On 6th March in Ota city central gymnasium, New-Japan Pro-Wrestling held it’s 47th Anniversary Event to commemorate the passage of 47 years since the “raising of the flag”, as the event is referred to in Japanese, in 1972.

 

 

In the main event (Match 7) the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Jay White faced up against the NEVER Openweight champion Will Ospreay in the Anniversary Special Singles Match. As the rising star of the new generation of foreign talent, Ospreay electrified the gathered crowd as neither man was willing to give a single inch of ground. Ospreay looked certain to win until Jay countered his OsCutter with a sublime modified Blade Runner counter. In the end he won emphatically with a clean Blade Runner in the middle of the cerulean blue.

 

After the match, Jay threatened to twist the knife (or switchblade) by looming menacingly over Ospreay, steel chair in hand. That was until Kota Ibushi, who was providing color commentary at the time, leapt into the ring to stop him. Incensed at the Golden Star spoiling their fun, the other members of BULLET CLUB turned their attention to Ibushi instead, attacking him with vicious strikes and kicks. This in turn prompted Tanahashi, Okada and Goto to rush into the ring to fend off the villainous BULLET CLUB members after which Jay taunted Ibushi with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt.

 

 

The 6th match was the 47th anniversary Special 6-man Tag Team match which saw the team of Tanahashi and Okada add Goto to take on LIJ (Naito, EVIL & SANADA). Goto ended-up getting the pin over SANADA after a Goto-shiki in a match where all six men showed their strength and ability. After the match, Goto, Tanahashi and Okada all took the opportunity to stake their claim on the prize of the NEW JAPAN CUP.

 

 

In the 5th match, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship was on the line as the 83rd champion, Taiji Ishimori challenged Jyushin Thunder Liger. Liger dominated Ishimori over the course of the match, as the legend ruthlessly attacked the champion with powerful move after powerful move such as the Vertical-style falling Brainbuster and the Liger Bomb. However, Ishimori showed his tenacity and grit and pulled through the onslaught to unleash his own arsenal of moves, eventually tapping Liger out with a Yes Lock. Ishimori ended-up with his second successful defence and after the match called out Dragon Lee to be his next opponent.

 

 

 

The IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship was also on the line as the LIG team of Shingo Takagi and BUSHI attempted to defend their titles against Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH.) This was a hotly contested match as both teams came into this match with one win and one loss in both 4-man bouts and in triple threats. Towards the end, BUSHI spat mist into SHO’s face, temporarily blinding him before hitting him with their tag team finishing move, “Rebellion”. YOH managed to stop the almost certain loss and kept RPG3K’s hopes alive. YOH further broke-up a code breaker from BUSHI, before RPG3K decided the match with a 3K. Roppongi 3K are now the new IWGP Tag Team Champions.

 

 

The 3rd Match featured the team of Satoshi Kojima, Tomoaki Honma, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Dragon Lee take on Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku). The 10-man tag match showcased a fierce competition between several competitors in the first round of the NEW JAPAN CUP, in particular Suzuki vs Kojima (11th March) and Honma vs, Taichi (8th March). In the end Taguchi pinned TAKA after a Dodon.

 

 

The 2nd match also featured a NJC preview in the form of Tomohiro Ishii vs. Yuji Nagata (8th March) who took YOSHI-HASHI and Toa Henare as partners respectively. Nagata and Ishii continued their heated rivalry as even after YOSHI-HASHI pinned Toa Henare, Nagata and Ishii continued their self-destructive feud after the bell had rung.

 

 

 

The opening match featured Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Ayato Yoshida, Shota Umino and Ren Narita as they took on BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Chase Owens & Hikuleo). Although the pride of the newest generation fought bravely, BULLET CLUB were overwhelming with Owens pinning Yoshida after a Package Piledriver.