Tag: njpw road to tokyo dome

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Tanahashi & KENTA face off

Posted on by Chick Fritts

NJPW continued their year-end tour today with the second of four consecutive nights in Korakuen Hall. 

Report —

Jado, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club) defeated Kosei Fujita, Ryohei Oiwa, and Yuto Nakashima 

Was the referee’s lack of general awareness infuriating? Sure, but I can’t lie—I seldom dislike a young lion match, and this was no exception. Something about the absolute focus on the fundamentals speaks to me.  

Fujita opted to start the match and held his own against Owens in early chain wrestling. The success continued after Nakashima tagged into the match, landing heavy strikes on the Texas Heavyweight champion. Unfortunately for Nakashima, Jado involved himself, beating the young lion across the back with his cane. Fale continued the onslaught with a barrage of strikes while Owens and Jado piled their bodyweight on Nakashima.

Nakashima finally got the tag, allowing Oiwa to lock Owens in a Boston crab. The young lions then coordinated in clearing the ring of Bullet Club, scoring a near fall following a gut wrench suplex. A brawl ensued after the pin attempt. The chaos allowed Owens to land a C-trigger and package piledriver and secure the pin over Oiwa. 

DOUKI, Minoru Suzuki, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Suzuki-Gun) defeated Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Toru Yano

This was far from great. 

This match opened with a brawl. Almost immediately, Yano and Kanemaru were alone in the ring allowing Yano to cold spray Kanemaru without consequence. Kanemaru returned the favor by pouring his liquor into Yano’s eyes shortly after. 

Eventually, the antics slowed down. Suzuki and Tenzan had a nice back and forth sequence before Kojima entered the fray. Kojima fought off DOUKI and Kanemaru before another brawl developed. From the fog, Suzuki and Kojima emerged, trading strikes. A cutter sent Suzuki to the outside, allowing Kojima to focus in on Kanemaru; before he could act, Kojima was spayed by a mouth full of liquor. Kanemaru kicked Yano below the belt and poured additional booze across the face of Kojima before pinning him. 

SHO, Dick Togo, Yujiro Takahashi, and EVIL (House of Torture) defeated YOH, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, and Tomohiro Ishii 

This was better than the HoT/CHAOS match from last night, but I’m still left hoping for a clean-cut SHO/YOH match come the 4th. 

This match opened with a brawl. SHO focused YOH and EVIL focused Ishii on the outside while Makabe and Honma struggled with Yujiro and Togo inside the ring. This structure didn’t last long, as House of Torture gained complete control. YOH was isolated in the ring, leaving him subject to the mercy of HoT; in other words, he was whipped into an exposed corner, choked with a shirt, and assaulted with a chair. After a prolonged struggle, YOH tagged out. 

Ishii, now legal, ran through his opponents with particular attention paid to EVIL. Ishii forced EVIL to the outside, where EVIL slammed Ishii into the barricade; this allowed HoT to retake control until Honma tagged in. Honma landed everything for some time before being thrown into an exposed corner. Yujiro distracted the referee, allowing SHO to hit Honma with a pipe. Yujiro landed pimp juice and pinned Honma to close the match. 

After the match, HoT beat down YOH and Ishii.

Master Wato, YOSHI-HASHI, and Hirooki Goto defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr, and TAKA Michinoku (Suzuki-Gun)

This was fine, but nothing worth going out of your way to see. 

This match opened with a brawl. Eventually, Suzuki-Gun was able to isolate Wato. After being contorted for a while, Wato escaped, and YH stepped up to the plate. YH had a short rally before being worked on the mat himself. Goto tagged in and also fell to ZSJ grappling. TAKA and Taichi continued the beatdown forcing Wato to make the save. 

Goto, with help from YH, led the first significant offensive rally for his team. The pair cleared the ring, and Wato hit a dive to make sure it saved that way. Goto and Wato hit TAKA with Naraku and pinned him to bring this match to an end. 

Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb (United Empire) defeated BUSHI, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon) 

Cobb and Naito weren’t quite as electric in their interaction as compared to last night, but they still were the highlights of this match. 

This match opened with a brawl. Naito immediately engaged Cobb tonight, with particular attention paid to his leg. UE hit the ring to save Cobb while securing match control; this allowed Cobb to deal some damage to Naito before SANADA tagged in. 

SANADA and O-Khan had an exchange, generally favoring the latter. SANADA managed to turn things around, however, delivering a top rope dropkick before a double tag out. UE tried rushing down BUSHI but failed. In retort, LIJ triple-teamed Henare. 

Cobb caught Naito, slamming him into the corner to create separation. Now, UE singled out BUSHI. Henare landed Toa Bottom and pinned BUSHI to score a UE victory. 

Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi (Los Ingobernables de Japon) defeated Kazuchika Okada and Ryusuke Taguchi
This match wasn’t standout contents wise, but it wasn’t bad either. It existed to serve a purpose, and it did just that—build for the dome. 

Okada and Shingo opened the match with change wrestling. Much like last night, the pair were equals initially; after this was proved, they tagged out. 

Taguchi nearly got the better of Hiromu in their first interaction, causing him to retreat to the outside. Back in the ring, Hiromu teased Taguchi before dodging a hip attack to gain offensive footing. This played out again after Shingo re-entered the match. It wasn’t long before Taguchi was desperate for a tag. 

After taking out Shingo and Hiromu simultaneously with a hip attack, Taguchi was able to tag out. Okada gained the upper hand on Hiromu but failed in maintaining it. Hiromu left Okada prone for Shingo, but Shingo fell short in follow-up. Okada landed an air raid crash neckbreaker and facebuster before tagging Taguchi back in. 

Taguchi had a quite successful stint of offense against Shingo, all things considered, but could not close out the champion. Shingo landed a top rope elbow, prompting Okada to hit the ring. Hiromu followed in short order, helping Shingo clear the ring. Shingo then hit Taguchi with the last of the dragon and pinned him while staring down Okada — a powerful closing shot. 

Tiger Mask, Robbie Eagles, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated El Phantasmo, Taji Ishimori, and KENTA (Bullet Club)

A lot of this was a bore. I’m not sure how much this match would be improved with an audible crowd, but the prolonged isolation segments were definitely hurt due to that absence. Regardless of the match contents, the final visual was powerful and ads to the upcoming US title match. 

KENTA started the match by bringing a chair into the ring; unsurprisingly, the referee took the chair immediately. KENTA then tagged out. Eagles and ELP then had a fairly typical exchange high in athleticism before TM tagged into the match. TM was immediately isolated and triple-teamed by Bullet Club. 

Following the hot tag to Eagles, the match began to fall into disarray. Eagles was pulled to the outside and beat down. Bullet Club then cornered Eagles, trading tags to keep control. Eventually, Tanahashi tagged in for a short offensive sequence. A scoop slam from KENTA ended the rally early. TM had a slightly longer rally, but a GTS ended TM’s offense and the match.

After the match, Bullet Club beat down TM before powerbombing Tanahashi onto a pile of chairs. KENTA then cut a promo over Tanahashi’s broken body to close the show. 

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: Okada & Eagles vs. LIJ

Posted on by Chick Fritts

Chase Owens and Bad Luck Fale defeated Yuji Nagata and Yuto Nakashima

This was fine enough for what it was, I suppose — about what one would expect from this match on paper. 

Nagata and Nakashima started the match by isolating Fale, Owens entered the fray, creating enough separation for Fale to get the upper hand on Nakashima. Fale and Chase then traded tags, slowly picking apart Nakashima far from his corner. Owens and Fale crushed Nakashima, forcing Nagata to save his desperate partner. Eventually, Nakashima escaped a corner splash, allowing Nagata to tag in finally. 

Nagata had a short rally but soon fell to Fale’s power; Nagata continued to slip after Owens tagged back into the match. Nakashima tagged back into the match after recovering on the apron. He gained a quick lead over Owens, locking in a Boston crab that Fale broke up. Fale’s distraction allowed Owens to land a lariat for a near fall and a C Trigger for the actual fall to bring this match to a close. 

DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Toru Yano and Kosei Fujita

This was not great. 

Kanemaru and DOUKI started the match by jumping their opponents. Kanemaru doused Yano with his alcohol before launching an innovative offensive sequence outside the ring. The match returned to the mat but soon devolved into an outside scrap once more. 

After the outside fighting, Kanemaru and DOUKI isolated Fujita. Eventually, Fujita scored the hot tag, prompting Yano to remove the turnbuckle pad; this immediately backfired as Yano flew back first into the turnbuckles, but this really didn’t matter. Kanemaru tried to hit Yano with his bottle, but Yano ducked. Yano teased hitting Kanemaru with his own bottle, but instead, the match went back outside the ring. Yano then fetched a bottle of alcohol of his own that he used to drench Kanemaru. Kanemaru lay on the outside for some time. Once he returned to the ring, he sprayed Yano with a mouth full of liquor. Both men then tagged out.

Fujita forced DOUKI into the ropes with a deep Boston crab. After surviving the hold, DOUKI immediately took advantage, scoring a near fall. Fujita was not done fighting, however; he tried for two quick roll-ups, both of which DOUKI escaped. DOUKI then caught Fujita with the Italian Stretch No.32, leading to the submission victory. 

Yujiro Takahashi, SHO, and EVIL defeated Ryohei Oiwa, YOH, and Tomohiro Ishii

I can’t imagine this match succeeded in any of its goals. If the EVIL vs Ishii, SHO vs YOH, or NEVER 6-Man matches look anything like this come the 4th, that would be a disappointment. 

House of Torture jumped their opponents as the match started. In the chaos, SHO and YOH were left alone in the ring. SHO tried working the fingers of YOH, but YOH fought through, delivering a dropkick before tagging out of the match; after the tag, the match fell into chaos again. 

After the dust settled, EVIL and Ishii were alone in the ring. The pair took turns throwing one another into an exposed corner. Oiwa tagged in, having moderate success before succumbing to the numbers. House of Torture isolated Oiwa, leaving him desperate for a tag. The tag never came. After an extended period of domination, Takahashi had a pin on Oiwa, but instead of taking it, he pulled Oiwa from the mat. EVIL then hit Oiwa with the singles NEVER belt, then Takahashi pinned Oiwa. 

Tiger Mask, YOSHI-HASHI, and Hirooki Goto defeated TAKA Michinoku, Zack Sabre Jr, and Taichi

Anything with Tiger Mask or YH will be fun, so this had its moments.

YH and ZSJ opened the match with a wonderful sequence that soon involved every other competitor. ZSJ and Tiger Mask were soon alone in the ring, and after some ZSJ targeting, Tiger Mask was in deep trouble. As Taichi entered the match, things only grew direr for Tiger Mask. 

A tiger driver allowed Goto to tag into the match and take momentum for his team; YH tagged back into the match, and Suzuki-Gun regained control. TAKA locked in a deep choke that forced YH into the ropes. Moments later, the match broke down into a 6-way brawl. YH and Goto hit TAKA with Shoto, leading to the pin. 

Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, and Gedo 

For a match structured on Taguchi’s hindquarters, this was decent. 

ELP and Taguchi started the match by playing chicken; this evolved into a silly sequence that ended with Wato being slammed into Taguchi’s rear. The distraction this caused allowed Bullet Club to gain control by isolating Taguchi. After raking his back for minutes, ELP slapped Taguchi’s buttocks that Gedo and Taji exposed; Taguchi seemed ashamed. 

Taguchi, with his pants around his thighs, finally landed a hip attack before tagging Wato into the match. Wato had a short sequence before tagging in Tanahashi. Tanahashi, unfortunately, fell victim to a referee distraction and kick from ELP’s loaded boot. Before Bullet Club could put away Tanahashi, Taguchi hit the ring, his butt still out. After Taguchi landed a hip attack to clear the ring, Tanahashi locked in the cloverleaf and tapped out Gedo. 

Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb defeated BUSHI, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito 

This match was a little bloated, but it was the first match of the night that actually made me more excited for a Tokyo Dome match; every Cobb/Naito interaction left me wanting more. 

Cobb wanted Naito from the opening bell, but Naito denied him; instead, O-Khan and SANADA opened the match. O-Khan was sure to show off his wrestling that earned him a technique award early in his exchange. SANADA, on the other hand, grabbed O-Khan’s braid, pulling him across the ring by his lone lock. 

SANADA tied O-Khan up in the paradise lock, causing The United Empire to hit the ring. O-Khan gained control over SANADA on the inside, and on the outside, Cobb flattened Naito. The United Empire then picked apart SANADA as Naito watched on. 

SANADA eventually tagged out, allowing Naito and Cobb to interact in the ring. Naito led the first sequence inside the ropes by targeting Cobb’s leg. Cobb was only slightly phased, however, as his power soon overwhelmed Naito. What followed was a fantastic back and forth exchange that left both men laid out. 

The match broke down, and everyone traded moves for some time. Eventually, O-Khan hit BUSHI with an Eliminator to close the match.

Hiromu Takahashi and Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada and Robbie Eagles

This is precisely what you would expect from a preview tag with these guys—tons of interaction without over-delivering before the Dome show. 

Okada and Shingo opened the match with some chain wrestling to establish equality between the two. Then Eagles and Hiromu tagged in, having a lightning-quick sequence that broke down into a brawl on the outside. Eagles emerged with advantage before Okada tagged back in and cemented his teams lead. Eagles and Okada then took turns keeping Hiromu from tagging out. 

Hiromu eventually got the hot tag, allowing for a significant Shingo offensive sequence. Though, Shingo’s offense was cut short as Okada caught him in the money clip, forcing a rope break and a momentum reversal. After an air-raid crash neckbreaker, Okada tried for the money clip once more, but Shingo escaped, landing a lariat to reset the match. 

The juniors tagged back in, and Eagles immediately tied up the legs of Hiromu. Hiromu barely escaped but managed to find the ropes. The pair then struggled for control, with Hiromu eventually driving Eagles into the turnbuckle pad. Eagles answered some light offense but was thrown back into the corner with even more intention. 

Shingo tagged in to keep Eagles from Okada. Okada saved Eagles from a pin following the pumping bomber, but he could not make the save following last of the dragon. Shingo pinned Eagles to close the match. 

Shingo closed the show with a promo. 

Poll to determine alcohol choice for final NJPW KOPW 2021 match

Posted on by Ethan Renner

Twitter polls will determine which alcoholic beverage will be used in the Year End Party KOPW 2021 match to be held at NJPW’s Road to Tokyo Dome event on December 24. 

Toru Yano will defend the provisional KOPW 2021 trophy against Yoshinobu Kanemaru on the show. Year End Party rules are explained as a normal match, but wrestlers will be forced to drink alcohol at two minute intervals. The referee will then administer a 20 count. Should either competitor not be able to respond to the 20 count, they will lose, but pinfall, submission and disqualification rules still apply. 

Polls on the @njpwglobal and @NJPW1972 Twitter accounts will decide whether Kanemaru’s beverage choice or Yano’s will be the alcohol served during the match. Yano has proposed sake, while Kanemaru has proposed whiskey. 

Kanemaru attacked Yano with a whiskey bottle on yesterday’s show, then issued a challenge for the KOPW title. The winner of the Christmas Eve bout will be crowned the 2021 KOPW winner. Yano won the trophy in 2020.

Full lineups announced for NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome tour

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW has announced the lineups for their final shows before Wrestle Kingdom 16. 

The Road to Tokyo Dome tour will be held December 21, 22, 23 and 24 at Korakuen Hall. A KOPW 2021 match on December 24 is the only title match on the tour, while the rest of the matches are a mix of random tag bouts and Wrestle Kingdom 16 preview tags. 

Here are the lineups: 

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, Tuesday, December 21, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time, free on NJPW World —

  • Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada & Robbie Eagles
  • Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Tiger Mask vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
  • Tomohiro Ishii, YOH & Ryohei Oiwa vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & SHO
  • Toru Yano & Kosei Fujita vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
  • Yuji Nagata & Yuto Nakashima vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, Wednesday, December 22, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Shingo Takagi & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada & Ryusuke Taguchi
  • Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
  • Tomohiro Ishii, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & SHO
  • Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
  • Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens & Jado vs. Yuto Nakashima, Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, Thursday, December 23, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs El Desperado & DOUKI
  • Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
  • Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma, Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. KENTA, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
  • Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahahsi, Dick Togo & SHO
  • Toru Yano & Yuji Nagata vs. Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Kosei Fujita vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & TAKA Michinoku
  • Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato vs. Ryohei Oiwa & Yuto Nakashima

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome, Friday, December 24, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —

  • Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Kazuchika Okada & Robbie Eagles
  • Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA vs. El Desperado, Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.
  • Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & SHO
  • KOPW 2021: Toru Yano vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru
  • Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. KENTA, Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens
  • Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare
  • Ryusuke Taguchi vs. El Phantasmo vs. Tiger Mask

NJPW Road to Tokyo Dome results: LIJ vs. Bullet Club

Posted on by Ethan Renner

NJPW ran their first of three consecutive nights in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall today, kicking off the final leg of this year’s Road to Tokyo Dome tour. 

Recommended matches —

  • Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI 
  • Jay White, EVIL & Dick Togo vs.Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI 

Report —

The show started with a highlight video from all the major NJPW shows in 2020. This was slick and well done. 

Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe & Satoshi Kojima defeated Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd (8:57)

This was Tiger Mask’s comeback match after being sidelined for most of the year with diverticulitis. I am happy to report that his entrance music still rules. This was a nice showcase for the New Japan dads. 

Uemura and Makabe started the match with a mat wrestling clinic. Uemura shot for a double-leg takedown and got it. He tried a single-leg, but Makabe blocked. Makabe did some chain wrestling. 

Things took a turn when a frustrated Uemura threw a dropkick. Makabe answered with a slam. Both tagged out. 

Kidd and Tiger entered. Kidd landed some strikes and whipped Tiger into the buckle. Tiger answered with kicks, cutting Kidd off. Kojima tagged in and worked Kidd over. Makabe entered for more of the same. Kidd hit a dropkick and tagged Tsuji. 

Makabe hit Tsuji with a powerslam and tagged Kojima. Kojima hit his signature machine gun chops. Uemura jumped in to save Tsuji and they doubled up on Kojima. Tiger entered but was tossed outside by Kidd, as the Young Lions tripled up on Kojima. 

Tiger made it back in and hit a Tiger driver on Kidd. Kojima hit a cutter on Tsuji. Tsuji responded by hitting a spear and a brainbuster for a near fall.  

Tsuji ducked one lariat, but Kojima caught him on the rebound with a lariat and covered for the pin.

After the match, everyone left the ring to Tiger and he took a bow.  

Juice Robinson & Toa Henare defeated KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi (11:10)

This was more about teasing a singles match between Juice and KENTA at the Dome than having the best match they could. 

KENTA teased starting off with Juice but immediately tagged out, so Juice followed suit. Henare and Yujiro did some spots before rolling outside. Yujiro used his pimp cane to gain the advantage. 

KENTA and Yujiro worked Henare over. Henare finally came back with a brainbuster. Juice got a tag. Yujiro and KENTA illegally doubled up Juice and cut him off, then traded tags in working him over. 

Juice made his comeback, hit KENTA with a Left Hand of God, then followed with Pulp Friction on Yujiro for the victory. 

**********

After the match, KENTA tried a briefcase shot on Juice. Juice blocked and tried a briefcase shot on KENTA, but KENTA rolled out of the ring. The two jawed at each other for a few moments. 

Juice left with KENTA’s IWGP U.S. title shot briefcase. 

**********

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (10:27)

The babyfaces took a page out of Suzuki-gun’s playbook and attacked before the opening bell. This led to a brief period of dominance for Wato, Taguchi and Tenzan. Wato hit a tornillo on Desperado. 

They did some comedy involving Suzuki and Taguchi’s posterior. Suzuki-gun cut Taguchi off and worked on his left arm. 

Taguchi managed a tag to Tenzan. Suzuki and Tenzan had a nice exchange. Suzuki tried a headbutt, but sold it like he hurt his own head delivering the move to Tenzan’s thick skull. 

Wato tagged in. He was cut off by Kanemaru and Desperado. The Jr. Tag champs hit some tandem offense. Kanemaru hit Deep Impact for a near fall as Tenzan made the save for his pal Wato. 

For the finish, Wato used a jackknife cradle to trap Kanemaru and pin him. 

**********

They briefly teased Wato and Taguchi challenging for Desperado and Kanemaru’s IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles after the match. We will be hearing more about this in the coming days. 

**********

Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens (w/Jado)  defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI (8:32)

This was more of an extended angle than a match, with G.O.D. looking to damage Taichi and Sabre before they challenge them for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag belts at Wrestle Kingdom. 

Bullet Club attacked before the opening bell, targeting Sabre. I forget because I only get to see it a couple of times a year, but Sabre can be a heck of a babyface in peril when the match calls for it. 

G.O.D. worked Sabre over. Sabre came back with a cobra twist and a neck crank on Owens. Taichi tagged in and went after everyone on the Bullet Club team by choking them, including Jado on the apron. 

Taichi hit Tama with an axe bomber. He teased a backdrop suplex but Tama blocked. Tama tried a Gun Stun on Taichi, but he blocked. Sabre caught an interfering Tanga in an octopus while Taichi used a choke on Tama. DOUKI tagged in for a double stomp on Tama and a near fall. 

Everyone jumped in as the match worked towards the finish. Taichi took his pants off. Taichi hit Tama with a high kick and DOUKI cradled him for a near fall. DOUKI hit a plancha on Owens. 

The finish was great. DOUKI went for his Daybreak slingshot DDT on Tama. Tama caught him flying in with a Gun Stun and pinned him. 

**********

G.O.D. raised their World Tag League trophies in celebration and talked trash to Taichi and Sabre after the bell. Sabre and Taichi posed with their belts. 

**********

Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomoaki Honma (14:12)

As will likely be the case for all of the key matches before the Dome, the important stuff here came in the post-match. The action in the ring was fine, but nothing special. 

Empire attacked before the opening bell. Ospreay and Okada paired off, fighting to the floor. Ospreay whipped Okada into the barricade. O-Khan tried to go after Tanahashi’s left knee. Tanahashi fought him off and got an armbar, before tagging Honma. 

Honma tried a kokeshi on O-Khan but missed. O-Khan hit some Mongolian chops. Cobb tagged in and used  some power lifts to isolate Honma in the Empire corner. Ospreay tagged in and used a face rake and a chinlock in working on Honma. 

Honma managed to come back with a vertical suplex and tagged Okada. Okada and Ospreay had a short exchange, ending with Ospreay hitting a neckbreaker. O-Khan tagged in and used a baseball slide as Okada was tied to the tree of woe. Okada hit an air raid crash neckbreaker before tagging Tana. 

Tana hit a flying forearm on O-Khan, then hit Cobb with a dropkick, knocking hm from the apron. Tana used a dragon screw on O-Khan. He teased a slingblade. O-Khan blocked and tried a German. Tana blocked the suplex. O-Khan hit a stroke, then an inverted suplex for a near fall. 

O-Khan went for the Dominator. Tanahashi turned it into a twist and shout, into a double down. Honma and Cobb got tags. Cobb and Honma traded shoulder tackles. Honma hit a bulldog and a kokeshi. Ospreay tried to intervene and got hit with a diving kokeshi. 

Tana and Okada hit a double suplex on Cobb, then lifted Honma off the ropes into a diving kokeshi for a near fall. 

Ospreay and Okada, plus Tana and O-Khan paired off on the outside. Honma tried a second rope kokeshi on Cobb, but missed. Ospreay hit Honma with a hook kick. Cobb covered, but Okada saved. 

Cobb hit a striking combination, ending it with a lariat. He followed up with a Tour of the Islands and pinned Honma. 

**********

The Empire continued their assault after the bell. O-Khan dropped Tana knee-first on a chair supplied by Priestley. O-Khan continued hammering away at Tana’s left leg with the chair until Okada saved. 

Empire teased leaving. Ospreay ran back in and hit a Hidden Blade on Okada. The Empire stood tall over the fallen Okada and Tanahashi. O-Khan cut a promo, without the benefit of a microphone, to end the segment. 

**********

Jay White, EVIL & Dick Togo (w/Gedo) defeated Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI (17:36)

Something to keep an eye on is the dissension teases with White and EVIL. They worked well together, and their teamwork led to the victory, but they did a few subtle things to plant the seed for when one eventually turns on the other. 

White had a Hollywood Hogan tan and a new briefcase to signify his double title challenge at Wrestle Kingdom. 

White teased wanting to start the match with Naito, but tagged out to Togo right away. Naito then teased locking up with Togo, but ducked and hit White with a forearm shot as he stood on the apron. LIJ hit some tandem offense on Togo, before isolating him in their corner. 

BUSHI got a tag and a one count after a DDT. Togo raked BUSHI’s face. EVIL exposed a buckle in the Bullet Club corner. BUSHI and SANADA got sent into the exposed steel. White and Naito brawled on the outside, where White sent Naito into the barricade and choked him with a camera cable. 

Back in the ring, Bullet Club took turns in working over BUSHI. BUSHI tagged SANADA, who then locked EVIL and Togo in paradise locks, breaking the holds with a double dropkick. EVIL cut SANADA off and hit a corner lariat and a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. 

EVIL teased Darkness Falls. SANADA blocked and tried Skull End. EVIL slid out and tried a German. SANADA landed on his feet out of the suplex, but Togo tripped him from the floor. EVIL and Togo tried a Magic Killer, but SANADA fought it off and hit his Magic Breaker on EVIL. 

White and Naito tagged in. Naito hit a neckbreaker and low dropkick for a quick near fall. Naito used another neckbreaker and a crucifix hold. White tried to force a rope break, but Naito refused to break on the ropes. Red Shoes had to pull Naito’s legs off. 

Naito hit a series of stomps in the corner. Rather than try for a combinacion, Naito teased a top rope frankensteiner. White raked his face, then hit a DDT. White yelled at Red Shoes and twice put his hands on him, still angry about the crucifix. White hit a Blade Buster for a two count. 

White went for a Blade Runner. Naito blocked and hit an enzuigiri, then a spinebuster, into a double down at the 15 minute call. 

BUSHI tagged in. He hit a tope suicida and a swinging neckbreaker for a two count on White. BUSHI rolled White up for another two count, then hit a rewind kick. White hit a Saito suplex. 

SANADA jumped in. Togo choked SANADA. SANADA hit a TKO on Togo. EVIL hit Everything is EVIL on SANADA. White hit a Blade Runner on an interfering Naito. EVIL hit Darkness Falls on BUSHI. 

White then hit the Blade Runner on BUSHI and pinned him. 

**********

White posed with both of Naito’s titles after the match. 

EVIL cut a promo on SANADA, while Togo put a knee on SANADA’s neck. 

White then took the mic and cut a promo on Naito. He said Naito got what he wanted in Ibushi, then maybe a shot at White on night two. White said Naito, Ibushi, EVIL and all of us better not forget that they still have to breathe with The Switchblade in his new era.