Following the success of G1 Special in USA, it was inevitable that New Japan Pro Wrestling would make their way back into the American market. They’ve returned to a Long Beach, CA crowd that’s double the size of last year’s (4,500-plus), in what they hope to establish as a western base market with Strong Style Evolved.
Feeling confident following another successful defense of his championship against SANADA, IWGP Heavyweight title holder Kazuchika Okada teams with his CHAOS stablemate Tomohiro Ishii in a tag match featuring the world’s least pleasant man, Minoru Suzuki, and his partner Zack Sabre Jr. who’s challenging Okada for the title at Sakura Genesis next week.
Meanwhile, Kenny Omega doesn’t have time to keep kicking himself over Jay White betraying him and taking his US title (which he’ll defend against the Bullet Club’s Hangman Page), because he’s teaming up with his old DDT buddy Kota Ibushi to finally settle his issues with the Young Bucks, amidst CODY’s dividing up of BC. Will the Elite’s friendship survive? Can Okada stay healthy enough for his defense, and will Suzuki and Sabre finally get some cold beers? Let’s find out..
Roppongi 3K (SHO, YO and Rocky Romero) vs. SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Scorpio Sky and Frankie Kazarian)
This was your basic hot tag team opener, but SHO and YO’s charisma levels are starting to grow noticeably. Kazarian slips while trying to do a springboard move on the ropes and it looks like he tweaks his leg very badly. Daniels fares better as he nails Yoh with a moonsault to the outside. He gets doubled teamed, but he makes the tag to Romero and he nails SoCal with a double franknsteiner and corner clotheslines. Kaz’s knee continues to bug him as 3K makes the comeback.
Yoh nails Sky with the double germans and a jumping knee, and 3K nails Sky with a double flapjack for a three-count. Barnett and JR make a note to emphasize 3K’s “youth and exuberance” through the match, which is fitting since their wrestling style and gimmicks remind me of the Rockers. Barnett then makes an on-air slip-up when he mentions to JR that 3K “need to get out of the f***ing ring.” NJPW’s American based production sadly still needs some work.
David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. CHAOS (Gedo & Hirooki Goto)
JR brings in some more apt comparsions when he likens Juice to Johnny B. Badd and Goto with Bret “The Hitman” Hart, and when he suplexes Juice onto Finlay I believe him. Goto is undeterred by his bloody mouth as he and Gedo double team Juice, but Finlay gets a got tag and nails the shit out of Goto with a spinning elbow. European uppercut gets two, while JR insists that his father Dave would be willing to fight his son in a hair match to get rid of his long locks.
But Juice gets a full nelson slam on Goto and planchas him to the outside, while Finlay cutters Gedo for the win, perhaps proving Toru Yano’s point…
Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) vs. CHAOS (Toru Yano & Chuckie T)
I’m not shocked Yano got a chant when he came out. The premiere comedy wrestler of New Japan, he can’t help but display his ever-present YTR DVD to the camera. If you haven’t heard his cover of Okada’s theme where he essentially just buries Gedo, give it a listen. His partner Chuckie T tries an octopus hold and a failed enzuigiri on Smith, but that just earns him a german suplex and punches from Archer in the corner, followed by an Undertaker ropewalk club to the back. DBS its Chuckie with a scoop powerslam, which JR calls a “suplex”- and Yano begins to have second thoughts as he teases walking away. Is all hope lost? But wait, is he playing mind games?
The crowd starts chanting for him as KES double teams Chuckie and Smith suplexes him for two. A DDT gets him a tag to Yano, and he goes into his Bugs Bunny routine as the crowd chants for his ropebreak spot. A manhattan drop is blocked, and Yano goes back to the rope break. Yano yanks Archer to the outside, and KES collide on the charge, followed by Chuckie hitting a moonsault. Yano teases a dive….then undoes the turnbuckle, and lets it “dive”. This is some epic cheating.
Yano wins a hair pull war and goes for the post, but Archer chases him down. Chuckie gets a sunset flip for two, and hits Archer with a BRUTAL piledriver for two. He misses another moonsault attempt and Archer tackles him, then chokeslams him for two before Chuckie gets a close two-count crucifix pin. Corner clotheslines to KES, but Chuck eats a Killer Bomb to give the Suzuki-Gun boys the win.
I enjoyed Yano’s comedy spots here as usual, but Chuckie T was the real MVP of this match, with some fantastic selling and great babyface comebacks.
The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) vs. Bullet Club (Marty Scurll and Cody) (w/Brandi Rhodes)
God, Scurll just looks like a star whenever he comes out. He gets massive cheers from Long Beach as he and Cody milk the crowd, and the American Nightmare gets booed hard. The former ROH World Champion, and then he goes into a speech reiterating that “Bullet Club is fine”, and that the match won’t take place because the Tongans are their friends.
But Roa argues that the Bullet Club fans want to see a fun match, and the brawl is on as Cody retreats to the outside and Scurll demands that Brandi Rhodes be thrown out. She yells at Tama, calling him a “Nappy headed idiot” on national television, which draws some audible “ooooh’s” from the audience.
Her hubby Cody hits Tama with a front suplex and a kick to the mouth as he and Scurll do the double team. Scurill takes forever to go for the chickenwing before Cody tags himself in for the CroosRhodes. Tama catches him with a neckbreaker to tag in Loa, and Cody’s punches don’t effect the wild younger brother. Tonga then nails Cody with a brutal superplex, but Scurll gives him a superplex of his own, before Loa suplexes Scurll.
Cody teases Omegas Terminator taunt, which the crowd despises before Loa spears him for two. Scurll and Cody take turns double teaming them both, but Loa dodges a charge and the Tongans drive Scurll outside the ring. It looks like a Tama dropkick is going to get up the finish, but Cody hits a CrossRhodes on Loa out of nowhere for the victory. Say what you will about the son of the son of a plumber, but he’s proven to be a master at generating old-school heel hear from modern audiences.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, Dragon Lee and KUSHIDA vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and SANADA)
Naito gets a massive reaction from the Los Angeles crowd, which doesn’t shock me because he displayed a ton of heart battling Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Personally, I don’t think the loss hurt him too badly, especially because of how much Okada and the title have been elevated over the past couple of years.
Dragon Lee and Hiromu continue their quest to more or less kill each other as Lee hits Mr. Time Bomb with a hard dive to the outside. Tana’s team take turns nailing Hiromu with running corner clotheslines for a two count, but given the Daryl plushes people in the audience were carrying, he’s not without his fans.
Tanahashi holds his own against LIJ, but SANADA gets a hot tag to Naito, but Taguchi comes in with the butt bashes before he and the others give LIJ triple submission holds in the middle of the ring. Naito’s trademark kick is countered with a Taguchi anklelock, before Tana sling blades SANADA. Hiromu gives Lee an overhead suplex to the corner, and Naito is finally able to hit Taguchi with a Destino to pick up the ‘W. Takahashi’s spinning taunt during L.I.J’s post-match celebration is a thing of beauty.
Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Will Ospreay
Rey Mysterio was supposed to be in Ospreay’s spot on the card against Liger. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn bicep, limiting him to a heartfelt in-person apology to the Long Beach crowd. Liger works in a Romer Special and a chinlock early on, showing how apt he’s always been on the mat as well as the more ground-based style he’s developed over the years. He follows up with a bow and arrow-lock and hard slaps, as Barnett notes Liger’s ju-jitsu background because he’s Josh Barnett. Ospreay fires back with forearms and some mat work of his own, torquing Liger’s arm.
Jushin responds with a backbreaker and cannonball from the apron, then a brainbuster ON THE CONCRETE OUTSIDE. How Will makes it back even at a close 19 I don’t know, and Liger powerbombs him for two. Ospreay flips out of a frankensteiner, but gets a flipkick even while having an injured leg, followed by a moonsault on Liger to the outside. Someone in the crowd tells Ospreay not to kill himself, but I doubt he’s listening.
A dropkick and shooting star press get two for Ospreay, but he misses a 619 and Liger gets a rolling koppo kick, then Ospreay gets a Spanish Fly for two. He follows with a corkscrew chop, but the Oscutter is blocked and Liger gets another brainbuster for two, then a third brainbuster from the top rope. He gets a nasty palm strike, but that gets two. Ok, what’s it gonna take? Ospreay gets a pretty good looking Ligerbomb of his own for two, then hard kicks and the Oscutter for three.
After the match, Ospreay delivers a spirited speech and challenges Mysterio to a match in a New Japan ring, but Scurll jumps Will from behind with his trusty umbrella. Rey tries to make the save, but Marty rips his mask off before Liger and Will retrieve it for him.
As fun as this match was, Ospreay not really selling getting brainbustered three times, including on the frigging floor, was incredibly distracting. Granted, he’s not the first big wrestling star to rebound from moves that logically would easily put them down for the three count, but it’s either that or Liger’s offense isn’t that effective anymore, Ah, I still love you anyway, Jush.
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.)
Given his recent success, it’s easy to see why Okada’s been so confident lately. In fact, he’s felt carefree enough during some recent matches that he’s begun to shout “Scooby Dooby Doo!” on his big dives. But the Intercontinental Champion and the New Japan Cup winner from Suzuki- Gun are all business in Long Beach tonight.
ZSJs technical ability is renown, but Okada’s height and reach advantage come into play as he misses an early Rainmaker attempt. Ishii and Suzuki, who are beyond human, maul each other with elbows before Suzuki slams the Stone Pitbull with a chair on the outside. He laughs off some shots from Ishii, and he and Sabre put Ishii in double Fujiwara armbars as Okada helplessly watches.
Suzuki delivers a sick running big boot to Okada on the apron before he locks in a twisted heel hook on Ishii. Suzuki tags Zack back in, and the British grappler casually boots the Pitbull in the face. Ishii them suplexes Sabre straight to hell for the hot tag to Okada, and the IWGP Heavyweight Champion is a house of fire. A DDT on Sabre gets two, then Okada blocks a charge- but the reverse neckbreaker is turned into an octopus hold by ZSJ.
Okada escapes and tries a tombstone, but ZSJ gets the double wristlock before Ishii makes the save. The crowd chants “Let’s Go Sabre/F*** You, Sabre”, displaying how family-friendly this show is as they exchange elbows. Suzuki kicks on Okada’s arm and tries a sleeper, but Okada finally gets the reverse neckbreaker to tag in Ishii. Chops to Minoru in the corner that the whole arena can hear, but Suzuki boots him and yells “Come on!”
Another slugfest, then Minoru lights Ishii UP like Times Square with a forearm. Ishii returns one, then Minoru delivers another ugly forearm. Ishii tries a backdrop, but gets locked in a front choke. Ishii gets the suplex, but Minoru gets the knee and tags in Sabre. More arrogant boots and a corner forearm, followed by double penalty kicks for two before Okada breaks. Another kick is blocked by an Ishii headbutt, and a powerbomb on ZSJ for two.
Zack tries the bodyscissors, but Okada dropkicks him in the back and then the front. A running lariat from Ishii gets two, then ZSJ locks in the cross armbreaker on Ishii while Suzuki keeps Okada at bay. Ishii is unresponsive as the referee is forced to stop the match, giving Suzuki-Gun another big win tonight. Minoru and ZSJ then beat on the referee to celebrate as only Suzuki-Gun can. Zack and Minoru looked like utter beasts here, and CHAOS was able to put them over without either member coming across too weak.
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Jay White ( c) vs. Hangman Page
Hangman displays some good passion in the opening video package for this match, as he’s not phased by White’s reminder that he defeated their leader. He backdrop suplexes White before Jay does the same to him, then adds in a dropkick and a Muta lock. The two engage in whips to the railing and a hard chop war outside, then Page hits White with a neckbreaker onto the ropes and whips him into the steel guardrail rib-first. More punishment as Page then hurls White into the steel ring post.
Page nails Jay with a picture-perfect bridging fallaway slam for two, which earns him some crowd chants. A fireman’s carry into a rib breaker gets two as he wisely works Switchblade’s injured body part.
A series of reversals ends with a sick German from White onto Page’s shoulders and neck. His chops on the Bullet Club member echo throughout the Walter Pyramid, and he follows with Eddie Guererro and Sasha Banks’s rolling vertical suplexes before he shoves White into the turnbuckle. Elbow, and other suplex gets two. His character may look like an edgy emo kid, but Switchblade is an aggressive bulldog during his matches- he’s no wimp, don’t be fooled.
A Ki Krusher is countered by a small package from Page, but White hits another german for two. More sick chops, but Page gets a rope assisted DDT for a breather. Somebody yells “Do something!” as they brawl on the apron, which is a sign of how fast paced the average modern wrestling match usually is. White tries for a Blade Runner on the floor, but opts to hit an insane german…directly to Page’s shoulder…on the ring apron. YOWCH. He then tries to german Page off the top, but they slug it out some more, before Page gets an avalanche cutter from the top rope for two.
Both guys are just spent at this point, as Gedo’s booking is clearly trying to get both of them as over as possible. More brawling ends with White backdrop suplexing Page over the ropes to the outside, then even MORE suplexes from Jay. Even Brock Lesnar is like “damn, chill dude” by now. Page replies with a great powerbomb and a piledriver for two, then gives Jay a great shooting star dive from the apron. He then moonsaults Jay from the top to the outside, then hits a Buckshot lariat for two.
Hangman’s got the crowd in his hands now, but the Rite of Passage is blocked. White gets an evil half-nelson suplex (shades of the suplex HHH gave Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania XXX), then the Ki Krusher- but Page replies with a superkick and discus elbow. He tries for the Passage one more time, but white finally hits the Blade Runner to retain the title. White has no time to relish in his victory, as Dave Finlay runs in to spear him and challenge him for the U.S. Title next month at Korakuen Hall.
Page isn’t the most colorful wrestler just yet, but he certainly impressed me with his in-ring work here. And White is still trying to find his character, but I’ll be damned if he doesn’t have some of the most terrifying throws in wrestling today.
Main event, special tag match: The Golden Lovers (Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi) vs. The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson)
Numerous tension-filled episodes of Being The Elite and the pathos of The New Beginning in Sapporo have brought us to this anticipated tag encounter. Ibushi isn’t too impressed when he and Nick do a matwork-into-flips exchange, then Kota kicks Matt hard in his lower back. Matt’s got a bright weight belt that says “MATT” in a big purple font, which maybe wasn’t the most inconspicuous choice of ring gear.
The Bucks hit a double hip toss and double dropkick onto Omega, but Omega flapjacks the Bucks into each other before he delivers the real Terminator spot- then Nick superkicks him to end the rally and hits a somersault dive to the outside onto the Lovers.
Matt pulls out a table, but Nick tries to talk his brother out of going this far against their friend Kenny. Great storyline continuity here. They double-team Kota instead, hitting a neckbreaker/senton combo (Matt’s lower back be damned). Kota dodges their efforts and springboard dives onto Nick from the outside. Matt responses with a buckle bomb to Ibushi onto Nick’s high kick for two. Kota hits a well-timed dropkick to tag Omega, who nails Matt with a crossbody before he’s elbowed out of the ring. The Lovers double-team Nick and Omega hits a jumping facebuster. The Lovers then try double moonsaults, but Kota unfortunately misses his.
Undaunted, Omega hits a fireman’s carry rolling slam, then Kota hits a shooting star press and then both Lovers follow up with double moonsaults for two. “That feel good, Kenny?”, exclaims Matt as Omega and Ibushi work on his back. The Lovers are clearly the faces in this storyline, but Matt’s showing great fire trying to fight through the pain of his back that’s not very heel-like at all. Omega’s backbreaker only serves to highlight this. The Buck tries to escape, but Omega gives him a backdrop suplex onto the apron. He’s clearly been watching Jay tonight.
Nick gets a bunch of high kicks on the Lovers, followed by a takedown. But Omega gets a frankensteiner, before Nick back-cracks Kota. The Bucks hit a blockbuster and running knee on Kota for two. They tease double splashes, but Kota knocks off Nick, and he and Omega give Matt a double-team superplex. The Lovers then tease Golden Showers, but the Bucks knock them off prior to Omega getting suplexed on the apron himself. Omega is placed on the table, then Matt has to choose: dice on Kenny or Kota? Time runs out, and Ibushi gets a HIGH-angle belly-to-back suplex that kills Matt DEAD.
Somehow Matt’s corpse comes back to life and his zombie brawls with Ibushi. A V-Trigger and Gold Star Bomb get two, and another V-Trigger gets two. Matt screams in pain as Kota kicks his back, but Kota fires away. A standing moonsault hits the knees, and Matt locks in a sharpshooter. Omega punches him in the face to break, then /Nick superkicks Kenny. Nick gets a gorgeous corkscrew monsault onto Omega while Matt still has the sharpshooter in.
A facebuster to Kota from Nick while Matt ties to hold on, but his back is too messed up. The Bucks double team Ibushi, and Nick hits him with a 450 while Matt elbows Omega through the table. This match has certainly been more insane than I had imagined.
Another springboard 450 from Nick to Ibushi gets two. Kota valiantly fights on, and Omega comes in for the save- but he and Kota are then thrown a Superkick Party, as a “Fight Forever” chant breaks out. Matt gets pissed and he and Kenny just punch it out. Kenny hits his patented dragon suplex, but Matt just piledrives him. The belt comes off, and Matt gets his Hollywood Hogan on as he whips Omega with the leather weight belt. Omega gets his hands on the belt, but he honorably tosses it aside and gives Matt a V-Trigger instead. This just gets him speared.
The Bucks go for the Meltzer Driver, but Kota powerbombs Nick through another table for a big pop. The Lovers get a Meltzer Driver of their own- but that only gets two, A powerbomb from Omega gets two, and it really feels like we’ve gone into double, no, triple overtime now. The Bucks fight back, but Omega hits a V-Trigger…and doesn’t have the heart to hit the One-Winged Angel on his buddy. He finally hits it onto Nick, but then Matt makes the save. Nick feels like the match is lost as Matt’s hurt, and he asks Omega why it’s come to this. Such DRAMA. The Lovers them hit their dual “Golden Trigger” knees to finally end the match….and perhaps end The Elite?
After the match, the Bucks sulk in the ring, then Cody rushes inside to berate them. Kenny then runs him off and reconciles with Nick, but Matt’s not ready to bury the hatches with Kenny just yet, and the Bucks leave together. Kenny then cuts a promo putting the Golden Lovers over, promising that NJPW will return to the US sooner than later.
I can’t say enough wonderful things about this match, it’s easily my favorite tag match this year in any company so far in 2018. Omega is simply in another zone in terms of his athleticism and storytelling, and Ibushi is almost always amazing. The Bucks’ acting was unexpectedly poignant- after watching Nick and Matt be cocky, smarmy jerks in show after show, the level of emotion and heartbreak they portrayed dealing with Omega caught me off guard quite a bit.
My overall thoughts: The first half of the show was okay enough, and portions of it felt a bit like a “Road to Sakura Genesis” show in terms of the booking. But the last three matches are certainly worth giving this show a shot (especially the instant-classic main event) and there’s some pretty fun performances from both the NJPW crew and the outside talent up and down the show.
I’m not sure if ZSJ is really going to be the one who finally dethrones Okada, but his style of wrestling is so unique that it’s bound to be an entertaining match regardless, IMO. Recommended if you’re a New Japan fan, or are just in the mood for a fun rasslin’ show that doesn’t feel too long.