Kevin Kelley introduces us to the Ryogoku Sumo Arena and informs us that tonight, there are 6 titles on the line. Steve Corino says to everyone in New Japan, “Thank you for having me.”
Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi (Bullet Club) vs. Juice Robinson and Ryusuke Taguchi
The Bullet Club is out first, followed by Juice Robinson (CJ Parker from NXT) and the “Funky Weapon” Ryusuke Taguchi. As Taguchi bends backwards to pose for the crowd, Takahachi kicks him before the bell. Takahashi with a boot to Taguchi, both men hit the ropes, Taguchi hits 3 flying hip blocks, but Takahashi gets up and catches Taguchi with a DDT. Taguchi gets up, nails an enziguri, and tags in Robinson.
Robinson run into Fale twice with shoulder blocks, but cannot knock the big man off his feet, a boot off the ropes finally staggers Fale to the corner. Robinson with strikes to Takahashi, the fans chant, “Juice!” Fale throws both Robinson and Taguchi to the outside, then throws the referee into the ropes. Takahashi throws Robinson back in the ring, Fale grabs him by the throat, tosses him in the air, and punches him in the chest, knocking Robinson to the mat, pin attempt, but Taguchi breaks it up.
3 stomps by Taguchi, 2 running hip blocks, goes for a 3rd, but Takahashi trips him and pulls him to the outside. Fale gets Robinson in a fireman’s carry, Robinson wiggles out, hits a back elbow, but Fale spears him dead in the middle of the ring. Fale picks him up for the Bad Luck Fall, as Takahashi holds back Taguchi, Fale covers Robinson for the 1-2-3.
Winners: Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi (Bullet Club) (3:43)
Kelly says, “It’s good to have you back Corino, from the longest suspension in pro wrestling history, 6 months.” Corino says, “Yeah, but now that we’re here in New Japan, I can do what I like, and that’s sitting next to you, here on commentary.”
Kazushi Sakuraba, Toru Yano and Yoshi-Hashi (Chaos) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Satoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata (Six-man tag team match)
Corino tells us the faces have 81 years of combined experience, Liger himself is 51 years old. Liger and Yano start it off, Liger goes after Yano, but Yano ducks into the ropes and yells, comes back in, ducks back out again, and yells again to pump up the crowd. Liger off the ropes, but Yano hits an atomic drop, Liger off the ropes again, connects with the clothesline, and this thing has broken down, as all 6 men brawl on the outside.
Yano takes off the turnbuckle, Irish whips Liger into the exposed turnbuckle, clubbing forearms to the back, tags in Sakuraba, submission attempt, but Kojima in to break it up. Yano tags in Yoshi-Hashi, knife edge chop, picks him up, drapes him across the ropes while Yano holds on, Yoshi-Hashi hits the ropes, and delivers a dropkick to the back of Liger. Yoshi-Hashi climbs to the top turnbuckle, Liger throws him off, punch to the gut, Liger goes for the tag, but Yano comes in to stop it. Finally, Liger takes them all out and gets the hot tag to Kojima. Sakuraba goes for a kick, gets caught, enziguri by Kojima. Kojima delivers about 25 chops to Sakuraba, throws him to the corner, Sakuraba puts on the brakes, but Nagata hits him with the running elbow, the crowd is behind Kojima.
Front facelock, Yoshi-Hashi tags in Nagata, they exchange forearms, Nagata hits a Texas neckbreaker, 3 kicks to the chest of Yoshi-Hashi, sends him into the corner, boot to the face, Yano comes in and hits him in the back, but gets met with an enziguri. Sakuraba comes in and then Nagata leaps over the ropes and takes out all the 3 men. Nagata comes off the ropes, misses into a clothesline, Yano gets out of the way and points to his head “smart move”, but receives an enziguri by Nagata to the back of the head.
Yoshi-Hashi with a reversal, Nagata in the corner, Yoshi-shots to Nagata, and then a swinging neckbreaker, pin attempt, kickout. Nagata hits a backdrop suplex on Yoshi-Hashi, 1-2-3, and this one is over.
Winners: Jushin Thunder Liger, Satoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata (7:06)
The faces celebrate and make their way to the back.
Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii (Chaos) vs. Bushi and Evil (Los Ingobernables de Japón)
Los Ingobernables are out first, then Chaos. Goto and Bushi circle to start, but Evil comes in and smashes Goto from behind, Bushi and Evil tag team Ishii until Goto comes in to assist. Goto and Evil exchange blows, now Ishii in the ring, whips him in, dropkick to the back of the head, Ishii gets up, forearms, trying to fight out but can’t, Evil tags in Bushi. Bushi exchanges chops with Ishii, Ishii knocks Bushi down, Goto connects with a senton, Evil misses with a senton, Ishii crawls for the tag, but Evil cuts off the ring. MW3 says, “I’m surprised to see the crowd is behind Evil.”
Evil send him into the corner, back elbow, but Ishii hits a Saito suplex, and tags in Goto. Goto delivers about 10 forearms to Evil, kick, throws him through the middle rope to the outside, and follows him to the floor. Goto whips Evil into a steel railing, then another steel railing, Bushi comes over with blows to the back, but Goto knocks him out with the forearm, and throws Evil back into the ring. Goto kicks Evil in the upper back, hits a Saito suplex, cover, but Evil kicks out at 2. Evil catches him in a fisherman’s suplex brainbuster. Evil picks him up on the shoulders, and delivers a powerbomb to Goto, Evil with about 10 kicks to the head, but Goto gets up and welcomes them. They trade lariats, then a double clothesline, but Evil got the worst of it.
Tag on both sides, Ishii with a power slam, whips Bushi in the corner, Ishii with a shoulder block, vertical suplex, and near fall. Ishii picks him up for a powerbomb, Bushi fights out of it, Bushi with a kick to the back of the head, a kick to the chest, Irish whip, reversal, Ishii goes in strong, but Bushi flips around the ropes, kick, missile dropkick from the top rope, and does a spin-a-rooni. Bushi with a kick to the leg, a kick to the chest, 1-2, kick out. Whip into the corner, Evil smashes him, then Bushi drops him, whips him into the boot, 1-2, cover, but Ishii kicks out.
Bushi goes for the suplex, Ishii blocks, hits a clothesline, and growls. Ishii hits a powerbomb, stacks him up, but Bushi kicks out at 2. Goto and Evil fight on the outside, Ishii picks him up for a suplex, Bushi gets out, but Ishii hits a clothesline, then Goto comes in and hits a headbutt to Bushi. Evil goes to pick up Bushi into a fireman’s carry, Bushi fights out with a kick, misses, but connects with a kick on the rebound, clothesline, fireman’s carry, back body drop, running lariat by Ishii, stacks him for the pin, 1-2-3.
Winners: Tomohiro Ishii and Hirooki Goto (10:36)
After the bell, Evil and Goto get into a slugfest on the floor, and have to be separated by NJPW officials. Ishii and Goto get in the ring to celebrate, but Evil comes back in and goes after both of them, and officials have to separate them again. MW3 points out that David Finley and Jay White are amongst the crowd that is in there to break it up.
Matt Sydal and Ricochet (c) vs. Roppongi Vice (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match)
Baretta and Rocky Romero are out first, then Sydal and Ricochet. Code of Honor is exchanged and they all shake hands. Ricochet and Baretta start it off, collar-and-elbow tie up, Baretta backs him into the corner, does not make the clean break, grabs him into a headlock. They hit the ropes, Baretta with a shoulder block, but Ricochet springs back to his feet, and then meet a forearm from Baretta. Baretta backs him to the corner again, Irish whip, reversal, Baretta goes upside down into the turnbuckle, and then gets an elbow from Ricochet. Ricochet hits the ropes, rolls over the back, and then hits him with the headscissors, dropkick, runs the ropes, back handspring, back flip and poses like Prince Puma and smiles. Baretta up, Sydal knocks him to the outside, goes for a baseball slide, but misses, Baretta and Sydal exchange pin attempts and kickouts.
Tag to Romero, punch, elbow to the gut takes him down, tries to hook a Boston crab but Sydal reaches the ropes. Tags in Baretta, RPGV throws him off the ropes, but Sydal hits a double underhook combo slam on both of them. Sydal tags in Ricochet, full nelson by Baretta, kick to Romero, hooks Baretta, picks up Romero plant him on his face back shoulder block, catches him, flips them, and drops him on his knee. Ricochet hits the ropes with a suicide dive onto Romero, Romero kicks out. Baretta in, gets taken down, Baretta kicks out. Ricochet tags in Sydal, standing moonsaults on Baretta, Sydal with the clubbing forearm to the back, Romero comes in, strike to Sydal, takes out Ricochet, Romero gets kicked by both, runs the ropes, ducks under, double dropkick to both, but they catch Sydal with a running knee, Romero runs to the top, jumps over the rope, and then a running knee to Ricochet, then Baretta turns him inside out, drapes him across the top rope, and Romero comes off the ropes for the double foot to the back of the head. Romero with a baseball slide kick to the head, pin attempt, but Sydal kicks out.
Ricochet tags in, Romero runs into the corner, and then running arm blows to both men in opposite corners, and then Sydal and Ricochet with kicks to Romero, Sydal sunset flip, hooks him, but Romero kicks out. Sydal sets him up, Romero counters, backslide, pin attempt, and Baretta tags in. Ricochet with a suplex, modified vertical drop backbreaker, and then Romero with the DDT on Ricochet. Sydal in, kicks Baretta hard, takes out Romero, Ricochet drives him down for the End of Times, but Baretta kicks out. Romero comes in, Sydal sends him to the ropes, Romero catches himself, then nails the dude buster, but Romero kicks out. Ricochet comes in, trading elbows, European uppercut by Ricochet, kick to the face of Romero, another kick, picks him up in the fireman’s carry, but Romero gets out, and then hit a clothesline that turns Ricochet inside out.
Romero puts Ricochet on the top turnbuckle, delivers open hand palm strikes to the face, goes for the hurricanrana, but Ricochet catches him, pulls him up, Romero connects with the hurricanrana this time, but Ricochet lands on the feet and superkicks him. Baretta comes in, double knee by RPGV, suicide dive by Romero to the outside, almost into the crowd. Roppongi Vice sets him up and connect the Strong Zero on Ricochet, cover, 1-2-3, Romero pins Ricochet.
Winners and 46th NEW IWGP Junior Tag Team Champions: Roppongi Vice (15:48)
Roppongi Vice celebrate in the ring with the belts.
Kushida (c) vs. Will Ospreay for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Kushida is sporting a mohawk tonight. The bell rings and we’re off. Kushida runs the ropes, they exchanges mat maneuvers, kick, 2 elbows to the back of the head, whips Kushida into the ropes, atomic drop on Ospreay, down low for the drop kick, but Ospreay springboards to his feet and kicks Kushida in the face. Kelly says, “The pressure must be tough when the IWGP Heavyweight Champion Okada personally endorse as you, brings you into the company, and says oh yeah, by the way, I got you a title match.” European uppercut by Ospreay, throws Kushida, but he holds onto the ropes, Ospreay with the forearm, taking his time.
Ospreay handstands off the ropes, but Kushida kicks the left wrist, Kushida climbs to the top turnbuckle, and then a front flip dive onto Ospreay on the floor. Kushida throws Ospreay back into the ring, goes to work on Ospreay’s left arm, puts his hand to the mat, stands on his elbow, and then steps hard on it, picks up Ospreay, twists the wrist, slams him to the mat, and then locks in an arm lock submission. Ospreay tries to flip out but can’t, Kushida still has the arm lock in, Ospreay tries to kick out again, but Kushida keeps the arm lock synched in. Ospreay almost gets out, connects with the head scissors, but Kushida goes right back into the arm lock, hooks both arms, but Ospreay reaches the ropes.
Ospreay fights out with shots to the ribs, drops Kushida on his chin, handstands off the ropes, but his left-arm collapses and he winces in pain. Kushida goes back to work on the left arm, but Ospreay connects with an enziguri, Ospreay gets kicked in the arm, then flies to the outside, knocking down Kushida. Ospreay with knees to the midsection, standing corkscrew splash, cover, but Kushida kicks out. Ospreay catches the leg, jumping knee, goes to the second rope, corkscrew spinning splash, hooks the leg, but Kushida kicks out.
Ospreay climbs to the top rope, but Kushida catches him with a handstand back kick, climbs the ropes, hooks him for a suplex, and then catches him with a cross armbreaker, into an armbar off the top rope. Kushida has the armbar locked in solid, but Ospreay gets his leg under the bottom rope. Kushida with a running dropkick to Ospreay’s left wrist, Kushida goes for pump handle, but Ospreay gets out, hits the ropes gets a kick, Kushida with the forearm, Ospreay with a kick, Kushida with a 3 forearms, Kushida with an open right hand, Kushida with 5 kicks to Ospreay’s head, Ospreay starts to Hulk up, the two men exchange forearms, and Kelly says “It’s a hockey fight.” Kushida goes for a punch to the head, Ospreay moves out of the way but collapses anyway in a fake-looking spot, the fans boo. Ospreay connects with Kushida, cover, kick out.
Ospreay climbs to the top rope, perched on top, Kelly says, “22-years old and he could win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in his New Japan Pro Wrestling debut”, but Kushida catches him, climbs up top, Ospreay gets out, Kushida is hung on the second rope, and Ospreay kicks him in the head, Ospreay now climbs to the top, and goes for a 450 Corkscrew, because Kushida gets the knees up, pin attempt, kick out. Kushida again with kicks on the left arm, goes for a tilt-a-whirl, up and over, Ospreay kick, spinning kick, climbs to the second rope, but Kushida catches him in mid-air for the armbar. Ospreay picks him up while Kushida holds the arm bar, fireman’s carry, Kushida fights out, transitions into the hoverboard lock, Ospreay goes for the ropes, Kushida rolls back through to the hoverboard lock again, and Ospreay taps out.
Winner and STILL IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion: Kushida (15:07)
Kushida spit shines the belt with his elbow pad, poses on the turnbuckle, Jushin Thunder Liger comes out, and ask for the microphone. He congratulates the champion, offers a handshake. Liger challenges Kushida and says he wants to be a 12 time Junior Heavyweight Champion. Kushida says he has a lot of respect for Liger and accepts the challenge.
Kushida comes over to commentary, Kelly offers a headset and Kushida says he wants to challenge for the ROH World Heavyweight Championship. Corino says, “We will take that message back to Jay Lethal.”
Intermission
