Okada then locked in the money clip after returning to the ring. Okada hit the dropkick, but Shingo reversed the rainmaker with a lariat of his own.

A strike exchange left Shingo in strong control. He hit made in Japan for a near fall. Okada tried to answer with a lariat, but Shingo ate it, reversing into a Takagi driver, followed by a massive elbow. Shingo tried for Last of the Dragon, but Okada escaped, hitting a sudden rainmaker.

Okada tried for another rainmaker, but Shingo ducked. Okada was quick to respond with a landslide. When Okada tried for rainmaker again, Shingo reversed, hitting Last of the Dragon; Okada kicked out.

Shingo hit a dragon suplex, but Okada responded with a sudden dropkick. Shingo didn’t stay down, though, answering with a lariat. Shingo tried for a pumping bomber, but Okada caught him with a lariat of his own. Okada then set up for and hit the rainmaker, winning the match and retaining his belt.

After the match, Okada cut a show-closing promo, thanking Shingo and the crowd. Okada asked Tanahashi, who was seated at the commentary desk, to challenge him in San Jose. Tanahashi threatened to return the favor of the rainmaker shock at Battle in the Valley.