Naito named Muto’s retirement opponent after rousing call ends Yokohama action
The focal point of NJPW vs NOAH in Yokohama Arena on January 21 was a best of five singles series between Los Ingobernables De Japon and Kongo, a battle over the two most talked about factions in their respective promotions.
It all started with Tadasuke facing BUSHI. The match immediately spilled to the outside to the benefit of Tadasuke and a leg drop to BUSHI draped over the bottom rope had the Kongo man controlling the match. BUSHI was able to gain his first momentum in the match, landing chops and kicks with extra sizzle and a missile-like suicide dive through the ropes to the outside. An arm-cracker, back-cracker and lung-blower combination saw BUSHI set up for MX, but his leap off the middle rope was met by a mighty lariat from Tadasuke.
An exchange of forearms gave a small victory to Tadasuke who landed two big short-arm lariats, but BUSHI countered with his own lariat. With the match back on the outside BUSHI crunched Tadasuke’s neck over the unforgiven barrier with a neckbreaker and quickly followed with his signature draping DDT on the apron. For the first time in years BUSHI spewed his blinding mist into Tadasuke’s face, but his pinning attempt was counted by Tadasuke who stole a three count against all of BUSHI’s momentum and starting Kongo off on the winning path.
Hajime Ohara would surprise IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi in a bout that had the champion mostly on the back foot. Ohara entirely controlled the opening proceedings; everything Hiromu attempted was met by a smart counter, the opportunity to pick up a win over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion not lost on the NOAH man. Hiromu eventually found his opening with a head scissors and ramped up the pace, but again Ohara’s intellect allowed him to side-step Hiromu’s signature missile dropkick from the apron. Hiromu was finally able to gain some traction thanks to a Death Valley Driver into the corner pad giving him some much needed breathing room which was converted into a pop-up powerbomb and Falcon Arrow.
The playing field levelled, a heated forearm exchange turned into a flurry of open hand slaps from Ohara, a thrust kick from Hiromu and a devastating driver for a close two count. Ohara locked in Muy Bien and Hiromu looked as though he may have no choice but to submit, eventually finding the solace of a rope break. Able to get moving, Hiromu hit the ropes and landed a big Hiromu Bomber and Victory Royal but Ohara kicked out, the IWPG Junior Heavyweight Champion realising the battle he is in and going straight for Time Bomb II to pick up the first win of the night for LIJ.
Former All Asia Tag Team Champions collided with the best of five series set at one win a piece at the midpoint as SANADA faced Manabu Soya. A slow and methodical start led to the powerhouse Soya hurtling SANADA over the top rope with a lariat and introducing him into the steel fencing all around the ring. SANADA began to control the pace, hitting his signature drop kick and plancha to the outside to the appreciation of the rapturous Yokohama crowd, but when the action returned to the ring Soya was able to execute a splitting spear and Canadian-style backbreaker. SANADA sprung back into action with his springboard dropkick and TKO, neither man able to control the match for an extended length of time.
SANADA’s Skull End attempt was overwhelmed by Soya’s remarkable strength, hoisting SANADA up for a bodyslam, but once again SANADA came back with an answer; this time the Magic Screw. With Soya facedown on the mat SANADA soared with a moonsault to his opponent’s back, but the follow up moonsault to Soya was negated by raised knees. The back-and-forth continued as Soya landed a brutal Death Valley Bomb, but the Wild Bomber was countered into a roll up for a two count. Once again displaying his inhuman strength Soya landed a vertical suplex and elevated DDT and as the speed picked up and lariats were exchanged, Soya finally landed the Wild Bomber he had been looking for and picked up the victory for Kongo.
A razor edge tension filled Yokohama Arena as Shingo Takagi and Katsuhiko Nakajima measured each other in the opening moments of their semifinal match through a brief flurry of exchanges; with Kongo leading 2-1 a Nakajima win would give victory to Kongo in the best of five series, Shingo had to be calculated. Shingo’s pace saw him on top early, his vertical suplex the first big hit either man was able to land. But Nakajima decided on a target as he unleashed his first kick to the ribs of Shingo and a second to the chest on the outside, returning to the ring to mock the Dragon by copying his signature pose. Adding further insult to injury Nakajima showed off with a series of Showtimes in the corner and rapid fire kicks had Shingo entirely on the backfoot.
Toying with Shingo, Nakajima invited the KOPW Champion to have a free hit, only to duck and land another kick. For the first time in a long time, Shingo was able to put together some offence and his King Kong lariat combo finally gave him the chance to string together his gameplan, his DDT and basement lariat allowing him to catch his breath and land a mighty avalanche suplex off the top rope for a two count. Nakajima locked in the manji-gatame with a impudent grin on his face, but Shingo fired back with a kick to the back of Nakajima.
A thudding forearm exchange broke out that seemed to benefit Shingo, so Nakajima wisely switched from forearms to his signature kicks which only elicited Shingo to switch from forearms to short-range lariats. Shingo’s attempt at a Pumping Bomber was avoided and Nakajima landed a brutal yet beautiful roundhouse kick to the side of Shingo’s head, doubt in the air if Shingo was conscious to carry on. An open palm slam from Nakajima once again had Shingo’s consciousness in doubt, and the follow up Vertical Spike had victory secured, but Shingo’s shoulder lifted off the mat at the last possible moment.
Shingo was able to catch a kick from Nakajima and hit Made in Japan but was unable to capitalise, but the Dragon was fired up and after catching his breath ripped Nakajima’s head off with a perfect Pumping Bomber that the Yokohama crowd was sure would be the three count, only for Nakajima to stay alive. A Half-and-half suplex and a blind-side basement forearm from Shingo had him primed to hit Last of the Dragon and cement a landmark victory over Nakajima after a ferocious war, setting the score at 2-2 ahead of the main event.
The score an equal 2-2 in the Kongo vs LIJ best of five series meant everything was on the line in the main event between the group leaders. Ever tranquilo, Naito started the match refusing to lock up with Kenoh and rolling to the outside, doing his best to get under the skin of his constantly-angry opponent. Naito’s tijeras was the first big play of the match, and as he feigned a dive to the outside only to pose in the middle of the ring he felt the wrath of a Kenoh double stomp, a bodyslam on the outside and being hurtled into and over the steel barricade. Naito was able to get in the ring before the 20-count but was met by a barrage of Kenoh’s kicks, double knees to the mid-section and mocking of the open-eye pose.
Naito was able to fire back with an atomic drop and dropkick to the knee and back of the head, perhaps the first time Kenoh was forced to stop trash-talking in the match so far. Naito’s three-piece combo in the corner gave Naito familiar footing, finally able to show his LIJ pose to the audience without interruption and locking in a leg-scissors full-nelson. Free of the submission, Kenoh got moving, pulling the rug from under Naito with a rapid-fire leg sweep, stomp to the back and knees to the back of the head for a near fall.
Back in control Kenoh took aim with a series of crushingly calculated kicks to the mid-section of Naito, refusing to let the LIJ man get any further off the mat than his knees. Defiant Naito managed to find solace in the corner who trapped the head of Kenoh to hit a draping neckbreaker across the knee and another neckbreaker in the middle of the ring, work being done in advance of a planned Destino. Furthering the Destino cause Naito rained an onslaught of elbows into the side of Kenoh’s neck and the follow up middle-rope frankensteiner had Naito primed to move into the final chapter, starting with Esperanza.
Naito’s running Destino attempt was thwarted by a quick thrust kick to the mid-section, a slap across the face, a Falcon Arrow and Dragon Suplex, but Kenoh only able to get a two count. With Naito on the mat Kenoh attempted the Professional Foot Stomp but nobody was on the receiving end, Naito avoiding damage and hitting a tornado DDT. Having both taking a beating the pair met in the centre of the ring to exchange forearms and kicks, Kenoh smoothly catching Naito with an ankle lock and continuously dragging Naito back to the centre of the ring and finally landing a brutal kick to the mid-section and the Violent Kick for a close near fall. With Naito’s ankle brutalised and his mid-section battered, Kenoh once again went to the top rope and was this time able to hit the Professional Foot Stomp for yet another two count. Naito entirely on the backfoot was finally able to get some breathing room thanks to his pop-up spinebuster, both men forced to rest on the mat to catch their breath with only five minutes left in the match.
Naito and Kenoh opened fire on each other, a series of elbow strikes and kicks seeing the Kongo man standing but his attempted suplex was countered into Destino but only for a two count. Quick to his feet Naito drove the top of Kenoh’s head into the mat with Valentia and was able to hit another Destino to not only secure the win for himself, but the win for Los Los Ingobernables de Japon at 3-2.
Naito was able to round out the night with a rapturous Yokohama crowd shouting “DE-JA-PON” in unison, and as Naito made his way up the ramp Keiji Muto was quick to enter the ring and grab a microphone with an interesting proposition. Muto challenged Naito to be his final opponent at his retirement match in the Tokyo Dome, which Naito accepted- the former Stardust Genius vs the eternal Wrestling Genius.
