Tag: Hiroshi Tanahashi

A video recap of the Bullet Club run-in during the main event at Global Wars is shown. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness welcome us to the show (no Mr. Wrestling 3) from Ted Reeve Arena in Toronto, Canada, and talk about tonight’s main event, a six-man tag featuring The Elite against Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin, Yoshitatsu. KK says, “You thought Adam Cole joining BC and taking over Global Wars was a shock? Wait till you see what the BC did in Dearborn, Michigan. Those pictures tonight. But first, we kick it off with singles action.”

Leo Rush vs ACH

Leo Rush’s video plays, he walks to the entrance way, poses on the ramp, and points a finger gun in the air. KK says, “Tons of promise and potential with this young man.” Nigel says, “Sometimes a guy comes through the door and he’s just got superstar written all over him.” ACH is out next, wearing a flowered shirt with streamers and a sombrero, he flips over the ropes, and poses on the turnbuckle.

We cut away to highlights from War of the Worlds on 5/9/16 with ACH in the ring on the mic with Matt Sydal. ACH says, “Matt Sydal, this past year, you taught me way too much. You even had my back when people didn’t want you to have my back. And I feel, at this point in my career right now, I can’t allow you to hold my hand no more. So here today, I start my own path, I become my own man, and more importantly I just let it flow and I become myself, so thank you,” and they shake hands and hug.

The tale of the tape shows Rush at 5’6”/160 (Cruz said 165) vs ACH 5’9”/190 (Cruz and the video graphic matched up here). The competitors shake hands, the bell rings, and we are off. Rush is wearing Kinesio tape on his arm. Silas Young joins on commentary, KK says, “We’re thankful that you’re here, but what’s on your mind?” Silas says, “Just out here to check out the action a little bit. To be honest with you, I’m just sick of, everytime I come to the building, there’s ACH sitting there playing video games”.

Rush and ACH circle each other, collar-and-elbow tie-up, headlock by ACH, Rush reverses into a headlock of his own, ACH throws him off the ropes and nails a shoulder block. ACH laughs until Rush trips him up with a leg sweep. Rush hits the ropes, jumps over, ducks under, and then ACH lands a somersault dropkick to Rush, and ACH shoots a basket. Silas says, “Exactly my point. That’s all these guys are a couple of video game wrestlers. A couple of children.” KK says, “Obviously they’re not children, they’re adults. You know, they pay taxes, they rent cars.”

ACH with a chop, Rush with a whip reversal into the corner, boot by ACH, Rush jumps over, runs the ropes, ducks a clothesline, springboard hurricanrana up the second rope, kick to the gut, kick to the back of the head, and ACH goes to the outside. Rush runs the ropes, frontflips onto ACH on the floor, then Rush shoots a basket himself. Young asks, “What is this Leo Rush, about 17 or 18 years old?” KK explains, “He’s 21, and one of the finest amateur wrestlers in the mid-atlantic region in the US.”

Rush runs the ropes and hits a tornado DDT to ACH, cover, kick out. Rush with a kick to the quad, throws ACH to the corner, but he slides and then hits a bicycle kick from the mat, throws Rush into the other corner, and then runs the ropes and hits a lariat on Rush. ACH flips to his feet, go-behind, tries to pick up Rush, Rush get out and then nails a forearm clothesline, ACH hits the ropes, ACH snap german belly-to-back suplex, bridge cover, kick out.

ACH goes outside to the apron, leaps through the ropes, but Rush moves out of the way, forearm, ACH misses a back elbow, Rush hits a kick, cover, but ACH kicks out. Rush is up first, he sizes up ACH, runs and flips over, and then ACH hits a superkick, and then Powers up Kamehameha-style, nails a spirit bomb, climbs to the top rope, and hits the Midnight Star for the victory.

Winner: ACH

Silas Young comes into the ring, stalking a fallen Rush, jawing at him and slapping him in the head, but ACH confronts Young and backs him off. Young obliges and acts like he’s getting out of the ring, as soon as ACH turns around the check on Rush, Young comes back in and nails ACH from behind. Young with stomps to ACH, throws Rush out of the ring, chop to ACH, picks him up and nails the Misery fireman’s carry cutter, picks back up his ball cap, and walks out of the ring, and we go to commercial.

When we return, we see footage from the ROH Tag Team Title bout at War of the Worlds on 5/9/16. Daniels throws Rowe into Hanson knocking Hanson to floor, then nails Rowe with the belt. Daniels calls for the referee Paul Turner to count, cover, but Rowe kicks out. The referee takes the belt away from Daniels, Rowe nails Daniels with a superman punch, Kazarian comes in, and nails Rowe with the belt, Daniels covers for the 1-2-3, and The Addiction are your NEW ROH Tag Team Champions. Kazarian rolls a knocked out Daniels to the outside, and grabs the belts from the referee.

Back to tonight’s action, The Addiction’s music plays and they make their way down to the ring. KK says, “That’s how they became the ROH World Tag Team Champions. Let’s say this about War Machine, 3 title defenses in 24 hours, 2 matches that were made because WM wanted to be fighting champions and put the belts on the line, and last title defense with Ray Rowe having absorbed The Rainmaker from Okada earlier in the night. But now The Addiction can stand and crow, after WM had just finally conquered the Briscoes, and said their reign can truly begin, but that reign was short as The Addiction snuffed it out.

Back to tonight’s action, Daniels and Kazarian make their way down to the ring, Daniels grabs the mic, “Toronto, Canada, if you woke up this morning and your food tasted better, if your water tasted cleaner, if you walked outside and it seemed like the sun was shining a little bit brighter, it’s because today all is right with the world. Because ROH still has the best wrestling on the planet, Toronto still has the laziest lamest people in the world, and The Addiction are the World Tag Team Champions…” he points to the belt hanging from the crotches, “…of the world. And I can be no prouder than I am right now knowing that we are a better team than the YB, a better team than the MCMG, a better team than the Briscoes. I come before you to tell you, that we are the undisputed, undefeated, that’s right, we’ve never been pinned in a ROH ring.” KK says, “What?” as the camera shows KK shaking his head no (funny bit). Daniels continues, “undefeated World Tag Team Champions of the world.”

MCMG come out to their song ‘All Ghosts to Medicine Counter Four’ by Christian Fitness. Sabin speaks, “Wow wow huh, Motor City in the house. You guys, you guys, I mean you’re nothing more than just a couple of sad middle-aged douchebags, aren’t you? Hey, if memory serves me correctly, the two matches that we’ve had in the ROH ring, we’ve beaten you both of those times, you guys lost, much in the same way, by the looks at things, you’re losing your battle with male pattern baldness. So, if it’s okay with Toronto, Ontario, Canada, how about we take on The Addiction, tonight, for the Ring of Honor titles? Is that okay?”

Roppongi Vice interrupts, Rocky Romero dances at the camera and pulls out a mic from his jacket, “Hold up just a second, there’s no way you think you’re going to have a party in Toronto, without Roppongi Vice?” Beretta takes the mic, “Alright, so I think this is the part where we say something about how we should get title shots too. Maybe, maybe we would call you guys cowards or something, but I mean when you think about it, you guys kind of have reasons to be cowards, because we’re like the young cool new tag team here, and you guys, you’re kind of getting old.”

Daniels cuts him off, “What did you say? What did you say? That’s it, that’s it, I’ve had it with the disrespect from you, and the disrespect from you. I’m not old, I’m not bald, you people shut your mouths, we are the best tag team in this biz-i-ness, and we’ll settle this right now. I’m sick of being called a coward, I’m sick of being called names. Let’s do a match right now, you will respect me, all three teams, and if either one of you teams can beat us, we’ll give you a title shot at Best in the World,” and we go to commercial.

Roppongi Vice vs. MCMG vs The Addiction (c) (Non-Title #1 Contender’s Match)

When we return, Romero (who is wearing Kinesio tape), Sabin, and Kazarian are in the ring, Sabin waves Kazarian out and Romero and Sabin start it off. They circle each other, collar-and-elbow tie-up, go-behind by Romero, wrist lock by Sabin, reversal into an armbar by Romero, Sabin jumps up and out, reverses and then an arm drag takeover by Sabin, armdrag takeover by Romero, and they square off. The fans start to clap, but Kazarian comes in and takes out Romero, Daniels throws Sabin into the corner, KK says, “When The Addiction say they never lost in an ROH ring, they must not even be looking at recent history. Leading up to War of the Worlds, they hadn’t won a match in about 2 months.” Romero gets kicked by Kazarian, whip reversal as Romero throws Kazarian into the corner, and then hits 2 of his running yelling clotheslines, before Kazarian gets out of the way, Daniels comes in, and then he hits a double clothesline on both of them.

Snapmare takeover by Romero, tags in Beretta, Beretta dances around on the apron, jumps over the rope and then rakes a boot to Kazarian’s jaw, as the fans cheer. Beretta with a chop to Kazarian, whip reversal off the ropes, Kazarian ducks down, Beretta kicks him in the face, and then Shelley comes in and takes out Kazarian, ducks a clothesline forearm by Daniels, and then Sabin comes in and they double-team him to the outside, double team whip to Kazarian in the corner, forearm to Sabin, kick 2 Shelley, and then 3 kicks by both men to Kazarian.

Shelley picks up Kazarian, he pokes him in the eye, kicks him in the gut, waves his crotch at him and then cut the string, runs the ropes, Shelley trips him, back elbow to Daniels knocks him off the ropes, Shelley grinds his crotch at him, but Kazarian comes over, ducks a shot to the gut, rolls over, hits the ropes, Daniels hits him and then a neckbreaker by Kazarian. Kazarian sets up in a mount position raining blows, Beretta tries to come in, the referee stops him, and then Daniels comes in without tagging while the ref’s back is turned. Daniels with stomps to the back, he tags back in Kazarian, Kazarian rakes a foot on Shelley’s face, Kazarian grinds his crotch to the crowd, grinds a right forearm to Shelley’s throat. Beretta tries to come again and the referee throws him out, Kazarian runs Shelley’s head into the turnbuckle, tags in Daniels, double whip to the corner, back elbow by Kazarian, inverted atomic drop by Daniels, knee by Kazarian, and then an STO by Daniels, cover, but Sabin comes in to break up the count. Todd Sinclair warns Sabin. Daniels back Shelley into the corner, stomps to the gut, and then presses a foot to the throat until Sinclair calls for the break. Daniels whips Shelley into the corner, knocks Shelley down to the mat, double fisted chinlock by Daniels, Shelley fights to his feet, punches to the gut, elbows to the gut, and we have to take a commercial break.

Video footage is shown of Bobby Fish fighting Tomohiro Ishii for the ROH TV Championship, advertising the Global Wars is now video on demand (cut from the Comet re-broadcast). Fish delivers forearms to the jaw of Ishii, Ishii rolls him over, and then Fish reverses into a sleeper as Ishii passes out. Bobby Fish is the new ROH TV Champion by referee stoppage.

When we return, Daniels has in a headlock, Shelley fights out with elbows, runs the ropes, before Daniels takes him down. Daniels stomps Shelly in the corner, Kazarian tags in, joins in with stomps, and tags Daniels back in. Double whip to the corner, Shelly jumps with a boot to Kazarian, throws Daniels into Kazarian, rolls up Daniels, Daniels throws him off into a spear on Kazarian, and then drop toehold sends Daniels’ head into Kazarian’s crotch. Sabin comes in, ducks a clothesline from Daniels, knocks RPGV off the apron, kick to the gut of Daniels, hits the ropes, baseball slide through under the legs, and then a bicycle kick to the back of the head. Sabin runs into the corner, goes for a jumping knee to both Addiction, but Daniels gets out of the way, and then Sabin monkey flips Kazarian into Daniels. Beretta comes in, RPGV with the double whip off the ropes, they go for a double clubbing blow to the chest, Daniels ducks, and then Sabin knocks both men down. Now Shelly holds the ropes while Sabin suicide dives through his legs onto Addiction.

Sabin rolls Daniels back into the ring, fireman’s carry, Daniels fights out and drops him on his jaw. Beretta tags in, belly-to-back flip suplex on Kazarian turns him inside out, runs into the corner, hits a flying back elbow on Daniels, drapes him across the ropes, and then Romero with a dropkick to the back, Beretta with a kick to the face, cover, but Shelley breaks it up. Romero throws Shelley out of the ring, Daniels comes in, RPGV hit a double jumping knee, Beretta picks up Daniels for the Strong Zero, but Kazarian with a push kick. Romero comes in and misses a kick, but connects with Kazarian on the rebound kick, Daniels throws him to the mat and hits the Best Moonsault Ever. Shelley with an atomic drop on Daniels, Sabin kicks him in the leg while Shelley holds him, and then Sabin kicks him in the face. Sabin and Shelley with a double corner kick on Daniels, Sabin sets up for a fall away neckbreaker, as Shelley comes off the top rope with a crossbody as MCMG nail the Skull and Bones finisher, and Shelley covers Daniels for the pin.

Winners and NEW #1 Contenders for the ROH Tag Team Championships: Motor City Machine Guns

With the victory, MCMG get a title shot on June 24th at Best in the World. KK says, “Coming back, a huge announcement concerning Best in the World. Plus we will show you how the BC got even stronger and perhaps more dangerous than ever.”

Roderick Strong cuts a backstage promo (this was cut from Comet re-broadcast), “Jay Briscoe, have I offended you? Has something I’ve done offended you? Because when you speak my name, it sounds like I’ve offended you, but in reality Jay, I’m the person who should be offended. I’m the man that has helped saved this company, and carried it on my back for almost 13 years. You talk about since day one, when the company needed you the most Jay, where were you? You and your brother ran home to the chicken farm and licked your wounds. So Jay Briscoe, you walk around claiming that you’re the face of the company, you’re the franchise player, well my friend you’re wrong. What you are Jay Briscoe is a great tag team wrestler, and a very mediocre singles wrestler. Well in Columbus, Ohio, I will remind you of that, that I am the best to ever step in this ring.”

After commercial, YB and Adam Cole cut a backstage promo. Matt speaks, “In Chicago, Illinois, we finally showed the world what it means to have a superkick party. What was that 51 superkicks? Good God almighty, those kids, they have families!” Nick says, “Remember guys, when we did the Indytaker on the floor? Holy crap, what a party. With that being said, welcome to the BC, Adam Cole,” Cole takes the lead, ”and welcome to our world, ROH. The BC is hotter than ever. It’s new, it’s improved, and the chaos is just getting started. You make the rules, and we will break them. There’s not a thing you could do to stop us. Trust me, trust me, the YB and Adam Cole and the rest of BC, ROH is our world, it will always be our world, and the chaos we create is just getting started.”

Matt Taven has joined on commentary. KK says, “Nigel, I know Best in the World is just around the corner, Friday June 24. You have made another match-up, but are you sure we are we really going to do this?” Nigel says, “It’s difficult, bottom line is BJ Whitmer wouldn’t let it go, I had no choice but to make the match. You’ve seen the the footage, based on the footage he posted on YouTube of Steve Corino and his wife and son, I have made the decision that this has to end. I’ve done some questionable things in my career, but when you threaten a man’s wife and child, you step over that line, so I made the decision, at Best in the World June 24, it will be BJ Whitmer taking on Steve Corino in a Fight Without Honor.” Matt Taven applauds. KK says, “But speaking about going too far, if what you think what BC did when Adam Cole joined, when they completely took over Global Wars was something, but fans, what they did and Dearborn, is they grew the ranks even stronger. We’ll take you to some exclusive footage, right here, right now.”

Previously, Adam Page says, “I don’t mind sticking my nose in the BC’s business, if you want a partner I’ll be your man.” Before the match, Cole says, “It looks like Adam Page may or may not have been invited to an early superkick party.” Colt Cabana comes out and joins the faces, the YB superkick the referee, Page runs in with a chair and everyone exits the ring, he low-fives Briscoe and then low-blows him. Cut to later, Page gives Lethal the Rite of Passage through a table on the floor (which doesn’t break). Mark is tied to the ropes, Cabana is tied to the ring post, Sabin has a hangman’s noose around his neck, they all superkick him, and the BC too sweet in the middle of the ring.

KK continues, “We can’t even show you, because of broadcast standards, all that the BC did, all that Adam Page did to Chris Sabin, but it is available video on demand at ROHWrestling.com, you can judge for yourself.”

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin, & Yoshitatsu vs. The Elite

The Elite come out to the entrance way, the NEVER Openweight 6 man Champions make their way to the ring, Nick fakes a superkick to the cameraman, Matt sprays the cold spray can, Omega sweeps with the broom. KK says, “Being from the Kingdom, having wrestled the BC many times, while you are rehabilitating your knee injury, I thought it would be pointed for you to describe what this group is all about, how far will they go.“ Taven says, “Nice to see that Kenny Omega sent Adam Cole some used t-shirts and luckily for Cole they fit.”

Yoshitatsu, ‘Unbreakable’ Michael Elgin, and Hiroshi Tanahashi make their way to the ring next. Taven says, “Oh would you look at that, Elgin has little dumbbells on his robe, in case you don’t know he works out, just ask him. And there’s the coolest man to ever walk the earth (Tanahashi).” KK agrees, “He is awesome, the ace of New Japan.” The fans are already chanting, “Young Bucks!” as Tanahashi poses on the turnbuckle and we go to commercial.

When we return, all three members of The Elite give a suck it, swing and miss clotheslines, a donnybrook ensues, the faces get whip reversed off the ropes but they all hold on, give a suck it back, Elite run in, and the faces hold the top rope down sending The Elite to the floor. Yoshitatsu flies with a crossbody over the top rope, Elgin picks up Tanahashi and throws him onto the YB, Elgin claps his hands above his head, and then Elgin runs the ropes for a front flip onto everybody. Fans chant, “Big Mike!”

KK asks Taven, “When will we see this new Kingdom built in your own image?” Taven says, “Don’t you worry your pretty little fat face, KK.” Matt is back in the ring, Elgin hooks him for a vertical brainbuster, but Nick comes in and kicks him in the quad, Elgin lifts Matt back up again, Nick pulls him back down, and then Elgin suplexes both of them. Omega flies off the top rope with a crossbody, Elgin catches him, tosses him up on his shoulders, Omega gets out, Omega with a go-behind, Elgin with a back elbow, and then Omega hits a dragon suplex.

Matt comes in, handstands and holds Yoshitastu’s head with his feet as Nick kicks him. Tanahashi comes in and tries to fight all three men with kicks and forearms. Elite surround Tanahashi, Omega takes control with a kick to the gut and a clubbing blow to the back, Matt rakes his back, Omega and Nick whip him the corner, Tanahashi gets out of the way, Nick and Omega splash into each other, drop toe hold on Matt, dragon screw leg sweep on Omega. Tanahashi grabs Omega by his legs, but gets superkicked by both members of the YB. And then all three members of the Elite pound the ring and nail the Triple Toffee suicide dives. Afterwards, Matt and Nick entertain the fans.

Nick throws Tanahashi back in, Omega runs into the corner with a back elbow, while the YB superkick Tanahashi. Omega with fireman’s carry roll through, jumps up to the second turnbuckle moonsault, cover, kickout. Picks up Tanahashi by hair, rakes his back, sends him into Nick’s boot in the corner. Matt comes in, Nick holds him face-first on the turnbuckle, while Matt runs in with a somersault backflip, then somersault backflips back out, then somersault backflips back in, poses for the crowd, and then rakes Tanahashi’s back. Taven says, “I’ve never seen that in a bar fight before.” Cover, kick out, Matt stands on neck, and the fans chant, “This is awesome!” Matt with a headlock and we go to commercial.

When we return, Tanahashi rakes Matt’s back, rakes Omega’s back, Nick goes for a springboard move, Tanahashi moves out of the way and then rakes his back. The fans chant, “This is awesome!” Elgin gets the tag, runs into the corner with a splash to Matt’s chest, whips him into the other corner, splash to Matt’s back. Elgin with belly-to-back german suplex, holds on and goes to roll into a second one, but Nick comes in and stops it, Nick goes for a clothesline, Elgin ducks and then he belly-to-back suplexes both of them. Taven says, “Is that really impressive though, because the two of them combined weigh, like, 1 average wrestler.” Elgin hits the ropes, Omega is on the apron, and then Elgin uses the ropes to slingshot flip him up and over. Elgin climbs up to the second rope and delivers the Falcon Arrow deadweight stalling superplex on Matt, cover, but Omega comes off the top rope with a dropkick to the back to break up the count.

Yoshitatsu with a clubbing blow to Omega, throws him out of the ring, and then Tanahashi climbs to the second turnbuckle as Elgin puts him on his shoulders. Yoshitatsu goes after Nick, but then Nick yells, “You’re dead!” and hits superkicks Yoshitatsu and Elgin. As Matt holds Tanahashi, they go for the Meltzer Driver, but Elgin comes in, grabs Nick, and throws him to the outside. Matt tries to fight out, until Elgin hits him with the lariat, and tags in Yoshitatsu. Elgin and Tanahashi whip him into the corner, and then send Yoshitatsu in with a back elbow, splash by Tanahashi, forearm by Elgin, knee by Yoshitatsu, and then Omega comes in to break it up.

Elgin and Tanahashi throw Omega and Nick to the outside, Yoshitatsu with a kick to Matt, he reverses out, and then Matt cold sprays Yoshitatsu in the face while Tiger Hattori is distracted, as Nick and Omega pull Elgin and Tanahashi to the outside. The camera gets a close-up of the cold spray can, which has the words ‘The Elite Rule The World’ printed on it. Taven says, “Ridiculous, how many fat dorks, you think, are in their mom’s basement with a BC shirt on, spraying hairspray in the air thinking they’re cool?” Omega tags in, takes off his elbow pad, dances around the ring, yells “Too sweet!”, and then all 3 of them superkick Yoshitatsu, cover, kick out. Finally, Nick jumps over the top rope and takes out Elgin, while Omega hits the One Winged Angel on Yoshitatsu for the victory

Winners: The Elite

Taven says, “You know what it looks like to me? It looks like the BC needs some competition.” KK says, “Well Matt Taven, I know there’s a lot of guys in ROH, including the Briscoes, include Colt Cabana, including Jay Lethal probably, they want to get their hands on the BC,” Taven replies, “A lot of guys might want to get their hands on the BC, but it doesn’t mean they’re Kingdom worthy. You see, I’m looking for better than The Elite. I’m looking for guys that are going to make this group inside the BC, The Elite, look like a bunch of teenage dorks, just like they are.” The Guerrillas of Destiny and The Hangman Adam Page come out to celebrate with The Elite. Taven asks, “What do we got going on here? That’s weird, where is Adam Cole? Adam Cole knows I’m out here, why doesn’t he come out?” KK says, “I think that question has its own answer, and we know the answer to that. But the strength of the BC is on display.”  KK continues, “Fans next week, World Champion Jay Lethal against Donovan Dijak, the match that everybody has been waiting for, as we count down to Best in the World.” Taven gets in a “I’m going to put an end to these cartoon characters,” before the show fades out.