Note: All translations in this article are from E. Key Oide on Twitter. A must-follow for English-speaking NJPW fans.
While officially just part of the Road to New Beginning tour, tonight’s (Japan time) New Japan Pro Wrestling card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo took on significance as Shinsuke Nakamura’s final match in the company before starting with WWE. While the card easily could have done big business, there was no time to schedule anything too big or fancy with Nakamura giving notice on January 4th and being done with his obligations on February 1st. So they just packed the ~2,000 seat combat sports mecca in the Tokyo Dome City complex instead.
In the main event, Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada, and Tomohiro Ishii (representing CHAOS) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, and Katsuyori Shibata (representing the NJPW Regular Army) when Ishii pinned Shibata after a vertical drop brainbuster. After the match, Kenny Omega came out to cut a promo on Nakamura, calling him a coward for leaving and vacating the IWGP Intercontinental Championship instead of giving him a title shot. Tanahashi then interrupted Omega (who was slated to face “X,” as NJPW refers to mystery opponents), saying  “Listen. I’ll explain it to you. It might be sad, but this is Nakamura’s last match today. I’m the only one who can face [you]for the [Intercontinental title]! I. AM. X.”
?????#njpw pic.twitter.com/hK1Y32NK5h
— ????? (@oretachinoevil) January 30, 2016
From there, Nakamura, in tears, was left alone in the ring with the microphone (again, make sure to follow E. Key Oide on Twitter for great translations like these):
Should I say something? Hmm, what should I do? New Japan! To all the wrestlers, my comrades who I’ve faced, and to the fans: Thank you. I’ll show an unsuspecting world the Nakamura that was born and raised here! Until I can come back stronger, I won’t say goodbye. Just…thank you.
That’s all…
PSYCH!
You all know what I wanna say!
The answer, the only answer…is YEAOH!
[Nakamura is joined in the ring by the rest of CHAOS]
The greatest…the greatest sport in the world is PRO WRESTLING!
Later, at the press conference, Nakamura made some additional comments, which E. Key Oide compiled into this image post on Twitter:
Chose to put 'em all in one big thing this time. #njnbg pic.twitter.com/4kQbC8pDTi
— E. Key Oide (@e_key_oide) January 30, 2016
Here are the full results for the card:
- David Finlay Jr. defeated Hirai Kawato in 4:38 with the Boston Crab.
- YOSHI-HASHI defeated Jay White in 6:20 with a power bomb into a jackknife cradle.
- Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, & Juhsin Thunder Liger defeated Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, & Tiger Mask IV in 10:34 when Kojima pinned Nakanishi after a lariat.
- Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi of The Bullet Club defeated Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba when Fale pinned Yano after hitting The Grenade in 6:55..
- Tetsuya Naito, EVIL & BUSHI of Los Ingobernables defeated KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi & Captain New Japan in 8:57 after EVIL hit his EVIL finisher on Captain New Japan. BUSHI and KUSHIDA got into a skirmish afterwards to push their match for KUSHIDA’s IWGP Junior Heayyweight Championship on Valentine’s Day.
- Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, & Cody Hall of The Bullet Club defeated Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Michael Elgin, & Juice Robinson when Omega pinned Robinson after a running knee in 11:43.
- Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata in 21:48 when Ishii pinned Shibata after a vertical drop brainbuster.
