NJPW: King of Puroresu

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NJPW Best of Super Juniors 2023 Night Eight- May 24th, 2023
Attendance: 4,000 at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (Osaka, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami, Milano Collection A.T., & Jushin Thunder Liger

-Block B Match: Chris Bey defeated Robbie Eagles in a good match to kick things off tonight in Osaka. Eagles just couldn't get anything going against the Bullet Club junior heavyweight, who was able to squash any momentum from Eagles with some well-timed cheap shots. In the end, Bey finished off Eagles with the Final Finesse to get the win. (80/B)

-Block A Match: Ace Austin defeated BUSHI in a good match. BUSHI's decent start to the Best of Super Juniors seems to be hitting a bit of a rough patch, though tonight that was mostly thanks to Ace Austin's constant cheating and underhanded tactics. Whenever BUSHI had a chance to take control, it was stopped by a dirty move from Austin. After about 12 minutes, Austin finished off BUSHI with The Fold to get the win. (76/B-)

-Block B Match: Mike Bailey defeated Mascara Dorada in a good match. This one was intense, with both men putting on one of the most fast-paced matches in Best of Super Juniors history. These two men bounced around the ring like Tasmanian Devils, hitting each other with an impressive variety of strikes and high-flying maneuvers. In the end, one man had to win though and that ended up being Bailey when he hit Dorada with the Ultima Weapon after nearly 13 minutes. (80/B)

-Block A Match: El Phantasmo defeated El Lindaman in a good match. Someone had to get their first points of the Best of Super Juniors tonight and it was the cocky El Phantasmo who won that "honor." Meanwhile, Lindaman's terrible start to his first ever Best of Super Juniors continued with a loss to Phantasmo, who finished off Lindaman with the CR2 in just under 13 minutes. (79/B)

-Block B Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Strong Machine J in a good match. Strong Machine hasn't been able to shake off his attack from Ryu Lee in the past few nights and that allowed the Bullet Club veteran Ishimori to take home the win tonight in Osaka. After about 14 minutes, Ishimori lifted Strong Machine high in the air and planted him with the Bloody Cross to get the win. (72/B-)

-Block B Match: YOH defeated Ryusuke Taguchi in a decent match. Taguchi came out of the gates like a house of fire tonight in Osaka, hitting YOH with nearly five consecutive flying hip attacks to kick things off! That quickly faded though when Taguchi's flying hip attack missed and he tangled himself up in the ropes. That allowed YOH to take advantage, which he never gave up for the rest of the match. YOH eventually finished off Taguchi with the Stargazer to get his fifth win of the tournament. (71/C+)

-Block A Match: Master Wato defeated Bandido in a great match. The young Wato kept up surprisingly well with Bandido (who's also young, but has a lot more in-ring experience than his opponent tonight), though Bandido did keep control for most of the match. Bandido's advantage started to slip when he missed a shooting star press, which allowed Wato to hit Bandido with a running senton. Wato followed that up with the RPP, made the cover, and got the win. (85/B+)

-Block A Match: Francesco Akira defeated SHO in a good match. SHO was still showing the effects of his brutal match with El Desperado last night, which allowed Akira to take advantage and keep up with the defending Best of Super Juniors winner. However, SHO did still maintain control for most of the match, with Akira's inexperience still holding him back. In the end, SHO tried hitting Akira with the Shock Arrow, but Akira managed to reverse it into a small package and got the three! A berserk SHO attacked the young lions following the match and chased others off with his hammer. (78/B)

-Block B Match: Ryu Lee defeated Dralistico in a good match. This one was a pure lucha libre showcase. The two brothers tore the house down tonight in Osaka, actually getting the crowd super into this high-flying back-and-forth. Dralistico nearly had the win when he locked Lee in La Drastica, but Lee managed to escape it and hit his brother with a stiff jumping knee. Lee then spun Dralistico around and hit him with the Desnucadora to pick up the win. The two brothers shared a handshake afterwards and followed it up by flipping off the crowd for not appreciating lucha libre enough. (76/B-)

 

MAIN EVENT:

 VS 

Block A Match: El Desperado vs PAC
El Desperado defeated PAC in a good match to close the show. PAC had the advantage over Despy for most of the match, mostly thanks to Despy still being tired from his brutal match with SHO last night in Osaka. Despy tried making numerous comebacks throughout the night, but PAC just kept control for nearly the entirety of this 20 minute match. In the end, PAC tried locking Despy in the Brutalizer, but Despy managed to shove him away and into referee Red Shoes! As PAC turned around, Despy kicked him below the belt! Despy then hit PAC with the Pinche Loco and got the win.

FINAL GRADE:

 

Best of Super Juniors 30 Post-Night Eight Standings:

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NJPW Best of Super Juniors 2023 Night Nine- May 25th, 2023
Attendance: 4,000 at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (Osaka, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami, Milano Collection A.T., & Jushin Thunder Liger

-Block B Match: Strong Machine J defeated Ryusuke Taguchi in a dull match to kick things off. Strong Machine has been looking to redeem himself following a rough stretch over the last few nights and that worked out tonight in Osaka against the veteran Taguchi. After just under 12 minutes of action, Strong Machine scooped up Taguchi and hit him with the Devil Windmill Suplex II to get the win. (64/C)

-Block B Match: Mascara Dorada defeated Robbie Eagles in a good match. This battle of Block B bottom feeders was surprisingly competitive, with Eagles trying valiantly to score his first points of the tournament and Dorada looking to snap his recent losing streak. In the end, Dorada was the one who emerged on top after hitting Eagles with the Dorada Screwdriver to get the win. (80/B)

-Block A Match: Francesco Akira defeated BUSHI in a good match. Akira has been looking to get himself back in contention to win Block A and he's been doing a good job doing that in the recent stretch of Osaka shows. That continued tonight with a good win over BUSHI, who just couldn't keep up with the United Empire junior heavyweight. After about 13 minutes, Akira finished off BUSHI with the Fireball to get the win. (80/B)

-Block A Match: PAC defeated Ace Austin in a good match. After losing to El Desperado last night, PAC was pissed off. Poor Ace Austin just stood in his way tonight in Osaka and really wasn't able to do much to stop 'The Bastard.' After about 14 minutes of nearly one-sided action, PAC went to the top rope and hit Austin with the Black Arrow, immediately transitioning it into the Brutalizer to get the submission win. (80/B)

-Block B Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Dralistico in a good match. With Dralistico pretty much out of contention for winning Block B, he was instructed by Ryu Lee to take out anyone else who has a shot at catching him, starting with Taiji Ishimori. Dralistico tried valiantly and may have even succeeded by weakening Ishimori's left knee. In the end though, Ishimori was able to stop Dralistico in his tracks and hit him with the Bloody Cross to get the win. (76/B-)

-Block A Match: SHO defeated El Lindaman in a good match. After losing to Francesco Akira last night, SHO was looking to take his vengeance out on someone and that someone just so happened to be the struggling El Lindaman. Lindaman tried his best, but SHO was just too much for him tonight in Osaka. After about 15 minutes, SHO hit Lindaman with a massive Shock Arrow to get the win. Afterwards, Lindaman grew visibly frustrated, kicking the ropes and scaring off some young lions. (75/B-)

-Block B Match: YOH defeated Chris Bey in a good match. YOH actually struggled to keep up with the Bullet Club's newest junior heavyweight, with Bey nearly getting the win over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion on a few occasions. In the end though, the 'Ultimate Finesser' was unable to finesse his way to a win over YOH, with YOH dodging the Final Finesse by grabbing Bey's leg and locking him in the Stargazer! Bey had no choice but to tap out, keeping YOH at the top of Block B. (82/B)

-Block A Match: Bandido defeated El Phantasmo in a good match. Phantasmo might be pretty much out of the running to make it to the Best of Super Juniors Final, but he's more than happy to play spoiler to someone like Bandido. He almost did that tonight in Osaka thanks to his usual underhanded tactics. After about 15 minutes, Bandido was able to overcome ELP's underhanded tactics and finished off the Bullet Club member with the 21Plex to get the win. (82/B)

-Block A Match: El Desperado defeated Master Wato in a good match. This battle of two of the top junior heavyweights in Block A lived up to the hype, with both men fighting valiantly to remain on top of the ultra-competitive block. Wato seemed to have the edge going into the final stretch, but Despy's well-timed cheap shots kept him in contention. In the end, Wato tried going for the RPP, but Despy managed to crotch Wato on the top rope! Despy then hit Wato with the Pinche Loco to get the win. (77/B)

 

MAIN EVENT:

 VS 

Block B Match: Ryu Lee vs 'Speedball' Mike Bailey
Ryu Lee defeated Mike Bailey in a great match to close the show. These two put on a high-flying showcase, with both men wowing the Osaka crowd with their impressive variety of aerial attacks and stiff strikes. Both men traded control for most of the match, with Bailey gaining control near the end with a roundhouse kick. Bailey went to the top rope to attempt the Ultima Weapon, but Lee managed to run up to the top rope and hit Bailey with a super frankensteiner!!! The crowd gasped in amazement as Lee scooped up Bailey and hit him with the Desnucadora to get the win.

FINAL GRADE:

 

Best of Super Juniors 30 Post-Night Nine Standings:

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NJPW Best of Super Juniors 2023 Night Ten- May 27th, 2023
Attendance: 4,000 at Fukuoka Convention Center (Fukuoka, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami, Milano Collection A.T., & Jushin Thunder Liger

-Block B Match: Chris Bey defeated Ryusuke Taguchi in a good match to kick things off. The 'Ultimate Finesser' has had a really good Best of Super Juniors debut and that continued tonight in Fukuoka with a solid win over Ryusuke Taguchi. Taguchi kept himself in the thick of things, but he just couldn't keep up with Bey and his underhanded tactics. Bey finished off Taguchi with the Final Finesse after just under 12 minutes of action. (74/B-)

-Block A Match: El Desperado defeated Ace Austin in a good match. El Desperado was desperate for a win tonight in Fukuoka in order to keep himself in contention to win Block A and he got that tonight with a win over Ace Austin. Austin did his best to keep himself in the match with some cheating, but Despy was able to out-cheat Austin and finish him off with an eye poke and the Pinche Loco after 13 minutes. (75/B-)

-Block B Match: Dralistico defeated Strong Machine J in a decent match. After having his mask torn apart by Dralistico & Ryu Lee, Strong Machine was looking to get revenge tonight in Fukuoka. However, that revenge didn't really happen as Dralistico was able to use his experience edge and a little bit of cheating in order to beat Strong Machine. After about 14 minutes, Dralisitico finished off Strong Machine by making him tap out to La Drastica. (68/C+)

-Block A Match: El Phantasmo defeated Francesco Akira in a good match. El Phantasmo's self-proclaimed title of "spoiler-maker" actually came true tonight in Fukuoka, as he officially eliminated Francesco Akira from Block A contention, albeit with some underhanded tactics. The match came to an end when Akira went for the Fireball, which ELP managed to dodge. ELP then shoved Akira into referee Red Shoes and hit Akira with a low blow! ELP then scooped up Akira and hit him with the CR2 to get the win. (80/B)

-Block B Match: Mike Bailey defeated Taiji Ishimori in a good match. Ishimori needed a win to keep himself in contention to win Block B, but Bailey successfully played spoiler tonight in Fukuoka. Ishimori controlled a decent chunk of the match, but near the end, things fell apart. Ishimori tried hitting Bailey with the Bloody Cross, but Bailey managed to reverse it into a small package to get the three! Ishimori reacted to his loss by brutally beating down Bailey, hitting him with three consecutive Bloody Crosses before the young lions broke things up. (81/B)

-Block A Match: Master Wato defeated El Lindaman in a good match. Lindaman looked to finally break his long losing streak tonight by eliminating Master Wato from Block A contention, but the young Wato was able to dispatch his fellow upstart junior heavyweight. After about 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, Wato was able to finish off Lindaman with the RPP. Afterwards, Lindaman refused a handshake from Wato, instead frustratingly leaving the ring.(79/B)

-Block A Match: PAC defeated BUSHI in a great match. PAC kept his fleeting hopes at winning Block A alive tonight in Fukuoka with a win over BUSHI, who's recent hot streak of momentum has been seriously fleeting. BUSHI did keep himself in the match for nearly all 16 minutes, but he just couldn't keep up with PAC, who eventually finished off BUSHI by making him tap out to the Brutalizer. (88/B+)

-Block B Match: YOH defeated Robbie Eagles in a good match. YOH's amazing Best of Super Juniors performance continued tonight in Fukuoka with a solid win over Robbie Eagles. Eagles surprisingly got a good amount of offense in on the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion for nearly 16 minutes, showing why he was once an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion himself. In the end though, YOH regained control and made Eagles tap out to the Stargazer to get the win. (75/B-)

-Block B Match: Ryu Lee defeated Mascara Dorada in a great match. Lee kept his place on top of Block B secured with a good win over Mascara Dorada tonight in Fukuoka in a true lucha libre showcase. Dorada may be out of contention to make it to the BOSJ Final, but that didn't stop him from trying to stop Ryu Lee and it almost worked on a few occasions. In the end though, Lee was able to finish off Dorada with the Desnucadora to get the win. Afterwards, Lee offered Dorada a spot alongside Dralistico in their crusade for lucha libre, but Dorada didn't respond. (87/B+)

 

MAIN EVENT:

 VS 

Block A Match: Bandido vs SHO
Bandido defeated SHO in an amazing match to close the show. This battle of the top of Block A did not disappoint tonight in Fukuoka, with Bandido and SHO tearing into each other for nearly 19 minutes in order to get one step closer to the Best of Super Juniors Final. Near the end, Bandido took control with a superkick, but couldn't connect with the 21Plex to get the win. That allowed SHO to hit Bandido with the Power Breaker, but he couldn't get the three off of it. SHO then attempted the Shock Arrow, but failed as Bandido was able to wiggle out of it, hit SHO with a spin kick, and finished him off with the 21Plex to claim the top spot in Block A.

FINAL GRADE:

 

Best of Super Juniors 30 Post-Night Ten Standings:

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NJPW Best of Super Juniors 2023 Night Eleven- May 28th, 2023
Attendance: 4,000 at Fukuoka Convention Center (Fukuoka, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami, Milano Collection A.T., & Jushin Thunder Liger

-Block B Match: Dralistico defeated Ryusuke Taguchi in a good match to kick things off. After a strong win over Strong Machine J last night, Dralistico managed to win again tonight in Fukuoka with a convincing win over the veteran Taguchi. Taguchi did his best (mostly flying bum tackles), but it wasn't enough to prevent himself from falling victim to La Drastica in just under 12 minutes. (75/B-)

-Block A Match: Ace Austin defeated El Phantasmo in a decent match. This battle of Bullet Club junior heavyweights was pretty much a battle of who could cheat the most without getting disqualified. The winner of that contest was Ace Austin, who finished off Phantasmo after about 13 minutes by shoving him into an exposed turnbuckle and hitting him with The Fold. (77/B)

-Block B Match: Mike Bailey defeated Robbie Eagles in a good match. Bailey was roughed up going into this one, mostly thanks to Taiji Ishimori's brutal post-match assault last night. Eagles was nearly able to get his first win thanks to that, but Bailey was able to overcome the odds and secure the win. In the end, Eagles fell victim to the Ultima Weapon to get Bailey the win. (80/B)

-Block A Match: Francesco Akira defeated El Lindaman in a good match. Lindaman showed a lot more fury and passion tonight than we've seen in the entirety of his Best of Super Juniors run up to this point, as he's getting more desperate to score his first points of the tournament. In the end though, Lindaman just couldn't keep up with the fast-paced Akira, who finished off Lindaman with the Fireball after 14 minutes. Afterwards, Lindaman tore apart the ringside area in frustration. (80/B)

-Block B Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Mascara Dorada in a good match. After being eliminated from winning the Best of Super Juniors, Ishimori was a man on a mission tonight in Fukuoka. He tore into Mascara Dorada, with the luchador not really getting any offense in for nearly the entirety of this 15-minute match. Ishimori eventually finished off Dorada with the Bloody Cross to get the win. (77/B)

-Block A Match: El Desperado defeated BUSHI in a good match. Despy kept his Block A hopes alive tonight in Fukuoka with a solid win over BUSHI, who's honestly just looking forward to this tournament being over and awaiting his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match against YOH. After just under 15 minutes of action, Despy finished off BUSHI with the Pinche Loco to keep his Block A hopes alive. (77/B)

-Block B Match: YOH defeated Strong Machine J in a good match. Going into this one, many people thought YOH was just looking past Strong Machine J, instead opting to focus on his match with Ryu Lee to determine the winner of Block B. Strong Machine J took offense to that and brought a hell of a fight to YOH tonight in Fukuoka. However, YOH was able to regain control and finish off the young Strong Machine by making him tap to the Stargazer in just under 16 minutes. (78/B)

-Block B Match: Ryu Lee defeated Chris Bey in a good match. Bey has had an amazing Best of Super Juniors debut and he was looking to pretty much cap that off with a huge upset over Ryu Lee tonight in Fukuoka. Sadly for Bey, it wasn't meant to be as Ryu Lee was fighting on a whole other level tonight. In the end, Lee was able to hit Bey with the Desnucadora to get the win and secure himself a winner-takes-all fight with YOH in Toyama to determine the winner of Block B. (78/B)

-Block A Match: SHO defeated Master Wato in a good match. After losing to Bandido last night in Fukuoka, SHO needed a win to keep his hopes of winning Block A alive. Wato was pretty much in the same boat, so both men put their all into this one. Wato kept up with SHO for nearly 18 minutes, with both men tearing into each other and neither getting an advantage. In the end, Wato tried to finish off SHO with the RPP, but SHO managed to get his knees up at the last second. SHO then scooped up Wato and hit him with the Shock Arrow to get the win. (82/B)

 

 

MAIN EVENT:

 VS 

Block A Match: PAC vs Bandido

PAC defeated Bandido in an amazing match to close the show. A Bandido win here would have cemented his spot in the Best of Super Juniors Final, but PAC stopped Bandido dead in his tracks tonight in Fukuoka. These two men brutalized each other for nearly 20 minutes, with both men trading control going into the final stretch. Bandido tried hitting PAC with the 21Plex, but decided against it at the last minute. He instead brought PAC to the top rope and attempted the Revolution Fly (Moonsault Fallaway Slam), but PAC managed to wiggle out of it and send Bandido crashing to the mat with a stiff forearm smash. PAC then hit Bandido with the massive Black Arrow and quickly locked in the Brutalizer! Bandido clawed desperately for the ropes, but eventually just passed out from the pain, giving PAC the win and messing up the top of Block A going into the final day of the Best of Super Juniors.

 

 

FINAL GRADE:

 

 

Best of Super Juniors 30 Post-Night Eleven Standings:

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NJPW Best of Super Juniors 2023 Night Twelve- May 30th, 2023
Attendance: 2,000 at Takaoka TechnoDome (Toyama, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami, Milano Collection A.T., & Jushin Thunder Liger

-Block B Match: Strong Machine J defeated Robbie Eagles in a decent match to kick things off. Eagles was desperate to get his first points of the Best of Super Juniors and was definitely more aggressive tonight in Toyama than he had been up to this point. In the end though, it wasn't enough and Strong Machine J was able to cap off his first Best of Super Juniors by hitting Eagles with the Devil Windmill Suplex II to get the win. (77/B)

-Block A Match: Ace Austin defeated El Lindaman in a good match. Speaking of men who were desperate for their first wins in the Best of Super Juniors, El Lindaman was damn near fighting for his life against Austin tonight. Lindaman had control for most of the contest in fact, but Austin's underhanded tactics swung the match in his favor. As Austin went for The Fold, Lindaman slid out of the ring. As Austin went to grab him, Lindaman cracked him over the head with a chair! Referee Daichi Murayama called for the DQ as Lindaman threw the chair down and exclaimed that he had enough! (74/B-)

-Block B Match: Mike Bailey defeated Ryusuke Taguchi in a good match. Bailey didn't have a good start to the Best of Super Juniors, but since losing to Chris Bey on Night Four, he's been on a massive hot streak, only losing to Ryu Lee. That continued tonight in Toyama, as Taguchi wasn't able to put up much of a fight against Bailey and fell victim to the Ultima Weapon after just under 13 minutes. (78/B)

-Block B Match: Mascara Dorada defeated Dralistico in a good match. This one was a pure lucha libre showcase, with Dralisitico and Dorada putting on a damn lucha libre clinic tonight in Toyama. The two men exchanged a variety of lucha holds and moves and tied it all together with some serious high-flying. In the end, Dorada was able to come out on top and finish off Dralistico with the Dorada Screwdriver. (77/B)

-Block A Match: Master Wato defeated El Phantasmo in a dull match. Phantasmo had one last mission as "spoiler-maker" and that was to spoil Wato's Best of Super Juniors by putting him on the shelf! Phantasmo did his best to do so, but Wato was able to outpace the Bullet Club junior heavyweight at every corner. In the end, Wato finished off Phantasmo with the RPP to get the win. (61/C)

-Block B Match: Taiji Ishimori defeated Chris Bey in a good match. These two Bullet Club junior heavyweights put on a surprisingly competitive affair, with neither man holding anything back despite being Bullet Club brothers. Bey actually had the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion on the ropes on a few occasions, but Ishimori managed to pull through in the end and finish off Bey with the Bloody Cross. Afterwards, the two men shared a "Too Sweet" and walked off together. (77/B)

-Block A Match: BUSHI defeated Bandido in an amazing match. Bandido had a chance to clinch his spot in the Best of Super Juniors Final with a win tonight over BUSHI, but that only seemed to embolden the downtrodden BUSHI, who hasn't had the best run as of late. BUSHI brought a fire to Bandido that we haven't seen from him in years, with Bandido barely being able to keep up near the end. Bandido did regain control though with a well-timed spin kick. As Bandido went for the 21Plex, BUSHI was able to reverse it and roll Bandido up for the three! A shocked Bandido sat quietly in the corner as BUSHI celebrated his win with the rest of his LIJ teammates (sans Hiromu) at the top of the ramp. With that, Bandido was eliminated from making the Best of Super Juniors Final. (89/A)

-Block A Match: Francesco Akira defeated El Desperado in a dull match. With Bandido's loss, El Desperado suddenly had a chance to punch a ticket to the Best of Super Juniors Final with a win and a SHO loss against PAC. That wasn't to be, as Francesco Akira lived up to his 'Fireball' moniker and brought the heat to Despy tonight in Toyama. Despy nearly got the win on a few occasions with the Pinche Loco, but Akira managed to reverse it every single time, culminating with a massive Akirasault to Despy! Following that, Akira went to the top rope and hit Despy with the Fireball to get the win. As a result, Despy was eliminated from making the Best of Super Juniors Final. (62/C)

 

 

 VS 

Block A Match: PAC vs SHO
PAC defeated SHO in an amazing match. This match would determine who would advance to the Best of Super Juniors Final from Block A and these two damn sure acted like that. These two men tore into each other for nearly 20 minutes, with both trying to out-cheat each other at every step of the way. Near the end, things got surprisingly violent and with referee Marty Asami down from an inadvertent attack from SHO, both men really turned things up. Things culminated when both men went for the killing blow and hit each other with their hammers! With both men bloody messes and Marty Asami still down, music blared from the speakers of the Takaoka TechnoDome...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GO ACE!

It was Hiroshi Tanahashi! The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion decided to help his ACE Entertainment brother by putting him on top of SHO and waking up Marty Asami! Asami made the count and PAC got the three to advance to the Best of Super Juniors Final! As Tanahashi and PAC walked to the back, Tanahashi told the camera that what's good for PAC is great for ACE Entertainment, GO ACE!

 

 

MAIN EVENT:

 VS 

Block B Match: Ryu Lee vs YOH
Ryu Lee defeated YOH in a great match to close the show. This one was the whole shebang, the winner of this match would not only end the Best of Super Juniors undefeated, but also punch their ticket to the Best of Super Juniors Final. Both men knew what was at stake tonight and they put on a wrestling clinic for nearly 20 minutes in front of an amazed Toyama crowd. The two men beat the living hell out of each other, with YOH trying desperately to lock Lee in the Stargazer, but Lee kept escaping. Lee also tried finishing off YOH on numerous occasions with the Desnucadora, but YOH somehow managed to escape it every time. YOH eventually got the upper hand with a well-timed spinning heel kick and locked Lee in the Stargazer! Lee desperately clawed for the ropes, and just as it looked like he had reached them, YOH dragged him back to the middle of the ring! Lee was eventually somehow able to escape the hold and when YOH tried locking the Stargazer back in, Lee caught him with a stiff superkick that nearly broke the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion's jaw! Instead of going for the Desnucadora, Lee decided to scoop YOH up and hit him with the devastating Dragon Driver (Fallaway Package Powerbomb)!!! Lee immediately made the cover and got the three to advance to the Best of Super Juniors Final!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 VS 
JUNE 2ND! NIPPON BUDOKAN IN TOKYO! PAC VS RYU LEE! BEST OF SUPER JUNIORS 30 FINAL!

 

FINAL GRADE:

 

Best of Super Juniors 30 Final Standings:

[Uncrewed]

Update time! Work stuff has gotten in the way of writing for this dynasty, but things are clearing up. I've got the post-show press conference for the final night of the Best of Super Juniors coming out tomorrow, with the final coming out Tuesday. 

On the bright side, I've been planning the rest of the year (up until Wrestle Kingdom 18) and y'all have got some exciting things coming your way very soon!

[Uncrewed]

Best of Super Juniors Night Twelve Post-Show Press Conference:

 

El Lindaman: "THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT WITH THE LOSING! I know deep down inside that none of these idiots in the Best of Super Juniors could hold a candle to El Lindaman, but they keep somehow getting away with it! I'VE JUST HAD ENOU-"

 

 

 

???: "Wait just a minute there compadre."

 

Lindaman: "Eita? what are you doing here?"

 

Eita: "I'm here because of you amigo, what happened to you? Remember when we ran roughshod over those fools in Dragon Gate? Now look at you! You're nothing more than a waste of talent!"

 

Lindaman: "HEY! Watch your mouth before I shut it for you."

 

Eita: "Easy hermano, I'm not here to fight, I'm here to help you. You see, without me, you haven't lived up to your potential. The two of us, we could take over New Japan Pro-Wrestling and put everyone else where they belong, below El Lindaman!"

 

Lindaman: "You know what Eita? HELL YES!"

 

*The two men then shared a handshake and walked off together*

 

 

PAC (in English): "Y'know, I may be a bloody mess right now, but there's nothing more than I love than the sweet taste of victory. SHO, Bandido, El Desperado, all of those bellends walked into the Nippon Budokan saying their prayers about making the Best of Super Juniors Final, but you know who ended up on top? ME! And I already know what you knackers are going to say, "oh, Hiroshi Tanahashi, oh, a hammer, oh PAC didn't win clean" and you know what I say about that? 

 

*PAC flips off the camera and leaves as ACE Entertainment officials enter the room and announce PAC will not be answering any further questions*

 

 

Ryu Lee (in Spanish): "I only have four simple words tonight, Lucha Libre es superior!"

 

 

(BOSJ Final should be up tomorrow/Wednesday!)

 

[Uncrewed]

NJPW Best of Super Juniors 30 Final- June 5th, 2023
Attendance: 16,800 at Nippon Budokan (Tokyo, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami, Milano Collection A.T., & Jushin Thunder Liger

-Eita & El Lindaman defeated young lions Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita in a decent match to kick things off. After officially accepting Eita's help during the Best of Super Juniors Night 12 post-show press conference, El Lindaman finally got his first win in NJPW tonight in a glorified squash over Oiwa & Fujita. Speaking of them, their fellow young lion Yuto Nakashima joined them at ringside, but he abandoned them shortly before the end of the match! That end came when Eita made Oiwa tap out to his finisher, the Numero Uno (Seated Scissored Armbar). (70/C+)

-Sabre-gun's Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & El Desperado defeated Bullet Club's Juice Robinson, El Phantasmo, & Taiji Ishimori in a good match. This battle of two of the most despised groups in New Japan Pro-Wrestling today saw Sabre-gun emerge on top, mostly thanks to Zack Sabre Jr. out-grappling everyone else. After just under 13 minutes, Sabre made Phantasmo tap to the Orienteering with Napalm Death to get the win for Sabre-gun. (80/B)

-KENTA, Tama Tonga, & David Finlay defeated Team Filthy to retain the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships in a good match. With KENTA getting a rematch against Tom Lawlor for the IWGP United States Championship at Dominion, Lawlor & co. were looking to embarass KENTA one more time before Lawlor's big rematch. That failed as KENTA's crew were able to successfully dispatch Team Filthy tonight in Tokyo. After just under 15 minutes, KENTA finished off Clark Connors with the Go 2 Sleep to retain the titles. (75/B-)

-Los Ingobernables de Japon's Tetsuya Naito & Shingo Takagi defeated ACE Entertainment's Hiroshi Tanahashi & Claudio CSRO in a good match. In a preview of Naito's upcoming IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match against Tanahashi at Dominion, LIJ were able to successfully overcome ACE Entertainment tonight in Tokyo. Tanahashi did his best to avoid Naito for most of the contest, which led to CSRO falling victim to the Destino after just under 18 minutes of action. (82/B)

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

 VS 

YOH (C) vs BUSHI
YOH defeated BUSHI in a good match to successfully retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. After pinning YOH in a tag team match to earn this shot, BUSHI wasn't able to repeat history tonight in Tokyo. He did show a lot of fire though, nearly getting the win on a few occasions. Hell, he even hit YOH with the MX at one point! That nearly got the three, but YOH was able to get his foot on the bottom rope at the last second. The match came to an end when YOH dodged another MX and locked BUSHI in the Stargazer to get the win. After the match, the lights in the Nippon Budokan went on and off before cutting out and a message appeared on the screen:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I'M STILL COMING YOH"

 

Best of Super Juniors Final

 VS 
Ryu Lee vs PAC
Ryu Lee got here by winning Block B, defeating every single opponent that he faced, including a win over the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion YOH on the final night. Meanwhile, PAC had a bit of a slow start in Block A, but racked up several impressive wins on the back end of the tournament and defeated the defending Best of Super Juniors winner SHO on the final night to clinch a spot in tonight's final. This match was an amazing match and the crowd was surprisingly solidly behind PAC. The match started with a bit of jawing from both men, which stopped when Lee shoved PAC right in the face! PAC responded by hitting Lee with a big spinning backfist! PAC made the cover, but Lee kicked out at one. Lee quickly got to his feet, only to be met with a spin kick from PAC. PAC then threw Lee off the ropes, ducked a lariat, and hit Lee with one of his own. PAC then went to the top rope and hit Lee with a moonsault, quickly following it up with a standing senton to Lee. PAC went to lock in the Brutalizer, but Lee kicked him away and hit him with a running hurricanrana. Lee then went to the apron and hit PAC with a springboard missile dropkick, which sent PAC crashing to the outside. As PAC tried to recover on the outside, Lee ran off the ropes and hit PAC with a suicide dive! That sent PAC over the barricade and into the Nippon Budokan crowd. As Lee went to grab him, PAC grabbed Lee's mask and started tearing into it. As Lee tried to recover, PAC grabbed a fan's chair and threw it in Lee's face! PAC then grabbed Lee and threw him back in the ring before referee Red Shoes counted both men out. PAC started laying into Lee with a bevy of kicks, eventually finishing things off with a jumping double foot stomp right to Lee's sternum. PAC then went to the top rope and attempted the Black Arrow, but Lee managed to get his knees up at the last second. As PAC gasped for air in the corner, Lee ran off the ropes and hit PAC with a running double knee strike in the corner! The match came to an end when Lee scooped up PAC and hit him with the Desnucadora! Lee made the cover...
 

 

 

 

 

1!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2!
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NO!

PAC somehow kicked out of the Desnucadora! Lee didn't waste any time and immediately tried hitting PAC with the Dragon Driver, but PAC was able to reverse it into a big BRAINBUSTAHHHHHH!!!! PAC then went to the top rope and hit Lee with the Black Arrow! PAC made the cover...
 

 

 

 

 

1!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3!

 

 

 

PAC has won the 2023 Best of Super Juniors!

PAC let out a triumphant scream as confetti fell from the rafters of the Nippon Budokan. ACE Entertainment officials rushed the ring to dress the ring up in ACE logos as the legendary Jushin Thunder Liger presented PAC with the Best of Super Juniors Trophy. Before we went off the air, PAC grabbed a microphone and told YOH that he would take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship from YOH at Dominion!
WINNER: PAC

FINAL GRADE:

[MidKnightDreary]

GO ACE

[Uncrewed]

No big preview this time around, still busy with work stuff at the moment, but here's the card for Dominion coming up. Should have the show up by Monday-Tuesday.

 

 

NJPW Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall

Prediction Key

 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Tetsuya Naito

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

YOH (C) vs PAC
Comments:

 

IWGP United States Championship Match:

'Filthy' Tom Lawlor (C) vs KENTA

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match:

United Empire (Francesco Akira & Mike Bailey) (C) vs Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)

Comments:

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, & X) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)

Who is X? (Hint: Shinsuke Nakamura has called him the 'Prince of Strong Style):

Comments:

 

Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Jay White, & Juice Robinson) vs DEATH RIDERS

Comments:

 

United Empire (Will Ospreay & Aussie Open) vs Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, & Yuto Nakashima

Comments:

[ColdBloodedSausageMaker]

WGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Tetsuya Naito

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

YOH (C) vs PAC
Comments:

 

IWGP United States Championship Match:

'Filthy' Tom Lawlor (C) vs KENTA

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match:

United Empire (Francesco Akira & Mike Bailey) (C) vs Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)

Comments:

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, & X) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)

Who is X? (Hint: Shinsuke Nakamura has called him the 'Prince of Strong Style): Jon Moxley

Comments:

 

Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Jay White, & Juice Robinson) vs DEATH RIDERS

Comments:

 

United Empire (Will Ospreay & Aussie Open) vs Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, & Yuto Nakashima

[ImWreck]

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Tetsuya Naito

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

YOH (C) vs PAC
Comments:

 

IWGP United States Championship Match:

'Filthy' Tom Lawlor (C) vs KENTA

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match:

United Empire (Francesco Akira & Mike Bailey) (C) vs Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)

Comments:

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, & X) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)

Who is X? (Hint: Shinsuke Nakamura has called him the 'Prince of Strong Style): Daichi Hashimoto

Comments:

 

Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Jay White, & Juice Robinson) vs DEATH RIDERS

Comments:

 

United Empire (Will Ospreay & Aussie Open) vs Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, & Yuto Nakashima

Comments:

[MidKnightDreary]

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Tetsuya Naito

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

YOH (C) vs PAC
Comments:

It's Time

IWGP United States Championship Match:

'Filthy' Tom Lawlor (C) vs KENTA

Comments:

Tom sneaks one here

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match:

United Empire (Francesco Akira & Mike Bailey) (C) vs Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)

Comments:

The champs are here

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, & X) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)

Who is X? (Hint: Shinsuke Nakamura has called him the 'Prince of Strong Style): Suzuki

Comments:

 

Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Jay White, & Juice Robinson) vs DEATH RIDERS

Comments:

sure why not

United Empire (Will Ospreay & Aussie Open) vs Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, & Yuto Nakashima

[Vandal]

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Tetsuya Naito

Comments: I don't see Tanahashi dropping the belt right now. A.C.E is on top.

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

YOH (C) vs PAC
Comments: Mostly hoping for this result -- A.C.E should reign supreme.

 

IWGP United States Championship Match:

'Filthy' Tom Lawlor (C) vs KENTA

Comments:

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match:

United Empire (Francesco Akira & Mike Bailey) (C) vs Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)

Comments: Should be a good match, but I don't see Ace Austin and Chris Bey as worthy of being champs yet. Also I want Akira/Bailey vs Eita/Lindaman to happen for the belts.

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, & X) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)

Who is X? (Hint: Shinsuke Nakamura has called him the 'Prince of Strong Style): Daichi Hashimoto

Comments: Daichi Hashimoto was the first that came to mind here for obvious reasons. Regardless of the partner I think CHAOS wins this one.

 

Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Jay White, & Juice Robinson) vs DEATH RIDERS

Comments: Prince Devitt AND Jay White? Yeah they aren't losing here.

 

United Empire (Will Ospreay & Aussie Open) vs Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, & Yuto Nakashima

Comments: Your usual Young Lion loss in the opener

[Uncrewed]

NJPW Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall- June 11th, 2023
Attendance: 16,000 at Osaka-jo Hall (Osaka, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami & Milano Collection A.T.

Dominion kicked off with a video hyping up our two big championship matches tonight in Osaka. With YOH defending his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against the Best of Super Juniors winner PAC and Hiroshi Tanahashi defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon Tetsuya Naito, we're in for one hell of a night at Osaka-jo Hall! After a brief introduction from our commentary team, we went straight into our opening contest...

 

VS

 
United Empire (Will Ospreay & Aussie Open) vs Ryohei Oiwa, Kosei Fujita, & Yuto Nakashima
We haven't seen Ospreay since Wrestling Dontaku, that was when he lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Jeff Cobb, having been absolutely mauled by his former friend. Aussie Open had a much better Wrestling Dontaku, winning the IWGP Tag Team Championships from DEATH RIDERS. United Empire completely dominated this one, with the young lions barely getting any offense in. To their defense, they were barely getting any help from Nakashima, who refused to tag in and instead berated his partners for most of the match. In the end, Ospreay was able to put Fujita away with the StormBreaker to get the win. Afterwards, it was announced that Aussie Open would defend the IWGP Tag Team Championship against FTR and DEATH RIDERS at Forbidden Door in a huge triple threat tag team match! Ospreay will also compete at Forbidden Door, but his opponent has yet to be revealed.
WINNERS: United Empire

 

 

VS

Bullet Club (Prince Devitt, Jay White, & Juice Robinson) vs DEATH RIDERS
Prince Devitt made his return to NJPW at Wrestling Dontaku, immediately rejoining Bullet Club and injecting a much-needed dose of momentum into the group. Now, he'll compete in his first NJPW match since April 2014 tonight in Osaka! Meanwhile, DEATH RIDERS have been a little cold recently, especially after Fredericks & Shota lost the IWGP Tag Team Championships at Wrestling Dontaku. This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind DEATH RIDERS. KUSHIDA and Prince Devitt started things off with a brief staredown. That was interrupted when Devitt made his finger gun motion towards KUSHIDA and hit him with a stiff forearm smash. Devitt then threw KUSHIDA into the corner and hit him with a barrage of chops before finishing things off with an enzuigiri. Devitt then tagged out to Juice, but not before hitting KUSHIDA with a spinning heel kick. Juice started working over KUSHIDA in the corner for a bit before throwing him off the ropes and hitting him with a big back body drop. Juice did a bit of a cocky strut before attempting to hit KUSHIDA with the Pulp Friction. That failed as KUSHIDA was able to reverse it into three consecutive German suplexes, culminating with a big one that sent Juice crashing to the outside. KUSHIDA tagged out to Shota, ran off the ropes, and hit Juice with a big suicide dive! Juice rolled back in the ring, only to be met with a big boot from Shota. Shota tried hitting Juice with the DEATH RIDER DDT, but Juice wiggled out of it by poking Shota in the eye. Juice then tagged out to Jay White as Karl Fredericks tagged himself in. The match came to an end as Fredericks and White beat the living hell out of each other. Fredericks tried hitting White with the Manifest Destiny, but White managed to reverse it into the Blade Runner! Devitt and Juice kept KUSHIDA and Shota at bay as White covered Fredericks to get the three.
WINNERS: Bullet Club

 

After the match, Bullet Club stuck around as the IWGP Women's Champion Toni Storm made her way down to the ring with a microphone. Storm told the crowd in both Japanese and English to shut up and respect the first ever IWGP Women's Champion! Toni then began to speak about how she's beaten everyone who's stepped in her way and that there's no one in the world who can stop her! Before she could continue, some unfamiliar music started playing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIxknSojyck&ab_channel=RealJosh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT'S MERCEDES MONE!

The Osaka crowd went wild as the world-renowned Mone made her way down to the ring for the first time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling! Mone grabbed a microphone and said that Toni may have beaten the best that NJPW have thrown in her way, but she hasn't stepped in the ring with someone on the level of Mercedes Mone! Mone then challenged Toni to a match at Forbidden Door for the IWGP Women's Championship! Toni thought about it for a second and then accepted the challenge! Toni finished by wishing Mercedes the best of luck, because after she's done with her, she's going to send her ass back to bit roles on Disney Plus!

 

  X

VS

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada, Shinsuke Nakamura, & X) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)
Okada & Nakamura's partner was a mystery going into tonight, with Nakamura only saying that the third man would be the newest addition to CHAOS and someone who he called the "Prince of Strong Style." Before the bell rang, Nakamura grabbed a microphone and finally unveiled the so-called 'Prince of Strong Style...'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Ren Narita!

The former young lion has made his long-awaited return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling and he's apparently become Shinsuke Nakamura's protege and the newest member of CHAOS! Narita shared a fist bump with Nakamura and Okada as the bell rang and Sabre-gun jumped all three men! Eventually referee Marty Asami was able to get things under control, but not before Sabre-gun inflicted some damage on CHAOS. Okada and Sabre started things off with a bit of jawing, which culminated with a slap to the face from Sabre to Okada! Okada tried fighting back, but Sabre quickly took the 'Rainmaker' down with a leg trip and locked in a leg lock. Okada was able to quickly wiggle out of it and hit Sabre with an elbow smash. Okada then threw Sabre into the corner, tagged out to Nakamura, and hit Sabre with a knife edge chop. Nakamura hit Sabre with some good vibrations in the corner and played to the crowd a bit. As Nakamura tried hitting Sabre with some more good vibrations, Sabre hooked Nakamura's ankle and locked him in an ankle lock! Nakamura desperately clawed for the ropes, but was eventually able to kick Sabre off of him. Archer tagged himself in and hit Nakamura with a big boot. Archer scooped up Nakamura and hit him with a military press slam. Archer tried hitting Nakamura with the Blackout, but Nakamura wiggled out of it and hit the big man with a German suplex! The match came to an end when Nakamura tagged out to Narita and Archer tagged out to Taichi. Narita started taking Taichi down with a a bevy of kicks before hitting him with a belly to belly suplex that sent him flying across the ring! Narita then picked up Taichi and hit him with his finisher, the Narita Special (Bridging Double Underhook Suplex)! Narita then covered Taichi and got the three!
WINNERS: CHAOS

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match

 VS 
United Empire (Francesco Akira & Mike Bailey) (C) vs Bullet Club (Ace Austin & Chris Bey)
Ace & Bey won this opportunity by defeating each of Bailey & Akira in individual singles matches during the Best of Super Juniors. Granted, they weren't done in the most clean ways, but a win's a win in the eyes of the NJPW matchmakers and the two cocky Bullet Club upstarts earned themselves a shot at the titles tonight in Osaka! This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind United Empire. Francesco Akira and Chris Bey started things off with Bey flicking a toothpick in Akira's face! Akira responded in-kind with a superkick that sent Bey crashing to the outside to recover. Akira then ran off the ropes and hit Bey with a suicide dive! As Akira tried getting more offense in on the outside, Ace Austin joined in on the action and attacked Akira. The two-on-one Bullet Club beatdown didn't last that long as Mike Bailey went to the top rope and took everyone out with a shooting star press to the outside! Eventually, Akira and Bey rolled back in the ring and started unloading on each other with kicks. Bey then took control with a spin kick and hit Akira with a hurricanrana that sent Akira flying into the corner. Bey then tagged out to Ace and the two men hit Akira with a double back suplex. Ace then went to the top rope and hit Akira with a frog splash, which only got a two on an ensuing pinfall attempt. Ace tried finishing things off with The Fold, but Akira rolled out of the way and hit Ace with a shotgun dropkick that sent Ace flying into the corner. Akira tagged out to Bailey, went to the top rope, and hit Ace with a moonsault. Bailey followed that up with a diving double foot stomp! Bailey made the cover, but Ace kicked out at two. Bailey tried finishing off Ace with the Ultima Weapon, but Ace rolled out of the way and hit Bailey with a German suplex. The match came to an end when Ace tried hitting Bailey with The Fold, but Bailey caught him and hit him with an exploder suplex into the corner! As Ace tried to recover, Bailey went to the top rope and hit him with the Ultima Weapon! Bailey then made the cover and got the three to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.
WINNERS: United Empire

 

IWGP United States Championship Match

 VS 
'Filthy' Tom Lawlor (C) vs KENTA
Lawlor won the IWGP United States Championship from KENTA at Wrestling Dontaku, ushering in a so-called "era of filth." KENTA's looking to end that era before it even gets off the ground tonight with his chance at winning his third IWGP United State Championship. This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind KENTA. KENTA started things off hot with a big lariat and quickly followed that up with a spinning back suplex. Without letting his foot off the gas, KENTA picked up Lawlor and hit him with an elbow smash, quickly following that up with an exploder suplex. KENTA scooped up Lawlor and tried hitting him with the Go 2 Sleep, but Lawlor managed to wiggle out of it and tried locking KENTA in the Rear Naked Choke! KENTA was able to get to the ropes before Lawlor could get the hold fully in, but Lawlor refused to let go. Instead of waiting for the disqualification win, KENTA decided to get proactive by kicking himself off the ropes to leap over Lawlor and hit him with a German suplex! KENTA then threw Lawlor into the corner and hit him with a barrage of kicks to the body before finishing things off with a roundhouse kick to Lawlor's head! KENTA then attempted another Go 2 Sleep, but Lawlor was able to wiggle out of it and shove KENTA into referee Daichi Murayama! As KENTA turned around to go after Lawlor, Lawlor kicked him square below the belt! Lawlor then locked KENTA in the Rear Naked Choke and KENTA was as good as gone. All it took was for Murayama to get back to his feet and notice KENTA had passed out to secure the win for 'Filthy' Tom Lawlor. Lawlor celebrated like a madman afterwards, saying that tonight was only the beginning and that he was going to win the G1 Climax!
WINNER: 'Filthy' Tom Lawlor

 

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match

 VS 
YOH (C) vs PAC
YOH has been a pretty dominant champion since winning the belt from his former tag partner-turned-heated enemy SHO at Wrestle Kingdom, having defeated El Phantasmo, the demonic AKUMA, and even his opponent tonight PAC in the last six months. Meanwhile, PAC had a bit of a shaky start to his time in NJPW after joining ACE Entertainment right after Wrestle Kingdom, but a strong Best of Super Juniors performance really righted the course for him, giving him a shot to avenge his loss to YOH at the New Beginning in Los Angeles tonight in Osaka! This match was an amazing match and the crowd was solidly behind YOH. YOH and PAC started things off with a collar and elbow tie-up, in which PAC hit YOH with a snapmare and followed that up with a running kick to YOH's back. PAC then threw YOH into the corner, ran to the opposite corner, and attempted a running big boot, but YOH rolled out of the way at the last second and hit PAC with a dropkick to the back of his head. As PAC tried recovering in the corner, YOH hit him with a series of chops, eventually culminating with a back elbow smash from the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion. PAC fell to the ground as YOH went to the top rope and hit PAC with a diving elbow drop. YOH tried finishing things off early by locking PAC in the Stargazer, but PAC kicked him away and sent him flying out of the ring with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. As YOH got his bearings straight on the outside, PAC ran off the ropes and hit PAC with a suicide dive! PAC wasn't finished though, as he started tearing up the ringside area, flipping up mats and exposing the concrete surrounding the ring. As PAC tried hitting YOH with a suplex onto the concrete, YOH was able to reverse it and give PAC a suplex on the concrete! PAC writhed in the pain as YOH went back in the ring to break the count. Before YOH could do anything to PAC, PAC shoved YOH headfirst into the ring post! YOH started bleeding a bit, but PAC didn't care as he threw the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion into the barricade before throwing him back in the ring. PAC then went to the top rope and attempted the Black Arrow. Before PAC could attempt the move, YOH somehow was able to get up and hit the ropes to crotch PAC on the top rope! YOH then ran up to the top rope and hit PAC with a huge Spanish Fly! The match came to an end when YOH locked PAC in the Stargazer! PAC desperately clawed for the ropes, but YOH managed to drag him back to the middle of the ring! Just when it seemed like PAC was about to tap, the lights went out in Osaka-jo Hall! When they came back on, the arena was bathed in a hue of red and standing in the ring was...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AKUMA!

YOH had enough of AKUMA's shenanigans before he could even do them and tried swinging at the masked man, but the lights went back out! When they came back on, the arena was bathed in a hue of green and AKUMA was nowhere to be seen. Instead...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another masked man appeared! YOH tried swinging at this masked man, but the lights went out once again! When they came back on this time, things were back to normal, but YOH was hit by a superkick from PAC! PAC then went to the top rope and hit YOH with the Black Arrow! PAC made the cover...


1!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2!






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3!

PAC has won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship! PAC has become the 94th IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, albeit with a little bit of demonic help, but a win's a win. Confetti fell from the sky as ACE Entertainment officials bum rushed the ringside area to adorn the area with ACE Entertainment imagery. PAC stood tall as reporters snapped photos and YOH sulked to the back, muttering something about SHO being potentially behind all of this.
WINNER: PAC

 

After that match ended, we cut to a video hyping up our main event of the evening, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tetsuya Naito. The video recaps the history between Naito and Tanahashi, from Naito pinning Tanahashi to win the 2013 G1 Climax, to Naito defeating Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, and finally Tanahashi pinning Naito in this very arena to win the IWGP Intercontinental Championship back in 2017. These two have had one hell of a rivalry and it's only gotten more heated since Hiroshi Tanahashi brought ACE Entertainment to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Tanahashi has beaten everyone that's stood in his path, mostly by cheating, but now he faces someone who couldn't care less about the glitz and glamour of a corporate champion, the leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon! Will ACE Entertainment come crashing down to the ground at the hands of NJPW's most rebellious wrestler? Or will Hiroshi Tanahashi continue his reign of terror tonight in Osaka? We're about to find out!

 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match

 VS 
Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Tetsuya Naito
This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind Naito. The two men started things off with a staredown, which ended with Tanahashi slapping the taste out of Naito's mouth! Naito responded by flipping off the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion! Tanahashi tried hitting Naito with a lariat, but Naito ducked it and hit Tanahashi with a German suplex. Naito then threw Tanahashi off the ropes and hit him with a big back body drop. Naito then ran off the ropes and hit Tanahashi with a knee drop. Naito then tried ending things early with the Destino, but Tanahashi blocked it before Naito even got off the ground and hit Naito with a belly to belly suplex. Tanahashi started toying with Naito a bit, giving him a few quick slaps to the face before hitting him with a neckbreaker. Tanahashi then taunted Naito with a bit of air guitar playing, but that came back to bite him as Naito flew at him with a flying forearm smash that sent the champion crashing to the outside. Tanahashi tried getting back in the ring, but Naito hit him with a baseball slide. Naito then went to the outside and tried throwing Tanahashi into the ring barricade, but Tanahashi reversed it and sent Naito crashing into the ring steps! Tanahashi began stomping the living hell out of Naito on the outside, only stomping to get back in the ring to break the ref's count. Tanahashi then threw Naito over the ringside barricade and the two men began brawling in the crowd. Tanahashi had control for most of the brawl, but Naito took over with a well-timed forearm smash that sent Tanahashi back over the barricade and scurrying for the ring. Naito was hot on his tail and hit Tanahashi with a running high knee. Naito then scooped up Tanahashi and hit him with a running powerslam. The ensuing pinfall attempt only got a two, but Naito was undeterred. Naito then lifted Tanahashi high above his head and attempted a military press slam, but Tanahashi wiggled out of it and hit Naito with a running bulldog. As Naito got back to his feet, Tanahashi ran off the ropes and hit Naito with a slingblade. The match came to an end when Tanahashi went to the top rope and attempted the High Fly Flow. That failed as Naito got his knees up at the last second! Naito immediately tried to hit Tanahashi with the Destino, but Tanahashi shoved him off and into referee Red Shoes! Seemingly sensing what was to come, Naito ducked a title belt shot from Tanahashi and hit him with a lariat! Instead of going for the Destino, Naito decided to go to the top rope and attempted the Stardust Press. That failed because...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Claudio CSRO & PAC ran down to the ring!

The two ACE Entertainment stars tried grabbing at Naito, but Naito kept kicking them away. However, their distraction allowed Tanahashi to regroup and crack Naito over the head with the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, cracking the belt right down the middle in the process! Tanahashi shoved Naito to the mat, went to the top rope, and hit him with the High Fly Flow! Red Shoes then groggily got up and counted the pin...

 

 

 

1!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3!

WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi

 

Once again, Hiroshi Tanahashi has retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship thanks to some well-timed cheating. When will enough be enough?!? When will Hiroshi Tanahashi and the rest of ACE Entertainment get what they deserve damn it!?! As Tanahashi played air guitar in the ring and posed for photos with the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion PAC, the lights went out and some interesting music began playing...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_WNaso8A_w&ab_channel=NEWJAPANPRO-WRESTLING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT'S KENNY OMEGA!

The Osaka crowd erupted as Kenny made his way down to the ring and grabbed a microphone. Kenny introduced himself to Tanahashi and the rest of ACE Entertainment (who Kenny called "bottom boys"). Kenny said that he was getting a little angry over in America watching a man he genuinely once respected constantly cheating to win. That's why he wants to put an end to it! Kenny then laid down the gauntlet, at Forbidden Door, he wants Hiroshi Tanahashi one on one in an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match! Before Tanahashi could respond, Kenny grabbed the microphone, threw it away, and simply made his signature "bang!" motion while Tanahashi nodded. Dominion ended with Tanahashi and Omega staring each other down very heatedly.

FINAL GRADE: 

Popularity: Increased in 13 Regions

[ShikariFC]

Just read through these from page one and i love it! NJPW, and japanese stuff in general is pretty much all i watch now so very interested in this. In terms of the game mechanics i assume WWE released devitt and nakamura? This has also inspired me to think about doing a dynasty with AJPW maybe, or GLEAT 

[Uncrewed]

On 2/24/2023 at 12:47 PM, ShikariFC said:

Just read through these from page one and i love it! NJPW, and japanese stuff in general is pretty much all i watch now so very interested in this. In terms of the game mechanics i assume WWE released devitt and nakamura? This has also inspired me to think about doing a dynasty with AJPW maybe, or GLEAT 

Thanks for the kind words! Nakamura's contract expired and WWE didn't choose to renew it. Actually had to get into a bidding war over Devitt though.

 

NJPW Dominion 6.11 in Osaka-jo Hall Post-Show Press Conference

 

Mercedes Mone (in English): "Ever since I started my journey of becoming a professional wrestler, wrestling in Japan has always been my dream. Now, after doing everything I wanted to do in America, I'm here to take over women's wrestling in Japan! So, Toni Storm, you have what I want. At Forbidden Door, the IWGP Women's Championship will be around my waist and you can take that to the bank. 

 

Oh, and as for Toni Storm having the Bullet Club in her corner, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve too, don't you worry..."

 

 

Shinsuke Nakamura: "When I told you all that the 'Prince of Strong Style' would make his debut tonight and shake up CHAOS, I didn't lie did I? You see, Narita started in the NJPW Dojo after I had already left, but I continued to keep tabs on him thanks to an old friend. That man told me that Narita had all the makings of the next big thing in puroresu. He embodies fighting spirit and knows how to kick a few heads in. So, when I was looking to add a new member of CHAOS, I knew just the man to call."

 

Ren Narita: "Thank you for this opportunity Shinsuke, I promise not to let you and the rest of CHAOS down. As for the rest of NJPW, watch out, because CHAOS is here to reclaim our top spot in NJPW, that's where we belong!"

 

 

SHO: "HOW CAN YOU HAVE A DOMINION WITHOUT THE KING OF DOMINION SHO?!?!? IN THIS BUILDING LAST YEAR, I WON THE IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWE-

 

 

YOH: "HEY!"

 

*YOH proceeds to grab SHO by the throat and push him up against the wall*

 

YOH: "LISTEN HERE YOU SON OF A B*TCH, I KNOW YOU'RE BEHIND THESE DEMONIC SH*T. SO, IF YOU KEEP DOING IT, I'LL MAKE SURE THE NEXT TIME YOU WAKE UP WILL BE IN A HOSPITAL BED!"

 

*YOH releases SHO and angrily storms off*

 

SHO: *cough* *cough* "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT?"

 

 

Hiroshi Tanahashi: "Listen, I'm not going to let this amazing night for ACE Entertainment get ruined by some video game nerd who had to leave this company because he couldn't keep up with yours truly. Anyway, I beat Tetsuya Naito tonight handily, no help needed at all! That degenerate could never keep up with me or the rest of ACE Entertainment. Now, if you need me, I have to sadly go to that hickwater town of Chicago to defend my IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, which, uh, may need some work done on it. GO ACE!"

[Uncrewed]

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Preview:

 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

 VS 

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Kenny Omega

After successfully retaining the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship over Tetsuya Naito at Dominion, Hiroshi Tanahashi was confronted by a man from his past, 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega! Omega challenged Tanahashi to a match at Forbidden Door, which was quickly accepted, with Tanahashi promising to take out Omega like he did at Wrestle Kingdom a few years ago! Will history repeat itself or will Kenny Omega end the reign of ACE Entertainment? We'll find out in Chicago!

 

 

 VS 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura) vs Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley)

This rivalry between two of the top stars of NJPW and two of the top stars in AEW started on a recent episode of AEW Dynamite where Danielson challenged any member of the NJPW roster to a match at Forbidden Door. That challenge was accepted by the 'Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada! However, Okada didn't come along, as Nakamura accepted the challenge as well! Realizing that he was in a two-on-one situation, Danielson decided to spice things up and turned his challenge into a tag team dream match. Danielson took a bit to find a partner, but he found one in his old Blackpool Combat Club teammate Jon Moxley, reforming the group for one night only!

 

 

 VS 

PAC (C) vs Rey Fenix

Things have gotten really heated between these once friends ever since PAC left AEW to accept a big-money contract from ACE Entertainment. As soon as PAC left, things stared going downhill for Fenix. His brother, Penta El Zero Miedo, turned on him and only stopped attacking him when Fenix buried him alive in a Lucha a Muerte match. We haven't seen Penta since then, but Fenix still wears the scars of that battle to this day. Now, Fenix gets a chance to fight the man who started his downward spiral and get a chance to take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in the process!

 

 

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:

VS

VS

Aussie Open (C) vs FTR vs DEATH RIDERS (Shota Umino & Karl Fredericks)

Aussie Open won the IWGP Tag Team Championships at Wrestling Dontaku, defeating DEATH RIDERS in one of the hardest-fought matches in recent memory. Meanwhile, in AEW, FTR won an eight-team tournament to win a shot at the IWGP Tag Team Championships (that they won at Forbidden Door last year), defeating La Faccion Ingobernable (Andrade El Idolo & Rush) in the finals. Combine that with DEATH RIDERS invoking their rematch clause, we've got one hell of a fight brewing in Chicago!

 

 

Other Matches:

 

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:

Jeff Cobb (C) vs Darby Allin

 

Winner Enters the 2023 G1 Climax:

Eddie Kingston vs Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs

 

Bullet Club (Jay White & Prince Devitt) vs The Acclaimed

 

IWGP Women's Championship Match:

Toni Storm (C) vs Mercedes Mone

 

All that and more live on PPV and NJPW World!

 

 

Prediction Key:

 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Kenny Omega

Comments: 

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura) vs Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley)

Comments: 

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

PAC (C) vs Rey Fenix

Comments: 

 

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:

Aussie Open (C) vs FTR vs DEATH RIDERS (Shota Umino & Karl Fredericks)

Comments: 

 

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:

Jeff Cobb (C) vs Darby Allin

Comments: 

 

Winner Enters the 2023 G1 Climax:

Eddie Kingston vs Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs

Comments: 

 

Bullet Club (Jay White & Prince Devitt) vs The Acclaimed

Comments: 

 

IWGP Women's Championship Match:

Toni Storm (C) vs Mercedes Mone

Comments: 

[mattu29]

Prediction Key:

 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Kenny Omega

Comments: Hiroshi via shenanigans involving ACE, maybe Bucks involvement for a save and a future big 6 man tag?

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura) vs Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley)

Comments: WHAT.A.MATCH, genuinely can't call it, maybe BCC purely to give AEW a tick in the win column

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

PAC (C) vs Rey Fenix

Comments: Don't see PAC losing this

 

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:

Aussie Open (C) vs FTR vs DEATH RIDERS (Shota Umino & Karl Fredericks)

Comments: AO retain

 

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:

Jeff Cobb (C) vs Darby Allin

Comments: Cobb uses Darby as crash test dummy

 

Winner Enters the 2023 G1 Climax:

Eddie Kingston vs Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs

Comments: Would love to see any of them but Eddie edges it

 

Bullet Club (Jay White & Prince Devitt) vs The Acclaimed

Comments: Bullet Club via shenanigans

 

IWGP Women's Championship Match:

Toni Storm (C) vs Mercedes Mone

Comments: Mone is MONEY

[Uncrewed]

Should have Forbidden Door up by Monday, so if you want to get your predictions in, you've got this weekend to do so!

[MidKnightDreary]

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Kenny Omega

Comments: Too important for a part-timer

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura) vs Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley)

Comments: 

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

PAC (C) vs Rey Fenix

Comments: PAC

 

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:

Aussie Open (C) vs FTR vs DEATH RIDERS (Shota Umino & Karl Fredericks)

Comments: 

A chaotic match to be sure but I think AEW needs to take one title

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:

Jeff Cobb (C) vs Darby Allin

Comments: Darby literally dies

 

Winner Enters the 2023 G1 Climax:

Eddie Kingston vs Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs

Comments: Eddie's got the workrate to do a G1 run

 

Bullet Club (Jay White & Prince Devitt) vs The Acclaimed

Comments: 

 

IWGP Women's Championship Match:

Toni Storm (C) vs Mercedes Mone

Comments: 

[SonOfSharknado]

Prediction Key:

 

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Kenny Omega

Comments: 

 

CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura) vs Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley)

Comments: 

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

PAC (C) vs Rey Fenix

Comments: 

 

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:

Aussie Open (C) vs FTR vs DEATH RIDERS (Shota Umino & Karl Fredericks)

Comments: 

 

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:

Jeff Cobb (C) vs Darby Allin

Comments: 

 

Winner Enters the 2023 G1 Climax:

Eddie Kingston vs Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs

Comments: 

 

Bullet Club (Jay White & Prince Devitt) vs The Acclaimed

Comments: 

 

IWGP Women's Championship Match:

Toni Storm (C) vs Mercedes Mone

Comments: 

[Uncrewed]

Quote

 

PRE-SHOW:
In a six-man tag team match gauntlet, TMDK (Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, & JONAH) defeated KENTA, Tama Tonga, & David Finlay Jr., the Jericho Appreciation Society (Sammy Guevara, Daniel Garcia, & Jake Hager), CHAOS (Toru Yano & Bishamon), and the House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews, & Brody King) in a good match to win the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships. JONAH last eliminated the champions when he hit KENTA with the TSUNAMIIIII!!!

 

 

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door- June 25th, 2023
Attendance: 20,000 at United Center (Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami & Milano Collection A.T. (Japanese), Excalibur & Taz (English)

We kicked things off at the second-ever Forbidden Door with a bevy of pyro going off around the United Center, with the near-sold out crowd going absolutely wild. Our respective announce teams welcomed us to the show and we went straight into our opening contest...

 

IWGP Women's Championship Match:

 VS 
Toni Storm (C) vs Mercedes Mone
Mercedes Mone made her NJPW debut at Dominion, confronting Toni Storm and challenging her to an IWGP Women's Championship match for tonight. Mone said it was a dream of hers to wrestle in Japan and winning the IWGP Women's Championship would certainly open up that door. Toni has vowed to turn that dream into a nightmare and we'll see if that'll come true tonight in Chicago! This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind Mone. These two women started things off with a collar and elbow tie-up, in which Storm took early control with a stiff elbow smash. Storm then throw Mone into the corner and hit her with a knife edge chop, quickly following it up with a belly to belly suplex. Storm then tried to end things early with the Storm Zero, but Mone wiggled out of it and hit Storm with a backstabber. Mone then tried locking Storm in her finisher, the Statement Maker (Bridging Crossface), but Storm wiggled out of it, ran off the ropes, and hit Mone with a flying hip attack. Storm then scooped up Mone and hit her with a running powerslam, which only got a two count on the ensuing pinfall attempt. Storm then went to the top rope and attempted a diving elbow drop, but Mone rolled out of the way and hit Storm with a Shining Wizard! Mone made the cover, but was only able to get a two. Mone then went to the apron and hit Storm with a springboard dropkick that sent the champion crashing to the outside. Mone realized this, ran off the ropes, and hit Storm with a suicide dive! Mone threw Storm back in the ring and attempted to lock in the Statement Maker, but that was stopped when Bullet Club's music hit...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was Juice Robinson coming down to the ring!

Juice, the husband of Toni Storm, started jawing with Mercedes, but that was also quickly stopped by...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TETSUYA NAITO!

The leader of Los Ingobernables de Japon ran down to the ring and took out Juice Robinson with a big German suplex! He then made the LIJ salute to Mone, who returned it in kind! However, that distraction on the outside lasted just long enough for Storm to get up and hit Mone with a big lariat. The match came to an end when Storm picked up Mone and attempted the Storm Zero. That failed, as Mone was able to wiggle out of it and reverse it into a backstabber, quickly transitioning it into the Statement Maker!!! Storm clawed desperately for the ropes, but eventually had no choice but to tap out! Mercedes Mone is your new IWGP Women's Champion!
WINNER: Mercedes Mone

 

After that hard-fought contest, we went on to our next match of the evening, a tag team match between the two leaders of Bullet Club, Jay White & Prince Devitt, and The Acclaimed. White & Devitt made their entrance first, jawing with some fans before The Acclaimed's music hit...

 

 

 

 

 

Max Caster: "Yo! Listen! Yo! Acclaimed on the mic at Forbidden Door, why'd these guys come over, they're such a bore!"

"Jay you like to play with knives, you better watch out before I steal your wife!"

"The Acclaimed, we leave the girls screamin', oh look it's Devitt, a knockoff demon!"

Anthony Bowens: "CHICAGO!!!! THE ACCLAIMED HAVE ARRIVED!"

As soon as Caster & Bowens got in the ring, White & Devitt immediately ambushed them, kicking things off with some chaos!

 

 VS 
Bullet Club (Jay White & Prince Devitt) vs The Acclaimed
When Prince Devitt rejoined NJPW at Wrestling Dontaku, it seemed to breathe some new life into Bullet Club and the group has gone on an impressive winning streak as of late. Can the fan-favorite rapping duo of Max Caster & Anthony Bowens put an end to that tonight in Chicago? This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind The Acclaimed. White & Devitt continued their pre-match assault as the bell rang, with the two men hitting Caster with a double suplex and hitting Bowens with a Hart Attack. Referee Bryce Remsburg eventually got things under control and got Jay White and Anthony Bowens to kick things off. White hit Bowens with a lariat, which sent the Acclaimed powerhouse into the corner. White then hit Bowens with a knife edge chop, quickly following that up with a back elbow smash. White then threw Bowens off the ropes and hit him with a big back body drop. White then tried hitting a Samoan drop, but Bowens reversed it into a Samoan drop of his own. Bowens scooped up White and hit him with a military press slam before tagging out to Max Caster. Bowens and Caster then hit White with a powerslam-frog splash combo, which was only able to get a two on an ensuing pin attempt. Caster hit White with a few punches before hitting him with a discus lariat. Caster then went to the top rope and attempted the Mic Drop (Diving Elbow Drop), but White got his knees up at the last second. The match came to an end when White tagged out to Devitt, who ran off the ropes and hit Caster with a slingblade. Devitt then went to the top rope and attempted a diving double foot stomp, but Caster rolled out of the way at the last second and hit him with a lariat. Caster then tagged out to Bowens and the two men tried to hit Devitt with their finisher, Critically Acclaimed (Powerslam into Diving Elbow Drop), but Devitt wiggled out of Bowens's powerslam and sent him crashing headfirst into Caster! Devitt then caught Bowens and hit him with the Bloody Sunday! Devitt made the cover and got the three.
WINNERS: Bullet Club

Winner Enters G1 Climax:

 VS  VS 
Eddie Kingston vs Keith Lee vs Powerhouse Hobbs
When Tony Khan announced that a competition would take place to determine the AEW entrant into the 2023 G1 Climax, everyone and their mother wanted in. Eventually, three men won their spots in this match to win that spot: Eddie Kingston (who defeated Malakai Black), Keith Lee (who defeated Miro), and Powerhouse Hobbs (who defeated his former fried Ricky Starks). Which one of these three men earn a chance at entering the G1 Climax? We'll find out right now! This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind Kingston. The match started off with Hobbs and Kingston doing some improvised double-teaming on Keith Lee, with both men eventually failing to take down the 'Limitless One.' Lee overpowered both men and turned his attention to Hobbs. Lee threw Hobbs off the ropes and hit him with a back body drop that sent Hobbs flying through the air. Hobbs rolled to the outside as Kingston tried to lift Lee up for a German suplex. That failed as Lee elbowed his way out of it and hit Kingston with a spinebuster. Lee then tried to end things early with the Spirit Bomb (Pop-Up Sitout Powerbomb), but Kingston reversed it into a facebuster. Kingston made the cover, but Hobbs broke up the pin. Hobbs and Kingston began to brawl for a bit before Hobbs took control with a big boot. Hobbs then threw Kingston into the corner and started choking him out with his boot. Hobbs then threw Kingston out of the ring and tried throwing Kingston through the Japanese announce table with a chokeslam. That failed as Kingston wiggled out of it and hit Hobbs with the Uraken (Spinning Backfist)! Kingston tried throwing Hobbs back in the ring, but Hobbs fought back and the two began brawling around the ringside area. Suddenly, they were stopped by Keith Lee, who tried spearing both men through the barricade!!! He only got Kingston though, as Hobbs was able to roll out of the way at the last second. The match came to an end when Hobbs was able to throw a downed Keith Lee back into the ring. Hobbs then threw Lee off the ropes and hit him with his finisher, the Book of Hobbs (High-angle Spinebuster)! Hobbs made the cover and got the three, punching his ticket to the G1 Climax.
WINNER: Powerhouse Hobbs

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:

 VS 
Jeff Cobb (C) vs Darby Allin
Jeff Cobb has been a man possesed since February, tearing apart everyone that's stood in his path. That's included his former friend/NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay, who lost the NEVER Openweight Championship to Jeff Cobb back at Wrestling Dontaku in a dominant performance from the Guamanian powerhouse. No one has stepped in Cobb's way to challenge him until tonight, when Darby Allin answered the call and promised to topple the behemoth tonight at Forbidden Door! This match was a good match and the crowd was solidly behind Allin. Allin didn't even wait for the match to start as he hit Cobb with a suicide dive as Cobb was making his entrance! That barely budged Cobb and Allin decided to go for another one. However, Cobb caught this one and hit Allin with a powerbomb on the outside! Cobb then threw up the ringside mat and tried powerbombing Allin on the concrete. Allin was able to reverse it with a headscissors, sending Cobb crashing head-first into the ring post! Allin and Cobb eventually got in the ring and the match officially started. Allin kept throwing himself at Cobb, trying to take the big man down, but that eventually caught up to Darby as Cobb caught him and launched him across the ring with a fallaway slam. Allin recoiled into the corner, which allowed Cobb to crash into him with a body avalanche. Cobb then hit Allin with a running powerslam, but the ensuing pinfall attempt only got a two count. Cobb then picked up Allin like a ragdoll and threw him across the ring with a biel throw. Cobb then tried hitting Allin with the Wrath of the Gods, but Allin was able to reverse it into a spike hurricanrana! A dazed Cobb eventually got to his feet, but Allin quickly knocked him back down with a springboard missile dropkick. Cobb crashed to the outside, which allowed Allin to run off the ropes and attempt a tope suicida, but that failed as Cobb caught him and military press slammed him through the Japanese commentary table! The Chicago crowd chanted "HOLY SH*T! HOLY SH*T!" as Cobb threw Allin back in the ring. The match came to an end when Allin tried using whatever power he had left to throw some punches at Cobb. They barely connected as Cobb laughed and scooped up Allin to hit him with the Wrath of the Gods! Cobb put his foot on Allin's chest and got the three to retain the NEVER Openweight Championship.
WINNER: Jeff Cobb

 

  
Afterwards, medical officials tended to Allin, eventually wheeling out a stretcher and putting him on it. Suddenly, Cobb realized that he wasn't finished with Allin, grabbed him off the stretcher, and threw him into the ring steps. Cobb then lifted up the ring mat and threatened to powerbomb Allin onto the concrete! Before Cobb could do anything, the lights went out and a countdown began on the video screen. When the clock hit zero...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeB5nL1S8Ks&ab_channel=NEWJAPANPRO-WRESTLING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT'S HIROMU TAKAHASHI, HE'S BACK!

Hiromu Takahashi is back and he immediately set his sights on the man that took him out for four months, Jeff Cobb! Hiromu launched himself at Cobb, hitting him with a flying forearm smash that eventually devolved into an all-out brawl on the outside! Hiromu eventually took control by grabbing a chair and throwing it in Cobb's face! Cobb eventually had no choice but to retreat as Hiromu stood tall in the ring with the crowd chanting his name.

 

Up next was supposed to be the IWGP Tag Team Championship match between Aussie Open, FTR, & DEATH RIDERS. Both Aussie Open and FTR made their entrances normally, but when DEATH RIDERS's music hit, they were nowhere to be seen. Eventually, we cut to the backstage area, where Shota Umino & Karl Fredericks were down and out in a bloody mess! As medics tended to them, ring announcer Justin Roberts announced that a replacement team had been found. The third team joining Aussie Open and FTR in tonight's match is...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FA-TU!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IT'S JIMMY & JEY FATU, THE SAMOAN SWAT TEAM!!!

The Chicago crowd went wild as the two brothers made their way to the ring. A loud "FATU! FATU!" chant broke out as Aussie Open and FTR looked shocked. Referee Red Shoes eventually got things under way and we were off to the races in Chicago!

 

IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:

VS

VS

Aussie Open (C) vs FTR vs Samoan SWAT Team
Aussie Open won the titles from DEATH RIDERS (who were supposed to compete in this match) at Wrestling Dontaku, but their first title defense is going to be a tough one. They have to get through former IWGP Tag Team Champions FTR and a team that has won tag team gold everywhere they've been, Jimmy & Jey Fatu, the Samoan SWAT Team. This match was an amazing match and the crowd was split between the three teams. Kyle Fletcher and Jey Fatu started things off with Fletcher offering a handshake to Jey. Jey responded by blasting Fletcher with a superkick! Jey made the cover, but it was quickly broken up by FTR and Mark Davis. The three teams eventually began brawling, which eventually culminated in all six men brawling on the outside. Suddenly, Kyle Fletcher went to the top rope and took everyone out with a diving splash! Fletcher and Jey got back in the ring, with the Aussie Open member taking down Jey with a rapid-fire barrage of kicks, culminating in a roundhouse kick. Fletcher then went to the apron and hit Jey with a springboard forearm smash. As Fletcher readied himself in the corner for a running shotgun dropkick, Dax Harwood tagged himself in without Fletcher's knowledge. Fletcher ended up missing the move, with Jey taking out Fletcher with a spinebuster. However, he couldn't celebrate for long, as Dax blasted him with a high knee. Dax then started working over Jey's left knee before locking him in some sort of Indian Death Lock. That submission failed as Jey was able to reach the ropes. That allowed Jimmy Fatu to tag himself in, unaware to Dax, and hit Dax with a superkick! Jimmy then threw Dax off the ropes and hit him with a big back body drop. Mark Davis tagged himself in following that and hit Jimmy with a lariat that sent Jimmy flying inside out! Davis scooped up Jimmy and hit him with a running powerslam. Davis then picked up Jimmy and hit him with a sitout powerbomb. Davis then went into the corner and tried setting Jimmy up for something, but that was interrupted when Cash tagged himself in. Cash got in the ring, but Davis was pissed and hit Cash with a lariat to the back of the head! The match came to an end when Jimmy and Jey took out Aussie Open with a double running shotgun dropkick. Cash & Dax tried attacking Jimmy & Jey, but the brothers reversed the attack, sending Dax out of the ring and hitting Cash with the 1D (Flapjack into Cutter)! Jimmy made the cover and got the three! The Samoan SWAT Team are the new IWGP Tag Team Champions on their first night in NJPW!
WINNERS: The Samoan SWAT Team

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match:

 VS 
PAC (C) vs Rey Fenix
Things have gotten really heated between these once friends ever since PAC left AEW to accept a big-money contract from ACE Entertainment. As soon as PAC left, things stared going downhill for Fenix. His brother, Penta El Zero Miedo, turned on him and only stopped attacking him when Fenix buried him alive in a Lucha a Muerte match. We haven't seen Penta since then, but Fenix still wears the scars of that battle to this day. Now, Fenix gets a chance to fight the man who started his downward spiral and get a chance to take the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in the process! This match was a great match and the crowd was solidly behind Fenix. Fenix and PAC started things off with Fenix taking out PAC with a shotgun dropkick. That sent PAC crashing into the corner, which allowed Fenix to hit his former teammate with a running enzuigiri. Fenix then scooped up PAC and hit him with a German suplex, sending the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion flying out of the ring. Fenix then attempted a suicide dive, but PAC rolled out of the way at the last second. PAC then threw a downed Fenix shoulder first into the ring steps and the ringside barricade before throwing him back in the ring. PAC started stomping the living hell out of Fenix, eventually culminating with a running penalty kick right to Fenix's chest. PAC then picked up Fenix and hit him with a package powerbomb, which only got a two count on the ensuing pinfall attempt. PAC then began working over Fenix's right arm, obviously setting him up for the Brutalizer later on. That arm work ended when Fenix caught PAC in a surprise small package, which only got a two, but it was enough to disorient PAC. Fenix then hit PAC with a standing enzuigiri and quickly followed that up with a reverse hurricanrana! Fenix made the cover, but PAC kicked out at two. Fenix then attempted to end things with the Fenix Driver, but PAC wiggled out of it and hit Fenix with a superkick! The match came to an end when PAC began toying with Fenix, tearing at his mask and telling him that he's nothing without PAC & Penta! Then Fenix snapped, blasting PAC with a bevy of forearm smashes and punches, culminating with an exploder suplex! Fenix then teased going for the Fenix Driver, but instead he went to the top rope and attempted a 630 Senton! That failed though as PAC got his knees up at the last second! PAC then quickly locked Fenix in the Brutalizer! Fenix desperately clawed for the ropes, but PAC kept wrenching the hold in. Eventually, Fenix had passed out from the pain, giving PAC the win.
WINNER: PAC

 VS 
CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Shinsuke Nakamura) vs Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Jon Moxley)
This rivalry between two of the top stars of NJPW and two of the top stars in AEW started on a recent episode of AEW Dynamite where Danielson challenged any member of the NJPW roster to a match at Forbidden Door. That challenge was accepted by the 'Rainmaker' Kazuchika Okada! However, Okada didn't come along, as Nakamura accepted the challenge as well! Realizing that he was in a two-on-one situation, Danielson decided to spice things up and turned his challenge into a tag team dream match. Danielson took a bit to find a partner, but he found one in his old Blackpool Combat Club teammate Jon Moxley, reforming the group for one night only! This match was a great match and the crowd was solidly behind the BCC. Danielson and Okada started things off with a handshake and a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Danielson initially won the battle, hitting Okada with an elbow smash. Okada took full control though with a forearm smash and a German suplex. Okada then went to the top rope and hit Danielson with a diving crossbody. Okada then hit Danielson with a running bulldog. Okada tried locking Danielson in the Money Clip, but Danielson quickly wiggled out of it and hit Okada with a jumping knee strike. Danielson then threw the 'Rainmaker' off the ropes and hit him with a belly to belly suplex. Okada then quickly tagged out to Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura and Danielson share a bit of a staredown, with the crowd going wild at the sight of the two men in the ring together. Danielson offered Nakamura a handshake, but Nakamura declined, instead telling Danielson to "BRING IT ON!!!" The two men then went to town on each other with a kick battle, eventually culminating with Nakamura hitting Danielson with a spinning heel kick that sent the 'American Dragon' crashing into his corner. Jon Moxley tagged himself in then, hitting Nakamura with a lariat. Moxley then tried locking in a bulldog choke, but Nakamura wiggled out of it and hit Moxley with a roundhouse kick. That sent Moxley staggering off the ropes, but Moxley used that to his advantage and hit Nakamura with a pendulum lariat! Moxley then locked Nakamura in a bulldog choke, which nearly made Nakamura tap, but the 'King of Strong Style' was able to reverse it into a back suplex. Moxley rolled back into his corner, where Danielson tagged himself in. The match came to an end when Danielson was able to hit Nakamura with the running single leg high knee! Nakamura tried tagging out to Okada, but Danielson was able to grab him and lock him in the LeBell Lock! Nakamura clawed desperately for the ropes, but eventually had no choice but to tap out! Afterwards, the four men shared handshakes, with Okada & Nakamura offering them another match in Japan to settle the score in the future.
WINNERS: Blackpool Combat Club

After that match ended, we cut to a video hyping up our main event of the evening, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kenny Omega. The video shows how after successfully retaining the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship over Tetsuya Naito at Dominion, Hiroshi Tanahashi was confronted by a man from his past, 'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega! Omega challenged Tanahashi to a match at Forbidden Door, which was quickly accepted, with Tanahashi promising to take out Omega like he did at Wrestle Kingdom a few years ago! Will history repeat itself or will Kenny Omega end the reign of ACE Entertainment? We'll find out tonight in Chicago!

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match:

 VS 
Hiroshi Tanahashi (C) vs Kenny Omega
This match was an amazing match and the crowd was solidly behind Omega. Tanahashi started the match off with some mock air guitaring, though he quickly transitioned that into a middle finger in Omega's face! Omega responded by grabbing Tanahashi's finger and nearly breaking it! Omega then hit Tanahashi with a jumping knee strike, which sent the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion crashing into the corner. Omega then hit Tanahashi with a barrage of rapid-fire knife edge chops, culminating with Omega hitting Tanahashi with a step-up knee strike. Omega then threw Tanahashi off the ropes and hit him with a dropkick. Omega tried ending things early with the Rain Trigger (Wrist-Lock into Knee Strike), but Tanahashi fought out of it by poking Omega in the eye! Tanahashi then started working over Omega's back by hitting him with three consecutive backbreakers. Tanahashi then locked Omega in the Texas Cloverleaf! Omega clawed for the ropes and was eventually able to get the ropes. Tanahashi didn't break the hold until referee Red Shoes threatened to disqualify him, which led to a tense argument between the two. That allowed Omega to recover and hit Tanahashi with a flying forearm smash. Omega kipped up after that and hit Tanahashi with a deadlift German suplex, which sent Tanahashi crashing to the outside. Omega rallied the crowd, ran off the ropes, and hit Tanahashi with a tope suicida! As both men recovered on the outside, Omega got to his feet first and threw Tanahashi back in the ring. Omega went to the top rope and attempted a frog splash, but Tanahashi rolled out of the way at the last second and hit Omega with a senton. Tanahashi then toyed with Omega a bit, slapping him across the face a few times before running off the ropes and hitting him with a slingblade. Tanahashi then got in Omega's face and screamed "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE MY TITLE BACK!" before running off the ropes and attempting a Yakuza Kick, but Omega rolled of the way at the last second and hit Tanahashi with the V-Trigger (Running Bicycle Knee Strike)! Omega made the cover...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No!

Tanahashi kicked out at two! The match came to an end when Omega scooped up Tanahashi and tried hitting him with the One-Winged Angel (Electric Chair Driver), but Tanahashi wiggled out of it and hit Omega with a low blow! Red Shoes didn't see it somehow so Tanahashi went to the top rope and hit Omega with the High Fly Flow! Tanahashi made the cover...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3!

Hiroshi Tanahashi has retained the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship once again! Damn you Hiroshi Tanahashi, why can't you just go back to your old ways and win fair and square? Why did you let your ego go to your head, damn it Tanahashi why?!? Either way, Forbidden Door came to a close as Tanahashi played air guitar in the ring over Omega's corpse.
WINNER: Hiroshi Tanahashi

FINAL GRADE:

Popularity: Increased in 22 Regions.

[Uncrewed]

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Post-Show Press Conference:

 

Powerhouse Hobbs (in English): "Everyone wrote me off tonight, what'd ya think about that now HUH!?!? Eddie Kingston? That guy's too busy crying backstage to get on MY level! Keith Lee? He might have some big words in his vocabulary, but do you know what I've got? THE BIG HURT! So, whoever is unlucky enough to be in my block in the G1 Climax, you've got one thing coming to you, PAIN!"

 

 

Hiromu Takahashi: "GUESS WHO'S BACK!!! Y'know, when that monster Jeff Cobb took me out, I thought I wouldn't step foot in a NJPW ring for a long time. But, after some recovery and some consultation with Daryl, I decided to set off the time bomb in America! Jeff Cobb, if you think tonight was a one-off thing, think again my monstrous friend. Me and Daryl are back to make your life a living hell! Now, what's next for Hiromu? Well, first off, sleep, it was a hell of a flight here! Next, I'm entering the G1 Climax! I knew I was going to win the New Japan Cup before Cobb took me out, so if it takes winning the G1 Climax to get a shot at Hiroshi Tanahashi, so be it! Think about it, a ticking time bomb as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion! The merch prints itself!"

 

 

Jimmy Fatu (in English): "IT'S ALWAYS THE ONES YOU NEVER SEE COMING!"

Jey Fatu (in English): "Hey Uce, do you think those Aussie Open bozos and those wannabe tough guys FTR saw the Samoan SWAT Team coming?"

Jimmy: "HELL NO UCE! BECAUSE WE ARE THE SAMOAN SWAT TEAM AND-

Both: "WE ARE ON TOP!"

 

 

Hiroshi Tanahashi:

Mr. Tanahashi did not show up as scheduled to the post-show press conference. Instead, a letter was handed out to journalists inside the press room:

 

[Uncrewed]

NJPW Kizuna Road Tour Night One- July 2nd, 2023
Attendance: 2,000 at Korakuen Hall (Tokyo, Japan)
Commentary Team: Shinpei Nogami & Milano Collection A.T.

-Eita, El Lindaman, & young lion Yuto Nakashima defeated Ryusuke Taguchi & young lions Ryohei Oiwa & Kosei Fujita in a dull match to kick things off tonight in Tokyo. Nakashima has shown more of a cocky edge as of late, which endeared him nicely to Eita & Lindaman. Eita & Lindaman continued their hot start together as a team and finished off Fujita in just under 10 minutes after hitting him with their finisher, the Cruz de Oro (Leg Sweep from Lindaman into running jumping European uppercut from Eita). (64/C)

-CHAOS's Ren Narita & Hirooki Goto defeated United Empire's Aaron Henare & Great O-Khan in a decent match. In Narita's second match since returning from excursion, he looked great tonight against two well-rounded wrestlers from United Empire. Goto wasn't too shabby either and it was enough to win tonight as Narita finished off Henare with the Narita Special after about 14 minutes. (70/C+)

-Ryu Lee & Dralistico defeated CHAOS's YOH & Robbie Eagles in a good match. YOH continued to be haunted by AKUMA and his new masked compatriot tonight, with the two masked demonic men appearing on different sides of Korakuen Hall throughout the entire match, just starting daggers through YOH. That effectively made this a two-on-one handicap match with Robbie Eagles on the short end of the stick. In the end, Lee hit Eagles with the Desnucadora to pick up the win. (76/B-)

-TMDK (Mikey Nicholls, Shane Haste, & JONAH) defeated KENTA, David Finlay, & Tama Tonga in a good match to retain the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships. After winning the titles from KENTA & co. at Forbidden Door, TMDK proved their win was no fluke with a resounding win over the former champions tonight at Korakuen Hall. After about 16 minutes, JONAH finished off KENTA with a resounding TSUNAMIIIIIII!!! (74/B-)

 

MAIN EVENT:

VS

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Hiromu Takahashi, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito) vs Sabre-gun (Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer)

Los Ingobernables de Japon's Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, & Shingo Takagi defeated Sabre-gun's Zack Sabre Jr., Taichi, & Lance Archer in an amazing match to close the show. In Hiromu's first match back since being taken out by Jeff Cobb, he looked like he didn't miss a single beat. Sabre kept his guys in the contest with his technical abilities, but it just wasn't enough as Hiromu was able to finish off Taichi with the Time Bomb to get the win after about 18 minutes. Afterwards, Sabre looked visibly frustrated, arguing with Taichi and Archer. 

FINAL GRADE: