Gripping main event, Muta surprise highlights Korakuen

Watch the Battle Autumn replay!

Battle Autumn continued with cheering crowds returning to Korakuen Hall on October 26 as the first round of the NJPW World TV Championship tournament came to a close with the last two matchups determining our quarterfinals.

First of the two matches saw Toru Yano take on United Empire’s Great-O-Khan. Yano was in a rush to get started, but O-Khan would bail from the ring and make him wait in the opening seconds, leaving the CHAOS producer to remove the turnbuckle pads. This drew the Dominator inside to grapple with Yano, getting nearfalls while working a head and arm choke. 

As Yano squirmed to the ropes and outside, he nearly got a countout win by taping O-Khan’s braid to a guardrail; Gideon Grey would come to his charge’s aid however, and the United Empire member served up receipts to his opponent. O-Khan would choke Yano with his braid, and forced his face into the exposed steel turnbuckle while taking a corner seat. 

Yano would mount a comeback, with a front suplex, and a series of amateur cradles that inched him closer to victory each time before a boot cut the producer off. After a slingshot into the exposed corner, an N-U chop block would get the closest two yet; a stunned O-Khan would catch Yano with a spear before the Sheep Killer lead to a neckbreaker drop for two. Just as O-Khan went for the Eliminator though, the lights went out, and none other than the Great Muta appeared to mist O-Khan and bring victory to his old ally Yano. Backstage, Muta stated he wanted to team with Yano and Kazuchika Okada to face O-Khan in Ariake Arena on November 20 at Historic X-Over!

The main event of the evening saw Ren Narita face Tomohiro Ishii. A furious pace was set early as both men collided center ring with elbows before a front kick in the corner and shoulder tackle for Narita. Ishii fired back with more stiff shots of his own, chopping up in the throat before Narita was able to create distance with a front suplex. A half hatch followed for two, and after a series of standing switches, Narita found a Cobra Twist center ring.

Ishii escaped with a backdrop suplex, Narita responding with the same before blasting his foe with a barrage of mid kicks. A wounded animal, Ishii reared back and struck Narita in the throat with his mighty forearm. A high and tight German suplex from Ishii was met with a running high kick from Narita, offense escalating on both sides. An intense Cobra Twist saw Narita wrench Ishii to near unconsciousness before a German suplex landed for a near two, but the Narita Special #4 was stopped with a blistering tackle just past the ten minute mark. 

As both men reset, Ishii got the better of an elbow exchange before a powerbomb for two. A snug elbow from Narita and a vicious lariat from Ishii saw both men still somehow able to recover; another lariat from Ishii led to yet another nearfall with three minutes left on the clock. Ishii tried to capitalise with the Vertical Drop Brainbuster, countered with a straight armbar that drove the Stone Pitbull to the ropes; as the two minute warning rang round Korakuen, a kick combo was followed by an enzuigiri and Northern Lights for two.

Narita wanted the Narita Special #4, but the desperate Ishii escaped with his cement headbutt, before getting a sliding lariat for two with one minute left. The Vertical Drop was denied once more, and the Narita Special scored for three. Narita promised a ‘changing of the guard’ after an electric main event; he is now set to face Toru Yano in quarterfinal action this Sunday in Makuhari. 

The TV tournament continues on October 27 in Korakuen, as Zack Sabre Jr. faces David Finlay, and EVIL takes on YOSHI-HASHI in the night’s two quarterfinals.