Memorable Korakuen bouts end with NEVER 6-Man Champions up 2-1. 

July 1’s Kizuna Road card at Korakuen hall saw a series of singles bouts preview July 2’s NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship clash, with YOSHI-HASHI facing Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Hirooki Goto taking on Satoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata facing Tomohiro Ishii. 

First of their respective trios to face off were YOSHI-HASHI and Tenzan. After a snug tie up, YOSHI-HASHI rejected a clean break in the ropes for a slap to the face, before grabbing a headlock. Shot into the ropes though, YOSHI-HASHI could not knock the veteran off his feet, and Tenzan reacted with a clothesline that put YOSHI-HASHI on his back and Tenzan in control. ‘New’ Mongolian Chops and painful kicks followed, but the resourceful YOSHI-HASHI would slide out the ring and pull his opponent to the floor. 

The Headhunter wanted to send a clear message as champion even to his senior, and stinging chops punctuated throws into the steel guardrails and forearm shots in the corner. YOSHI-HASHI would redden the chest of his foe, but a spinning heel kick would shift the flow of the match back to the veteran with his strikes and the ‘OK’ Brainbuster. The rarely seen Calf Branding followed, and Tenzan made up for not quite hitting the move flush, Anaconda Vice bringing YOSHI-HASHI to the ropes where he tasted the veteran’s version of those biting knife edge chops. 

Tenzan would bow his head to deliver the Mountain Bomb, but YOSHI-HASHI managed to respond with the Headhunter and a running chop in the corner. After the Butterfly Lock didn’t keep Tenzan grounded long, YOSHI-HASHI went back to the chops that had brought him to the dance, but Mongolians would be followed by breezeblock like headbutts to get two before the Anaconda Vice was locked in center ring. YOSHI-HASHI struggled to his feet only to take the Anaconda Buster, but the CHAOS member rolled a shoulder at two. 

Tenzan would try and follow from the top rope, but a headbutt would only meet the mat. A standing version would find YOSHI-HASHI’s chest, but a headbutt came in response, and double knees for two, before the Butterfly Lock forced a submission win. 

Satoshi Kojima and Hirooki Goto would hit the ring next, Kojima driving the CHAOS representative to the ropes as the Friday challengers were down 1-0 on the night. Just as YOSHI-HASHI had taken Tenzan, Goto would come up with a headlock, but this time easily bowled Kojima over with a tackle, forcing Kojima to take a different route, powering through with a shoulder tackle when Goto peppered in some cheap shots and promptly taking the fight to the floor. 

Here though, the veteran made a grave mistake, looking for a lariat that saw Goto evade and send his opponents arm crashing into the ring post. Now with bloody waters to chase, Goto wrenched Kojima’s arm over the ropes and threw repeated elbows to the head of the Third Generation challenger, before attempting to submit the veteran. 

Kojima was operating on experience, instincts and adrenaline, which saw him power himself to his feet from a backdrop suplex and hit one of his own. Multiple clips of machine gun chops would follow, and the Bakayaro Elbow scored two. Goto would respond with his own classical offense, as a corner wheelkick and bulldog got his own nearfall, but Kojima would escape Ushigoroshi. Goto would decide to go high risk in response, but as he moved to the top rope, would be met by Kojima. A mighty lariat from the Third Generation member would send Goto tumbling to the floor, just making it in and kicking out before the referee’s count of three.

As both battled to their feet, strike exchanges showed the power of Kojima’s unafflicted right arm as Goto’s was knocked down with a lariat and then the Cozy Cutter. An Ushigoroshi connected in response, followed by a lariat, but with the injured left arm, preventing a timely cover. As Kojima went again for the lariat from the right side, he was stopped and countered with a reverse GTR, and a second delivered Takagi style over the ropes. Still, Kojima would not bow, and after several attempts, finally swung for the fences with his right arm and scored with the decisive lariat. 

CHAOS and hontai tied 1-1, it was Ishii vs Nagata in the main event, facing off for the first time in over two years. Not standing on the ceremony of sportsmanlike tie up and tests of strength that their partners adopted, both started at a thunderous pace, with forearms and a surge of speed that saw Nagata escape a sliding lariat to a standoff. 

Nagata would try and take Ishii down to the mat and work a submission, looking for the arm and shoulder of Ishii, who made the ropes, only to take a series of stomps. As momentum built, Nagata would try and charge in, Ishii meeting him with a powerslam that had less torque than normal. The result was a move that proved advantageous to the Stone Pitbull, Nagata’s head meeting the mat, and Ishii would use the happy accident to his advantage with trademark vicious strikes that put Nagata on the canvas and at the mercy of blistering spinal tap kicks. 

Broad forearm chops would follow for Ishii, blistering the chest of Blue Justice red and angering the living legend, who responded with a kitchen sink. Looking to give as good as he had gotten, mid kicks would rifle off Ishii’s own chest, and a butterfly suplex would grant Nagata two, but Ishii fired right back with a vertical suplex of his own. 

Damage had cumulated for Ishii, who crumpled under a Nagata forearm shiver, but another hard kick fired the Stone Pitbull up. Downing Nagata, Ishii put the future challenger in the corner and rained in the Tenryu chop and jab combination; Nagata would try and build momentum with a boot out the corner, but was turned away with a release German suplex as the match passed ten minutes. 

The fight moved to the top rope, where Ishii fought for and got a superplex, but Ishii’s follow up would be countered into Nagata Lock II.  The NEVER 6 champion stayed in the hold for a punishingly long time before barely making the ropes, but Nagata was not about to relent, directing kicks to the left shoulder and hitting a shoulder breaker that put his opponent on his knees. Left arm hanging limp, Ishii tried to do all he could with his right, but would be easily dropped by the former IWGP heavyweight champ. 

Now Nagata wanted his own top rope maneuver, getting a very near two from a top rope exploder. Going for the kill, Nagata wanted a backdrop suplex, and when Ishii resisted, scored with a stunning knee. Yet Ishii would lariat away a mid kick from Blue Justice, and a missile like rising headbutt found its mark for the Stone Pitbull. 

Damaged, angry, and dangerously proud, both men came to their feet to ring open palms off one another’s skulls, looking to pop an eardum, jaw or both. Firing himself up, Ishii would charge at Nagata to be caught and thrown with an exploder, but the pitbull bit right back for two as the match continued. A sliding lariat scored for Ishii, who tried for the Vertical Drop, but got blasted with a heel from Nagata. 

A Justice Knee would rock Ishii right underneath the jaw in the corner, but Ishii would put his foot on the rope to break the ensuing pin. A headbutt was followed by a Nakanishi style German suplex from Nagata, and a Thunder Death Driver, that still didn’t end the match, Ishii finally working free of Nagata’s clutches to hit the Vertical Drop Brainbuster that ended the match at last. 

Ishii and Nagata now have to recover from their injuries enough to wrestle with NEVER 6-Man gold on the line June 2.