LIJ and CHAOS main event first NJPW card in 110 days
After a long absence of over three and a half months, New Japan Pro-Wrestling finally returned to action on Monday June 15 with the Together Project Special card.
A mystery card, the matches weren’t announced to the viewing NJPW World audience until bell time, with Lons Ingobernables De Japon taking on CHAOS in a six man tag team main event.
Main event: Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito) defeated CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, SHO & YOH) when Naito pinned YOH
Okada sent SHO & YOH to the corner and ensured that he started the main event opposite the double IWGP champion. January 5 Tokyo Dome opponents circled each other before a strong lock up, starting the first NJPW main event in 110 days in classical form.
Okada pushed naito to the ropes, before a classic ‘clean’ break was followed by a kick to the breadbasket from Naito. The champion was in typical confident form as he teased Okada with a fist in the air after the Rainmaker won an early exchange, but the pace turned a lot faster and more violent as Shingo Takagi and SHO tagged in.
SHO managed to surprise the NEVER Openweight Champion with his strength as he powered down Shingo, efore YOH entered to eliminate Hiromu from the equation. Takahashi did make his entrance though, when a lariat from Shingo levelled SHO, and LIJ continued to isolate and dominate half of the IWGP Junior tag champs.
SHO would get free of his LIJ oppressors with a spear to Shingo and suplex to Hiromu, and Okada would make the tag, firing up on Hiromu before a German suplex from the junior champ brought Naito in, and ensured a continuation of Tokyo Dome bad blood. YOH, too would bring impressive speed and offense to the double champ, with a beautiful missile dropkick, but classic LIJ number play would make sure the match broke down and CHAOS momentum was lost. YOH fired back strong against Naito, but a devastating looking new move, was followed by Destino for the LIJ win.
5th match: Yuji Nagata, Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Togi Makabe defeated Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre Junior, Taichi & DOUKI) when Makabe pinned DOUKI
Tanahashi forgot in the last 110 days that you need eyes in the back of your head during an entrance before facing Suzuki-Gun, as the King sent the Ace tumbling out of the ring before Nagata and Suzuki teed off with a flurry of strikes. After an evenly matched and violent preview of Wednesday night, Ibushi and Zack Sabre Junior brought the pace, as Ibushi peppered ZSJ with kicks and hands.
Sabre proved to be as intelligent as ever, gracefully pickig Ibushi’s ankle in midair, as Suzuki-Gun sent bodies flying at ringside. Ibushi was left the worst for wear for Suzuki-Gun’s antics, but finally gutted out the punishment, hitting an overhead kick to take out both members of Dangerous Tekkers and bringing Tanahashi into the action.
The Ace brought aggression to Taichi, but, perhaps looking to a crowd that wasn’t present for support, missed a step charging the corner, and met with a gamengiri. A Dragon Screw did find the mark though, and brought in Makabe, who brought the violence before Suzuki decided he’d seen enough,
As the match broke down, it was Makabe in ring with Taichi. an Axe Bomber found the mark but hurt Taichi’s arm, necessitating a tag to DOUKI. As anarchy reigned in ring, DOUKI almost caught Makabe with a roll-up, but Makabe caught DOUKI with a decisive lariat, and the King Kong Knee for the win.
4th match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Los Ingobernables De Japon (BUSHI, SANADA & EVIL) when Taguchi submitted BUSHI
SANADA and Taguchi showed off their own classical flair early, smoothly attempting to outwork the other on the mat. Taguchi smartly baited SANADA in on a pair of occasions, teasing a Paradise Lock and Bummer Ye purely to take control, and allowing Tenzan to hit some stiff blows while the Coach communicated from ringside.
Tencozy kept up an effective assault on SANADA as LIJ struggled to get out the blocks; all until EVIL made the assist with a ringside trip. Dirty tactics followed, as a Tshirt assisted choke put BUSHI firmly in control of Tenzan. Kojima fired back impressively against EVIL, swatting the arm of EVIL, before a KojiCutter brought fresh members in from each corner.
Taguchi fired in B Triggers all around before making SANADA sweat with a pinning combination out of a Skull End attempt, but Cold Skull would take out the Coach at the knees, allowing a train of attacks in the corner. The Coach withstood the punishment however, putting Oh My and Garankle on BUSHI before the match broke down, with everyone joining the melee.
A Ten Koji Cutter took EVIL out of the equation, and Taguchi was left with BUSHI. A Bummer Ye was followed with Oh My and Garankle, and Taguchi picked up the submission win.
3rd match: BULLET CLUB (Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo, Jado & Taiji Ishimori) defeated Tomoaki Honma, Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI when Takahashi pinned Honma
Goto easily outpowered Yujiro in the early going; Takahashi tried to respond with a very early Pimp Juice, but got quickly denied, bailing to the floor. When Jado came in, Yano quickly stepped up to his New Japan Cup opponent, leading to a standoff of kendo stick and turnbuckle pad. It was Jado disarming Yano however, and without his security pad, Yano was quick to tag in YOSHI-HASHI.
The Headhunter was able to take care of his veteran tag team opponents, but Jado’s wiles eventually saw YOSHI-HASHI in the wrong corner. Jado, Gedo and Ishimori took over on YOSHI-HASHI, but a Headhunter neckbreaker saw Goto back in the fray. Goto showed his power to Ishimori and then Gedo, bringing in Honma, who missed one Kokeshi to Jay White’s mentor, but not a second to Yujiro Takahashi.
A top rope Kokeshi proved too ambitious for Honma, however. The subsequent opening led to a Fisherman buster for a near two, but the Pimp Juice that followed put Honma away.
2nd Match: Suzuki-Gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) defeated Tomohiro Ishii & Yuya Uemura when Desperado submitted Uemura
Suzuki-Gun didn’t miss a beat in 110 days, immediately charging their opponents, and impressively laying out Ishii. Uemura fired back alone in the ring, even resisting a cheap eye rake from Kanemaru to land a double dropkick, but it wasn’t long before the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Champions took control on the youngster.
Kanemaru viciously raked Uemura’s face and sank in a camel clutch while Desperado managed the numbers game, pulling Ishii off the apron, before a huge dropkick broght Uemura some time. Suzuki-Gun effectively slowed Ishii, but couldn’t stop the Stone Pitbull, who was able to deliver brainbusters to both his opponents.
Kanemaru’s smarts came into play however, as he pulled the referee into play, creating the chance to viciously assault Ishii’s knee. Numero Dos did some damage to Ishii even as Desperado’s Cup opponent made the ropes, but even on one leg a German suplex could dump ‘Despe’ on his head.
Back inside, Uemura fired in on both opponents, and came within an inch of a three count on Desperado, but experience on Desperado’s part paid off, Numero Dos securing Suzuki-Gun victory.
1st Match: Yota Tsuji defeated Gabriel Kidd via submission
Gabriel Kidd realised he couldn’t outpower Tsuji early, but gained control of his larger opponent’s wrist and arm on the mat. When Tsuji was able to create distance however, he quickly cut off the Briton with a massive shoulder tackle before unleashing some trademark stiff chops in the corner.
Tsuji would punish Kidd’s back with a camel clutch and repeated strikes, but went for his powerslam too soon, allowing the LA Dojo wrestler to get in a bodyslam. Kidd was able to pick up the pace with a high velocity tackle and dropkick for two, before smartly maneuvering a half Boston Crab when the full would have taken too much strength to sink in.
Kidd continued to press the advantage, but in the stand up game, Tsuji proved too much, an open hand blow rocking the Briton before a Spear led to a near two count. A Boston Crab followed, and the submission win with it.
