Naito victorious in wild Ota main
The main event of NJPW’s 52nd Anniversary saw the semi regular champion versus champion tradition continue in unconventional form, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion SHO meeting IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito.
With Tetsuya Naito having promised that he would vacate the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship should he lose to SHO, the Murder Machine was eager to make sure El Ingobernable followed through on his remarks. Jumping Naito on his entrance, SHO sought to take control, but would be quickly shut off by the heavyweight champion, who rattled his junior heavyweight opposite number off the railing. Yet with admirable ring awareness, SHO used his environment to his advantage, bringing Naito’s knee crashing onto the apron and starting a concerted assault.
A tijeras from Naito saw El Ingobernable back into the fight, and a neckbreaker before a hip toss over the knee saw SHO in a bad place indeed. Recognising the danger, SHO pulled the referee in the path of Naito and used thew lack of an official to take a chair to the base of Naito. A brutal knee bar did further damage to Naito before a Power Breaker and cross arm piledriver for a very near two. Through both fair means and foul, SHO was giving Naito a concerted run for his money, but it would be a running Destino that finall bought space and time for the World Heavyweight Champion.
A Frankensteiner off the top and tornado DDT had SHO once again on the back foot, and a nod tothe back brought HOUSE OF TORTURE running. The members of LIJ were quick to deal with the interference however, and Naito denied a charging SHO armed with a wrench with a deeply satisfying low blow. A full Destino later, and Naito was victorious in front of a rapturous Ota Ward crowd who left the Anniversary event satisfied that H.O.T had been chastened for now.
