Nemeth wins title in NJPW debut
The main event of night one for New beginning in Sapporo saw the IWGP Global Championship defended for the first time in the title’s history, David Finlay facing the debuting Nic Nemeth.
In a fast start, David Finlay took early control before being blasted in the opening moments with Nemeth’s 101 Superkick. The challenger then set to work outside the ring, but it was a hard spear out through the guardrails that put the champion in charge. Finlay would have full and confident control of Nemeth, who was able to create separation with a suplex counter to a sleeper at the five minute mark; after a neckbreaker, and a barrage of elbows on the mat a wild Cactus style clothesline took both men to the floor, and Nemeth was still not done.
As the challenger got back into the ring, he sent the recovering champion off the apron and into Gedo. Finaly thought fast in the moment of pain for Bloody Hands though, and took his shillelagh from Gedo, catching Nemeth napping with a brutal shot to the knee. With a target now settled upon, Finlay was relentless in his assault of Nemeth’s base, and though the experienced amateur landed an Olympic style slam, an exposed turnbuckle kept Finlay in charge. A spear and a Dominator onto the weakened knee, and Finlay set up a punishing Figure Four.
After what must have felt like an agonising eternity for Nemeth in the hold, the challenger stayed in the hunt, but had no base to hit his 101 kick again. Instead, Finlay found a powerbomb for a near two before setting to crush his foe in the corner, but it was the corner that had earlier been exposed, and quick thinking from the challenger saw champion taste the steel. A high angle DDT and Fameasser scored for Nemeth, who was building for the Danger Zone, but would be stopped and hit with Into Oblivion for an achingly close two.
Both men damaged, champion and challenger reset with wild right hands. As Finlay gained the upper hand, he set for the Overkill that had driven Will Ospreay out of New Japan a fortnight earlier, but Nemeth refused to go for the rides. Skulls collided with brutal headbutts exchanged before the Danger Zone from nowehere brought Nemeth the Global Championship.
