Shota Umino tastes the Rainmaker in Osaka Jo Hall
Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall on June 4 saw a war over the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championships as the team of Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi defended their titles against Shota Umino, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli.
To the anticipation of the crowd the match began with Ring of Honor Champion Claudio Castagnoli and Hiroshi Tanahashi locking up, the action quickly breaking down as all six men entered the ring which left the champions standing tall. The match returning to the legal men, Claudio caught a flying Tanahashi with ease to land a backbreaker before tagging in Shota Umino. The Ace also made the tag, Okada and Shota continuing their fiery feud by immediately brawling on the outside, ultimately to the benefit of Shota who hurled a table at Okada’s head.
Quick tags led to an outstanding deadlift gut-wrench suplex from Claudio, the punishment continuing to Okada with a Moxley lariat and kicks, the ring expertly cut off by the challengers. Shota sought to mock Okada and only earned ire instead, Okada able to land a DDT and make a much needed tag to Tanahashi. With Claudio entering the ring on the opposite side, the two men exchanged blows before Tanahashi caught Claudio with a signature dragon screw leg-whip. Ishii entered the fray, taking out Claudio with a huge suplex, but Claudio was able to fight back and make the tag to Moxley.
Moxley and Ishii now the legal men, the Death Rider pummelled his opponent with lariats and punches before biting at Ishii’s ear and locking in a figure-four leg lock, but Okada was quick to make the save. Moxley quickly got back on top, a piledriver forcing Tanahashi to break the pinning attempt before the referee could make the three count. Moxley rained down elbow strikes across Ishii’s neck and hit a solid basement lariat before locking in sleeper hold. Ishii fought out with a backdrop and the two men exchanged brutal suplexes and lariats, the Stone Pitbull headbutting Moxley with force enough to split him open. Bloodied, Moxley crushed Ishii with a curbstomp and a fierce follow up lariat but Ishii refused to quit.
An enzuigiri, Slingblade and basement lariat from Ishii would be countered by a cutter from Moxley, but Ishii popped straight up and hit another lariat. Both men wiped out and making tags, Okada and Shota entered the ring. A shotgun dropkick provided the opening for Okada to lock in the Money Clip, Shota able to get a rope break but he found no safety; Okada assaulting Shota with a series of slaps and kicks until he fell victim to a soaring dropkick.
Claudio now in the ring, he stunned the Oskada crowd with an incredible giant swing and the challenger trio hit a three-way powerbomb, reminiscent of Moxley’s past. A Moxley dive to the outside left Shota with Okada, but the Rainmaker retaliated with his always sensational dropkick. Shota was able to fight back with his own DDT variant, but as he was primed to hit Death Rider, Tanahashi made the save and with the help of Ishii the three men took out the challengers.
An assisted three-way elevated DDT had victory seemingly secured for the champions, but Shota was able to get his shoulder off the mat before the three count. As Shota looked ready to fire back, Okada unleashed the Cobra Flowsion and Rainmaker to earn victory and retain the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships for his team.
