It appears that Jon Moxley and Shingo Takagi will both be entrants in this year’s G1 Climax.
After defeating Shota Umino at Dominion, Moxley got on the microphone and declared that he wants to be in the G1. Takagi then did the same after defeating Satoshi Kojima.
Moxley’s match at Dominion was the second time he’s wrestled for NJPW. He made his NJPW debut at the Best of the Super Juniors finals on June 5, defeating Juice Robinson to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
Takagi made it to the Best of the Super Juniors finals after going undefeated in the A Block. Will Ospreay defeated him to win the tournament.
While announcing that he wants to be in the G1, Takagi said he’s going to prove how strong a junior heavyweight can be.
NJPW has yet to announce the participants for this year’s G1. The tournament will begin at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas on July 6. It runs through August 12, with the tournament concluding with three straight nights at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Will Ospreay became the winner of this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament by ending Shingo Takagi’s undefeated streak this morning.
In a 30-plus minute match, Ospreay defeated Takagi in the Best of the Super Juniors finals at Sumo Hall in Tokyo. Ospreay will now challenge for Dragon Lee’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Dominion on Sunday (June 9).
Ospreay hit an OsCutter on Takagi from the top rope at the end of the match. He held on, then hit the Storm Breaker to get the win.
Ospreay announced after the match that he’s moving to Japan. Ospreay said he’s going to take NJPW worldwide as a junior heavyweight, and he wants to face both junior heavyweights and heavyweights.
This is the second time that Ospreay has won the Best of the Super Juniors. He also won the tournament in 2016.
Dominion is taking place at Osaka-jo Hall in Osaka on Sunday. Kazuchika Okada will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Chris Jericho, Kota Ibushi will defend his IWGP Intercontinental title against Tetsuya Naito, and Tomohiro Ishii will challenge for Taichi’s NEVER Openweight Championship.
The Best of the Super Juniors finals will take place tonight at Sumo Hall, with Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi deciding the tournament winner.
Both men have had spectacular performances throughout the last month, with Shingo winning all of his A Block matches while Ospreay only lost to El Phantasmo and Robbie Eagles in the B Block. The two will be clashing for the first time ever, and given their performances on this tour both men will go all out to win the tournament.
Jon Moxley, who has been making waves in the last couple of weeks, will make his debut for NJPW tonight, his first match since leaving WWE in April. He will take on Juice Robinson, who has met Moxley before during their time in FCW.
Hiroshi Tanahashi will return to the ring for the first time since recovering from an elbow injury, taking on rival Jay White.
Gresham and Umino started off, exchanging headlock takeovers. Gresham offered a handshake after the exchange, and Umino reluctantly slapped his hand.
Titan and Bandido were in next. Titan hit a flying headscissors, but Bandido countered with a pop-up cutter. Narita briefly entered, but tagged Bandido again, who went to work on Titan’s left arm.
Titan avoided a charge into the corner, and tagged Dragon. Dragon hit a delayed dropkick in the corner. Bandido and Dragon exchanged strikes. Both teased their finishers. Bandido hit a GTS, and Dragon countered with a snap German. They hit a simultaneous crossbody, into a double down.
Bandido was able to tag Narita, who hit Dragon with a vertical suplex. Gresham and Bandido cleared the apron of their opponents, then tripled up on Dragon. Bandido hit a 450, while Gresham landed a shooting star press. Narita used a suplex for a nearfall, before Dragon’s team jumped in for the save.
Now it was Dragon’s team that tripled up on Narita. Everyone jumped in as the match broke down. Titan hit an Asai moonsault. Dragon and Narita were left the legal men. Narita hit a belly-to-belly for a nearfall. Dragon hit a pair of knee strikes, then pinned Narita. A fast and furious opener.
The post-match here was newsworthy. They continue to tease dissension between Eagles and ELP, and they established Ishimori and ELP as future challengers to SHO and YOH.
Bullet Club used an attack before the bell to gain the early edge. ELP and Eagles did some comedy with Taguchi’s rugby ball and helmet. Their advantage was short-lived, as Taguchi and company did their forever clothesline spot.
ELP avoided a hip attack, then stuck his thumb in Taguchi’s butt. He put the thumb in Eagles’s face, and Eagles took a bump. Ishimori avoided the thumb. ELP then gave the thumb to Taguchi, who took a bump.
ELP used his rope-walk , avoided an attack from YOH, and hit a springboard rana for a two count. Eagles and Ishimori hit Taguchi with double knees in the corner. ELP stood on Taguchi’s crotch. Eagles avoided a hip attack, then hit an atomic drop. Eagles hit his own hip attack, then Taguchi countered with another one.
YOH got a tag, running wild with dropkicks, then a flying forearm to Eagles. SHO tagged in for some tandem offense with YOH, using a tandem slam for a nearfall. ELP jumped in and ate stereo knee strikes.
Eagles avoided a 3K, and hit a Turbo Backpack on YOH. He landed a superkick combination to SHO, but got cut off with a lariat. Eagles came back with Turbo Backpack on SHO for a nearfall.
Eagles hit a 450 and went for a cover, but ELP tagged himself in, much to Eagles’s chagrin. ELP hit a CR2 on SHO for the pin.
After the bell, Ishimori and ELP held up SHO and YOH’s tag titles. Eagles shoved ELP, then left on his own.
Liger and DOUKI kicked things off. Liger hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then used a Romero Special. Kanemaru broke up the hold.
Things broke down into a chaotic brawl around ringside. DOUKI went to the top for a seated senton to the floor. He was supposed to land on all nine other guys, but no one caught him. He barely caught some of Liger’s shoulder, on his way to landing on the floor. That looked painful.
Liger and Suzuki exchanged strikes, and Liger dropped Suzuki with a clothesline. Taichi and Ishii tagged in, ahead of their NEVER Openweight title match on Sunday. Taichi hit a buzzsaw kick, then removed his pants.
Ishii ducked an axe bomber, then hit a release German. YH and Sabre tagged in. This was the Zack Sabre show, as he used a kimura, hit a PK, then used another wacky submission hold, climbing on YH’s back.
Suzuki-gun went five-on-one against YH. Suzuki landed a PK, while DOUKI hit a double stomp. DOUKI picked up a nearfall, before the match broke down. Taichi hit Ishii with a low blow. Sabre and Suzuki used dueling Cobra Twists on YH and Liger.
YH hit a lariat, then used Karma on DOUKI for the pin. Some good action here. I’d be surprised if DOUKI is back in NJPW any time soon.
Liger and Suzuki brawled to the back after the match ended, so they are continuing to tease a showdown between those two at some point.
TETSUYA NAITO, EVIL, SANADA, & BUSHI DEFEATED KOTA IBUSHI, TOGI MAKABE, TOMOAKI HONMA & TOA HENARE
Naito and Ibushi began with a nice sequence. Both hit a series of counters and teases, ending with both posing.
BUSHI and Honma were in next. Honma hit a tackle, then called Henare in for the double team. Honma missed a kokeshi, and LIJ took over.
After a brief brawl around the ring, EVIL and Honma traded chops. SANADA tagged in, and Honma hit a kokeshi. Makabe got a tag, and hit some trademark spots on SANADA, including a northern lights suplex.
Makabe went for a German, but SANADA blocked it. SANADA tried for the Paradise Lock, but Makabe kicked him off. SANADA took a turnbuckle flip, then ate a lariat, into a double down.
Naito and Ibushi were back in. Ibushi hit a moonsault for a two count, then hit a mid kick. He tried for a standing moonsault, but Naito got his knees up. Naito hit a dropkick, then a tornado DDT.
EVIL tagged in, and got nailed with a dropkick. Ibushi tagged Henare. Henare ducked a pair of clotheslines, and hit a shoulder tackle. He hit a big vertical suplex. Henare and Honma hit a double kokeshi on EVIL. Henare covered, but LIJ broke up the pin.
LIJ took out Henare’s teammates on the floor, then went four-on-one against Henare. BUSHI hit a suicide dive to the floor, again taking out Henare’s teammates. EVIL and SANADA hit the Magic Killer on Henare for the pin.
Naito attacked Ibushi on the floor after the match, sending him into the barricade. They will face off on Sunday for the Intercontinental title.
Okada and King locked up at the outset. Okada broke cleanly against the ropes. King hit a shoulder tackle, then a big chop. Okada used a trip takedown, then hit a basement dropkick.
Rocky tagged in, and King dropped him with a right hand. Scurll tagged in, and went to work on Rocky’s left arm. Rocky came back with a pair of ranas. King jumped in. Rocky went for a rana on King, but King blocked it. Okada jumped in, and King hit both with a springboard armdrag.
Scurll hit a superkick on the apron to Rocky. Back in the ring, Scurll used the Romero Special. He used the hold to lay back into a bridge for a nearfall. King got a tag, and hit Rocky with a splash for a two count.
Scurll tagged back in. He sold his right knee going out while stomping on Rocky’s arm, allowing Rocky to tag Okada. Okada hit a back elbow, and a DDT. King jumped in, and Okada slammed him on top of Scurll.
Okada went to the top. Scurll dodged the diving attack, then hit a DDT of his own. Scurll and King hit a double German on Okada. They teased doing Rocky’s forever clotheslines, but Rocky cut them off. He hit forever clotheslines, then jumped right into a black hole slam from King.
King hit Okada with a piledriver for a two count. Okada and King traded strikes. Okada hit a dropkick, then a top rope elbow. He hit his Rainmaker pose, then used the Rainmaker on King for the pin. This was a lot of fun.
The lights went out after the match. A message played from Chris Jericho. There was a dark carnival theme to the video. Jericho asked Okada to come out and play. He said it’s going to be Rainmaker vs. Painmaker on Sunday.
Okada cut a promo. He asked what a Painmaker was, then said that the title is not a toy, and that all NJPW needs is a Rainmaker.
SWITCHBLADE JAY WHITE DEFEATED HIROSHI TANAHASHI
White attacked Tana as he was posing on the turnbuckle before the bell. Gedo provided a distraction on the floor, and White whipped Tana into the barricade. White raked Tana’s eyes, then stomped away at his surgically-repaired left arm.
Tana tried to send White off the ropes, but sold as though his arm gave out. White suplexed Tana over the top to the floor. He went out after Tana, hammerlocked his arm, then sent him arm-first into the barricade and the ring frame.
White hammerlocked the arm again, then posted Tana. The referee’s count made it to 17, then White pulled the referee to the floor, which stopped the count for some reason. He continued to attack the left arm, draping it over the barricade.
Back in the ring, Tana fired off some short strikes with his right arm. White hit a couple of chops in the corner, then went back to attacking the arm. White used a hammerlock into a Saito suplex for a two count.
White pulled the sleeve and pad off of Tana’s arm. He went back to the hammerlock, and used forearm strikes. Tana reversed the hammerlock, and hit some forearms of his own. Tana hit a dragon screw. He followed up with a flying forearm.
Tana hit a dropkick to White’s knees. He followed with a somersault senton off the second rope for a nearfall at the ten minute mark.
Tana no-sold a chop. He went for slingblade, but White blocked it. White blocked Twist and Shout, following up with a flatliner and a deadlift German.
White hit a DVDDT, but sold the leg that Tana worked on when landing. White blocked a slap, then hit a uranage for a two count. White went for a Kiwi Krusher, but Tana blocked it. Tana hit two Twist and Shouts. He went for a third, but White blocked it.
Tana hit a slap with his bad arm. He went for another Twist and Shout, but White reversed it into a Fujiwara armbar. They did a long submission tease, before Tana reached the bottom rope with his left foot.
Tana used his legs to aid him on hitting a dragon screw. That was very clever. Just an incredible attention to detail. Tana hit slingblade twice, earning a nearfall.
Tana went to the top. He kicked off Gedo. Before he could hit a High Fly Flow, White cut him off. White went for Blade Runner, but Tana reversed into a straightjacket German for a two count.
Tana went for a dragon suplex. Gedo jumped in with brass knuckles. Tana ducked the brass knuckles. While the referee attended to Gedo, White hit a low blow. Tana countered with a low blow.
Tana used a small package, but White reversed it, and got the pin. A strong outing for both men.
IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: JON MOXLEY DEFEATED JUICE ROBINSON TO WIN THE TITLE
Moxley entered through the crowd. His NJPW nickname is “Death Rider”. He wore black shorts, trimmed with a gold barbed wire design, and amateur wrestling shoes. Juice got a haircut.
Moxley flipped off Juice as they faced off before the bell. Moxley sent Juice outside with a lariat, then hit a suicide dive. Juice flipped over the barricade, and the fight spilled into the crowd. Moxley hit a headbutt, then bit Juice.
They continued to fight in the aisle. Moxley worked on Juice’s left eye. It looked like they were trying to get blood the hard way. They succeeded. Moxley went for a piledriver, but Juice hit a backdrop.
Juice went to the top of the entrance stage, and hit a flip dive. They had Moxley and a group of Young Lions there to catch him, and he mostly missed everyone. This was a bad night for guys catching on dives.
Juice sent Moxley into the barricade. He went for a cannonball, but Moxley moved, and Juice hit the barricade. They finally got back into the ring after the five minute mark. Moxley posted Juice’s legs.
Moxley went after the cut again, biting Juice’s forehead. He used a half crab, then transitioned to an STF. Juice bit Moxley’s fingers, forcing him to give up the hold. Juice was really bleeding now. Juice hit a spinebuster.
Juice hit a series of punches from the mount. He punched Moxley in the corner. He teased a cannonball, but Moxley rolled to the floor. Juice hit a plancha, then crotched Moxley on the barricade. He followed up with a lariat, dropping Moxley to the floor.
Back inside, Juice hit a lariat. Juice hit the Juice Box. He went to the top rope, but Moxley shoved him to the floor. Moxley pulled a table from under the ring. He set up the table, then hit Juice with a chair.
Moxley set Juice up on the table, then hit a running chair strike off the apron. Moxley suplexed Juice through the table, then rolled back inside. They teased a countout, but Juice made it back in at 19.
Moxley hit an X-plex, which got an insane reaction.
Moxley used a figure four around the post. Juice rolled outside. Moxley teased Pillman-izing Juice’s leg, but Juice popped up and threw a chair into Moxley. Back inside, Juice hit a lariat. Again he teased the cannonball, but Moxley hit a lariat.
After a double down, they exchanged strikes. Juice no-sold a strike. He went for the Left Hand of God, but Moxley blocked it. Moxley went for a double-arm DDT, but Juice pushed him into the ropes. They spilled over the top rope to the floor.
Moxley set up a table against the barricade. Juice hit the Left Hand of God, dropping Moxley against the table. Juice finally hit the cannonball into Moxley and the table, but the table refused to break, 20 minutes in.
Juice set the table up, then powerbombed Moxley through it. Juice used a Tenzan crab, but Moxley pulled out of it, hitting a dragon screw. Moxley used a cloverleaf. Juice bit Moxley, forcing a break. Moxley was bleeding from the shoulder.
Juice hit a Left Hand of God. They teased their finishers. Juice used a cradle for a nearfall. Juice hit a lariat.
Moxley hit a double-arm DDT, but Juice kicked out at two.
Moxley hit a second double-arm DDT, and got the pin.
This match was insane. Moxley is a huge star on his first night in. The crowd loved him. There was a buzz and a reaction for him different than anyone else in the company. He bowed to all four sides of the arena before leaving the ring.
Juice got a nice reaction while leaving, and refused any help walking to the back.
BEST OF THE SUPER JUNIORS 26 FINAL: WILL OSPREAY DEFEATED SHINGO TAKAGI
They locked up, and Ospreay broke cleanly against the ropes. They used a knuckle lock in the center of the ring, establishing that Shingo has superior power. Ospreay hit a couple of quick kicks, then grabbed a side headlock. Shingo hit a shoulder tackle, but Ospreay kipped up out of it.
They did a crazy sequence of counters and reversals. Shingo went for a German, but Ospreay blocked. Ospreay went for an Oscutter, but Shingo blocked. Shingo hit a chop, and Ospreay answered with some of his own.
Ospreay hit a headscissors and a dropkick. He teased a dive, but Shingo stepped away, so Ospreay hit a handspring into a pose instead. They traded strikes. Ospreay hit a dropkick, again sending Shingo outside. Ospreay hit a plancha.
On the floor, Ospreay hit a chop. Shingo raked the eyes. Shingo tried to send Ospreay into the barricade, but Ospreay jumped on top the barricade. Shingo pulled Ospreay off and dropped him on the apron, face-first. Shingo hit a DDT on the floor.
Shingo teased a Last of the Dragon from the apron to the floor. Ospreay blocked it. Shingo hit a tope con hilo, getting hung up in the barricade on the landing. Back inside, Shingo hit a shoulder tackle.
Ospreay connected with a couple of strikes, but Shingo no-sold them. Shingo hit a backdrop and a clothesline in the corner. Shingo hit some strikes in the corner, then a pop-up DVD for a two count.
The pace briefly slowed, as Shingo used a chinlock. Ospreay bounced out of a double sledge, then hit a handspring kick. Ospreay hit a 619. He teased Pip Pip Cheerio, but Shingo blocked it. Ospreay hit a delayed dropkick in the corner, then used a standing shooting star press for a nearfall.
Shingo rolled outside. Ospreay hit a Sasuke Special, then Pip Pip Cheerio, for another nearfall. Ospreay tried for Storm Breaker, but Shingo hit a backdrop. Ospreay hit a thrust kick. Shingo countered with a slap, then a jab.
Ospreay got knocked out of the air on a flip, and landed awkwardly on his left shoulder. Shingo hit a sliding lariat for a two count. Ospreay flipped out of a noshigami attempt. He hit a series of strikes, then stepped up into a cutter.
Ospreay hit a yakuza kick, then a cheeky nandos kick. Shingo was still standing on the second rope. Ospreay teased a Storm Breaker off the top, but Shingo knocked him to the apron with strikes. Shingo hit a DVD off the second rope for a nearfall.
They traded lariats. Shingo went for Last of the Dragon. Ospreay flipped out, and peppered Shingo with strikes. Shingo hit a noshigami. He went for a Pumping Bomber, but Ospreay somehow countered it into a sit-out powerbomb for a great nearfall.
Ospreay missed with a Robinson Special. Shingo hit a wheelbarrow suplex into the turnbuckle. They rolled to the apron. Shingo tried for a noshigami on the apron, but Ospreay cut him off with a hook kick. Ospreay hit an Oscutter off the post to the apron. They teased a countout, but both made it back in.
As Shingo crawled back in, Ospreay nailed him with a springboard dropkick. Ospreay hit a 630 to a standing Shingo, then followed with a shooting star press for a nearfall.
Ospreay hit the Robinson Special, then connected with an Oscutter for a crazy nearfall. Ospreay hit a series of short kicks and knee strikes. Shingo came back with a headbutt. They exchanged forearm strikes.
Shingo hit a series of hard forearms to the neck, and a jab. Ospreay hit a series of kicks. He went for a Storm Breaker, but Shingo reversed it into a Last of the Dragon. He covered, but Ospreay kicked out at two.
At the 30 minute mark, Shingo hit a Pumping Bomber. He connected with a second Pumping Bomber. He covered, and Ospreay kicked out at two.
Shingo went for Last of the Dragon, but Ospreay reversed it into a poison rana. Shingo landed awkwardly on his head. Terrifying.
They traded headbutts on the mat. Back on their feet, Shingo connected with three lariats. He went for a fourth. Ospreay escaped and ran the ropes. Shingo followed him into the ropes. Ospreay hit a Spanish Fly for a two count.
Ospreay hit a Hidden Blade, then a top rope Oscutter. He maintained head and neck control on the landing, then hit a Storm Breaker. 1-2-3.
Ospreay ends Shingo’s unbeaten streak, and wins Best of the Super Juniors for the second time in his career.
They showed some crowd shots. People were crying. What a match. What a performance.
Ospreay cut a promo after the match. He said this tour was the best tour of the year. He shouted out Hiromu Takahashi, and told him to come back soon so they can fight.
Ospreay said he’s moving to Japan full-time. He said he’s going to wrestle at junior heavyweight, and also at heavyweight.
If there was any doubt coming in to this tournament whether or not Ospreay had slipped, he put that to rest. Not just today, but throughout the entire tournament, he turned in incredible performances. If he isn’t the best wrestler in the world, I don’t know who is.
NJPW has released the full card for Wednesday’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament finals.
Most of the undercard was revealed tonight, featuring multi-man tag team matches from both heavyweights who have been off the tour and junior heavyweights who competed in the tournament. Kazuchika Okada will team up with Rocky Romero to face Marty Scurll and Brody King prior to the top three matches.
Already set for the show is Hiroshi Tanahashi’s comeback match following an elbow injury, facing Jay White. Jon Moxley will also be making his debut, facing Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States title in the co-main event. The main event will feature A Block winner Shingo Takagi taking on Will Ospreay, who won the B Block.
The Best of the Super Juniors finals will take place on June 5 at Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan. Here is the full card:
Will Ospreay vs. Shingo Takagi in the BOSJ finals
Juice Robinson vs. Jon Moxley for the IWGP United States title
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White
Kazuchika Okada & Rocky Romero vs. Marty Scurll & Brody King
Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma and Toa Henare vs. Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA and BUSHI
Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, YOSHI-HASHI, Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask vs. Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Jr., Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI
Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH and SHO vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo and Robbie Eagles
Dragon Lee, Titan and Shota Umino vs. Jonathan Gresham, Bandido and Ren Narita
After they were set up at the New Beginning in Osaka on Monday morning, New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced two title matches for this year’s anniversary show.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori will defend his title against Jushin Thunder Liger at the anniversary event, and SHO & YOH will challenge for Shingo Takagi & BUSHI’s IWGP Junior Heavyweight titles.
Ishimori called out Liger (who was on commentary) after retaining his title against Ryusuke Taguchi at the New Beginning in Osaka. Liger said he’d accept Ishimori’s challenge at any place or time.
SHO & YOH attacked Takagi & BUSHI and grabbed their title belts after Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Takagi & BUSHI) defeated Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) in a six-man tag match. Takagi & BUSHI took the belts back after both teams got on the microphone and set up their title match.
This year marks NJPW’s 47th anniversary. The anniversary show is taking place at Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo on Wednesday, March 6 and will air live on New Japan World.
NJPW and CMLL kicked off their Fantasticamania tour this morning in Osaka with a number of matches, including the debut of Atlantis Jr., son of Atlantis.
Taiji Ishimori, Templarino and Gedo defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Tiger Mask and Audaz
Gedo stalled early. Kinda boring until Audaz was tagged in and did an amazing corkscrew moonsault to the floor, wiping out Templarino. They ended up having some pretty good chemistry together and was a highlight of the match.
Ishimori and Taguchi, who was wearing his pharaoh outfit as he normally does on these tours, went at it. It was pretty okay.Templarino picked up the win over Audaz with a sitout powerbomb. Pretty solid opener.
Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Forastero defeated Jushin Thunder Liger, Titan and Flyer
This felt kind of uninteresting until Liger started to make a hot comeback, sending Forastero to the floor. He took out Kanemaru on the outside as Flyer and Kanemaru went at it.
Titan and Forastero had some fun back and forth towards the end. Forastero scissored him and went for the triangle armbar, submitting Flyer. Dull in parts but largely okay.
Okumura and Sanson defeated Atlantis and Atlantis Jr.
This is the debut match of Atlantis Jr., who naturally is the son of Atlantis. He and Sanson worked together early and looked okay, doing some cool spots including a suicide dive to the floor, taking out Sanson.
It was kind of sad seeing Atlantis, as it seems clear his knee is still bothering him, especially when he has to run. Atlantis Jr. wiped out both with a tope con hilo as Atlantis went to the top rope, hitting a crossbody to the floor.
As the match wore on, Atlantis Jr. continued to work the bulk of the match, looking good.
Okumura planted him with a draping cutter off the top rope but Atlantis broke it up. Sanson took Atlantis out of the ring as Atlantis Jr. got a near fall with a roll up. As he was arguing with referee, Okumura grabbed him and hit a spinning DDT for the win.
Okumura and Sanson took the masks of both father and son after the match.
Ultimo Guerrero, Gran Guerrero and Cuartero defeated Mistico, Dragon Lee and Niebla Roja
Everyone paired off against one another with some good back and forth. Gran and Ultimo teamed up to slam Mistico off the top rope. The technicos then teamed up to send all three rudos out of the ring.
Dragon Lee and Mistico teamed up to work on the rudos, doing some great tandem offense to take out the Guerreros. Niebla Roja and Cuatero worked against one another, and both looked good. Roja took out Cuatero with a giant Sasuke special as Lee and Mistico took out the Guerreros with stereo topes.
Roja and Cuartero continued their offense until Cuartero cut off Roja and pinned him with the Cuatero bomb. A pretty good match, with Mistico and Dragon Lee’s offense being the highlights.
Caristico, Namajague and Barbaro Cavernario defeated KUSHIDA, Volador Jr. and Soberano Jr.
Namajague was Desperado’s gimmick during his CMLL excursion years ago.
Volador and Caristico had a hot sprint early. Namajague used his belt as a rope to choke and attack KUSHIDA throughout the match. Soberano came in and did a big moonsault dive to the floor that wiped out both KUSHIDA and Namajague on the outside.
Volador and Caristico were back in the ring and did a few more spots before Volador tapped to la mistica. Short, but good action while it lasted.
Tetsuya Naito, El Terrible, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi defeated Satoshi Kojima, Toa Henare, Raijin and Fujin
Fujin and Raijin, much like Desperado, were SHO and YOH wearing their CMLL masks.
The first few minutes of this was just kind of a match. People would tag in, get worked over for a bit before tagging out. Nothing particularly interesting.
Fujin and Rajin picked things up toward the end by working over BUSHI with some tandem offense. They went for the 3K, but it was broken up by Shingo who attempted to clear house.
Fujin went for a dragon suplex, but BUSHI countered with the BUSHI roll and got the win. Again, the first half of this was really dull but it picked up towards the end.
This was an easy two in a half hours to watch. If you like these shows, it’s worth a look, but there isn’t anything that I would consider must see barring the debut of Atlantis Jr..
The new pareja of Los Ingobernables de Japon is none other than new free agent Shingo Takagi.
The former Dragon Gate star made his debut tonight during King of Pro Wrestling, the fourth man in a eight man tag team match pitting CHAOS members against LIJ. After teasing that the partner might be Milano Collection AT at ringside, Tetsuya Naito introduced their partner, who was introduced as The Dragon. Takagi, who was under a LIJ mask, then revealed himself to a huge pop. They went on to win their match against Roppongi 3K, Toru Yano and Kazuchika Okada when Takagi pinned SHO with the Last Falconry, which is now called the Last of the Dragon.
Takagi announced last month that he would be going freelance, with his last date as a full roster member of Dragon Gate being on 10/7. In his final match with the promotion, he lost to BxB Hulk in a singles bout.
In Dragon Gate, he held the Open the Dream Gate four times and the Open the Triangle Gate six times with various stablemates over the years.
Image: Rob Naylor. Report submitted by Brian Reznick.
– Night one of PWG’s Battle of Los Angeles is in the books, and it was a very good show. Without looking back to verify, I think it was a little behind night one last year and 2016, but it was in no way disappointing. The crowd was great and seemed to enjoy the show throughout.
– Rey Horus defeated Adam Brooks in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament first round match
This was a fun opener. Brooks has never grabbed me in the way that he has others, but he had a good showing here. I like Horus a lot and thought that he looked great.
Brooks played the heel throughout the match. Horus hit a big dive over the corner post that looked great, and Brooks hit a Fosbury flop to the outside. They had a nice sequence late where Brooks hit a Canadian Destroyer, only to have Horus pop up immediately and hit a standing Spanish Fly and both guys collapsed for the “This is awesome” spot (There were no “This is awesome” chants all night, but the crowd did cheer).
Brooks got a great near fall late when he reversed an attempt at a top rope rana into a powerbomb and followed with an Aoi Shoudou. Horus won with a super victory roll. Good pop for the finish and a bit of money thrown in the ring.
– Flamita defeated Puma King in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament first round match
A great showcase for lucha libre and a nice intro to PWG for Puma King. They did a great series of counters and reversals to a stalemate early. Flamita hit a series of topes to the outside. Puma King got a near fall with a reverse rana, spring board crossbody splash, and a diving double stomp. Flamita also got a near fall with a top rope 450, and it looked like he landed on Puma King hard.
The finish came when Flamita reversed a top rope rana into a powerbomb, followed up with a superkick, and then hit a Phoenix Splash.
This match was a sprint and was great. There were cheers for Puma King afterwards (the crowd might have wanted him to win more than Flamita), followed by “Please come back” chants and money thrown into the ring.
– CIMA defeated Jody Fleisch in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament first round match
Another well-worked match. There was plenty of flying, but these guys were smart to recognize that they couldn’t match the rest of the card — so they worked some comedy and other clever spots.
They had a series of reversals that led to a stalemate early. Here’s a benefit of having agents on a show, each of the first three matches had similar early sequences of reversals capped by both guys doing a dropkick and then rolling kip-ups so that they were facing each other. It’s a cool sequence, but it probably shouldn’t happen in three straight matches.
After the stalemate, Fleisch and CIMA worked some comedy when Fleisch said he could get the crowd to cheer louder for him. He went to two corners on one side in succession and got a decent response. CIMA then did the same to the other two corners and did better. Fleisch wanted to repeat, and they got the same result.
Fleisch then offered a handshake, noting that “we’re both babyfaces” to entice the reluctant CIMA. After a successful shake with the right, Fleisch said they should shake with the left. They did so, but CIMA pulled the double cross. The match spilled outside with Fleisch hitting an Asai moonsault.
They eventually ended up back in the ring and did two great sequences where they rolled around, each trying for pins, but only getting a one count each time. They ended the sequence and then went into a similar sequence with the same results before both collapsing. This was great and got a strong reaction from the crowd. Fleisch hit a step-up rana to take CIMA off the corner turnbuckle and hit a springboard tornado DDT for a near fall.
Fleisch missed a Shooting Star Splash. CIMA hit a White Noise and a great looking diving double knees off the top turnbuckle to win. Nice reaction for Fleisch after the match, though not quite as big as the one for Puma King. There was a decent amount of “Please come back” chants.
– Bandido defeated T-Hawk in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament first round match
Outstanding match. Bandido is so over as a baby face with this crowd. It sounded like WALTER and Bandido got the biggest pops of the night to me, though Brody King and PCO were close. T-Hawk was great here playing heel. Everything he did looked crisp and his facials and crowd work were top notch.
T-Hawk got the heat early with some stiff chops and worked the crowd well. The match went outside and Bandido hit a moonsault from the second turnbuckle to the floor. T-Hawk came back in the ring with hard slaps and two chops to the throat. He then flexed his pecs for the crowd as the boos rained down — really well done.
T-Hawk hit some vicious strikes into a reverse powerslam, but Bandido popped up right away and hit a big boot, then both collapsed. The crowd loved this. They had a long Hiromu Takahashi vs. Dragon Lee type sequence of chopping the hell out of each other, and the crowd went nuts for it after they had gone for awhile. They then slowed down and suddenly sped back up to a bigger pop.
The end came when Bandido hit his backflip fallaway slam off the top turnbuckle. Great move, great finish, and great match. Everyone went nuts and threw money in the ring. This was 4.5 stars for me. Great post-match reaction for T-Hawk — I really hope he is back.
– Joey Janela defeated David Starr in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament first round match
This match was an intense, brutal affair. They have great chemistry together, but this was one of those matches where, in my opinion, they had a few spots that were too dangerous that subtracted from the match. I still liked the match a lot, but I think these guys are good enough that they didn’t need to do everything that they did.
Early on, it was a stiff well-worked match. Starr worked heel well and Janela took a stiff chop and bumped over the ropes to the floor. They worked outside a bit. After coming back in, Janela hit a top rope rana and followed with a top rope elbow drop for a near fall. They brawled for a bit and Janela eventually hit a spot where he knocked Starr down while Starr was on the turnbuckle. Janela pulled Starr so he was flat on his back across the buckle and then jumped down to the floor so Starr landed on the back of his head on the apron.
This looked so brutal. I had a good line of sight and it looked like the back of Starr’s head smashed on the apron. Starr came back and hit Janela with a DDT on the apron.
Starr then hit a Canadian Destroyer, but Janela popped up right away and hit a superkick before they both collapsed. A version of this appeared in every match, and it always worked. They went back to clubbing the hell out of each other, then Starr put on a submission that looked like a half Sharpshooter and half Liontamer, with Starr wrenching Janela at a high angle and grabbing his left arm. Janela wouldn’t tap and eventually made the ropes.
They went back outside and exchanged a series of four topes: Starr hit one, Janela popped right up, slid in the ring, and hit a tope, Starr popped up and did the same — and then hit another for good measure. Janela hit a top rope Swanton Bomb to the floor and then a package piledriver back in the ring for two.
They had another brutal sequence where Starr took Janela off the top turnbuckle and dropped him on the back of his head on the ropes, then hit a crushing clothesline and a painful looking Last Shot for a near fall. Starr then landed a superkick for a near fall. Starr went for his half Sharpshooter/Liontamer submission, but Janela rolled him into a small package for a two count. As soon as Starr kicked out, Janela popped up and hit a superkick for the win. The crowd loved this.
– Brody King defeated PCO in a Battle of Los Angeles tournament first round match
This match was sort of a disaster. It had elements of a Tomohiro Ishii vs. Togi Makabe NEVER Openweight title match. It also wanted to be Keith Lee vs. Donovan Dijak from last year, but it felt like both guys almost died in the process. The crowd loved this match, but there were a few bad botches and a ton of danger — so I have no idea how to rate this.
They did good big man stuff early: a long collar-and-elbow tie up, running the ropes for shoulder tackles where no one budged, chops, etc. They ended up outside, and PCO hit a tope suicida. King then went for a tope con hilo, but he didn’t go as far as PCO expected, so King landed hard on the floor.
Back in the ring, PCO hit a rana to take Brody off the top turnbuckle. King then tried to answer with a standing rana of his own, but it was a mess. It was slow and PCO had trouble going over for it. King hit a disgusting looking cannonball onto PCO’s back while PCO was laying prone over the ropes (like he was setting up to take the 619 but instead had someone do a rolling splash onto his upper back). King hit another cannonball into the corner and a second rope moonsault for a near fall.
King then hit a springboard crossbody and a piledriver, but PCO kicked out at one for a big pop. PCO hit a pop-up powerbomb and then a stiff knee.
Now for the total madness: PCO set King up so he was laying in the ring with his upper body under the ropes on the apron. PCO then climbed to the top turnbuckle and hit a somersault senton. PCO climbed the ropes again, this time with his back to King, who was still laying in the ring with his upper body on the apron. PCO tried some sort of splash where he turned in mid-air to, presumably, land chest first on King. But PCO entirely miscalculated and landed chest first on the top rope and then fell off to the floor.
PCO somehow got up. They returned to the ring, where PCO eventually went for a top rope moonsault onto King in the center of the ring. PCO sort of made it over, but it looked like he landed on a lot of head and neck. Not as bad as the Brock Lesnar Shooting Star Press landing, but it also wasn’t a lot better.
PCO went for another moonsault, but King stopped him while he was still on the turnbuckle. He lifted PCO onto his shoulders like a reverse fireman’s carry, then turned him and piledrove him for the victory. PCO got up, eventually, to huge cheers.
I love both guys and they worked really hard, but their reach exceeded their grasp here, and it was way too dangerous for me.
– Ringkampf (PWG World Champion WALTER & Timothy Thatcher) defeated Ilja Dragunov & Shingo Takagi in a non-tournament match
This was just awesome and the best match of the night for me — 4.75 stars easily. Great chemistry between all four wrestlers and everyone got time together. Dragunov and Takagi were outstanding.
Thatcher and Dragunov started and battled to a stalemate before tagging in their respective partners. Takagi and WALTER were great together — I felt like that was the singles match that the fans wanted most for the future. WALTER built great heat by continually attacking
Takagi while he was on the apron. It was like every time WALTER was in, he’d beat up Dragunov and then explode over to the corner and hit Takagi with a running boot to the face. He did this to Dragunov as well.
Dragunov’s overall charisma and fire are unbelievable live — he should be a superstar. There were many great striking and transition sequences. Everything made sense and everyone was on. Dragunov was setting up for a top rope move on Thatcher, but WALTER broke it up by slugging Dragunov. He then picked up Takagi into a powerbomb and hurled him into Thatcher doing a European uppercut. Thatcher went for the cover, and Dragunov jumped off the top rope and over WALTER to break it up.
Thatcher was setting up a German suplex on Dragunov in the corner. Dragunov grabbed the ropes, but WALTER came over and grabbed Thatcher in the German suplex position and German’d both guys. Takagi came in to attack Thatcher, but WALTER hit him with a John Woo dropkick.
Dragunov got up and fought with WALTER out of the ring. Takagi hit some strikes on Thatcher, but Thatcher grabbed a Fujiwara armbar. As Takagi fought the armbar, Thatcher rolled him over into a pin for the win. I feel like I didn’t do this match justice, it was so great.
After it was over, Thatcher and WALTER wanted to shake hands with their opponents. Dragunov did, but Takagi would not. He wouldn’t shake anyone’s hand and walked out on Dragunov. Thatcher then wanted to shake WALTER’s hand. WALTER was reluctant, repeatedly saying something about how he was champion and talking about how they had to wrestle each other on night two. WALTER eventually shook his hand.
Rounding out the lineup for the tournament, 14 more wrestlers have been added to this year’s PWG Battle of Los Angles, including some big international names.
Some of the biggest names announced are CIMA, T-Hawk and Shingo Takagi. While T-Hawk has wrestled in the United States in the last year, CIMA and Takagaki haven’t wrestled in the US since 2013 and 2010, respectively. Travis Banks, just coming off of the finals of the WWE UK tournament, was also announced.
PWG regulars coming in for the tournament include PWG champion WALTER, Adam Brooks, Jeff Cobb, Flamita, Jonah Rock, Timothy Thatcher, Matt Riddle and Bandido. Impact’s DJZ and independent wrestler Darby Allin round out the 14 names announced over the last few days. Names previously announced include the likes of Ilja Dragunov of wXw, Puma King, Jody Fleisch and Pierre Carl Ouellet.
Here are the full list of participants for this year’s Battle of Los Angeles tournament, which will take place over three days from September 14-16:
