LIJ pick up win in eight man main
Live action returned to Korakuen Hall and NJPW World on May 24, with Los Ingobernables De Japon coming out on top of an intense eight man main event.
Tetsuya Naito would move to start the bout off for Los Ingobernables De japon, Tomohiro Ishii squaring off in the opposite corner. LIJ mind games were the order of the day however, and tags would rotate members inside before first contact as the Stone Pitbull grew more frustrated.
Ishii would get that first contact on Naito, and though Naito’s LIJ teammates were quick to back Ishii up, the CHAOS member powered through all of his opponents before teaming with YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto to put a hurt on Naito and Shingo Takagi. Hiroshi Tanahashi would be on the wrong end of a four on one assault however, and with a handful of hair, Naito continued to inflict pain on his old rival.
Tanahashi was firmly buried in the wrong corner, until a basement dropkick broke up a double team attempt for Shingo and SANADA, and Hirooki Goto came back in to immediately tear into Cold Skull. A brace of basement dropkicks of his own, and SANADA was in the plus position however, a series of counters with Goto as he got back to the mat ending with a Magic Screw at the ten minute mark of the match.
Tags both sides saw YOSHI-HASHI and BUSHI trade elbows; the Headhunter lit BUSHI up with a sharp chop, but BUSHI responded with a heavy dropkick, and the missile dropkick from the second rope leading to the BUSHI-roonie. YOSHI-HASHI found a neckbreaker, but Naito was quick to react, breaking up the pin with a dropkick as Ishii came in to cut him off.
The match began to break down, and Tanahashi delivered a series of Dragon Screws to the LIJ side, before a Slingblade saw the Ace serve up BUSHI for a double knee from YOSHI-HASHI. With BUSHI isolated center ring, YOSHI-HASHI clinched in the Butterfly Lock, SANADA barely making the save, but Goto taking care of Cold Skull.
YOSHI-HASHI went for the kill with Kumagoroshi, but BUSHI escaped and connected with a back cracker. Takagi was waiting to accept the tag, Ryukon lariat connected and a sliding lariat getting two on YOSHI-HASHI before Tanahashi made the save. Last of the Dragon would be cut off however, and again the match broke down, bodies flying every which way. YOSHI-HASHI was left standing and scored a hard enzuigiri to Takagi, but the Dragon and Naito would assist one another to a Takagi Pumping Bomber and Last of the Dragon to end the match.
Ishii wasn’t done after the bell, wanting more of Naito and SANADA, and repeatedly getting inside, only to be broken up in ever more vicious attacks, eventually ending with Takagi counting a ‘pin’ for Naito on the Stone Pitbull as an intense hatred seems to be brewing. Meanwhile, Shingo Takagi made it very clear that he wants to be in a match for the vacated IWGP World Heavyweight Championship; what matches will arise from all this turbulence?
