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NJPW 2001 - Gedoism


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NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 1
1. Yutaka Yoshie defeated EZ Money in 7:29 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [47]
2. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Michiyoshi Ohara in 9:26 by pinfall with a Powerbomb. [40]
3. Kaz Hayashi and Shinya Makabe defeated El Samurai and Wataru Inoue in 14:58 when Kaz Hayashi pinned Wataru Inoue with a Wrist-Clutch Kryptonite Krunch. [57]
4. Takashi Iizuka defeated Katsushi Takemura in 9:23 by pinfall with a Blizzard Suplex. [55]
5. TEAM2000 (AKIRA, Jado and Gedo) defeated Gran Naniwa, Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 12:22 when AKIRA pinned Gran Naniwa with a Diving Splash. [54]
6. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated Super J and Hiro Saito in 11:46 when Riki Choshu pinned Super J with a Lariat. [61]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 12:56 when Masahiro Chono pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Yakuza Kick. [75]
8. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Minoru Tanaka and Kenzo Suzuki) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 15:35 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Lariat. [73]
[71]

Kensuke comes out on top in the first battle between Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS, with Sasaki's men unbeaten across the show. Tanahashi takes the fall, with Nagata forced to watch from the floor as his chosen prospect eats the match ending Lariat. Tencozy's protege is made an example of also, as Chono picks the bones of Norton and Van Dam's work.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 2
1. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue defeated EZ Money and Katsushi Takemura in 10:48 when Wataru Inoue pinned EZ Money with a Spear. [55]
2. El Samurai defeated Kendo Kashin in 15:16 by pinfall with a Lifting Reverse DDT. [55]
3. Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki in 9:14 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a German Suplex. [59]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Chris Candido) defeated Minoru Tanaka, Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 12:59 when Jado pinned Silver King with a Backdrop Driver. [60]
5. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura in 12:21 when Scott Norton pinned Riki Choshu with a Powerslam. [74]
6. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and Super J) in 12:16 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Super J with a Cutter. [71]
7. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Jushin Thunder Liger) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kaz Hayashi and Shinya Makabe) in 18:02 when Yuji Nagata pinned Shinya Makabe with a Backdrop Hold. [73]
[72]

Blue Justice and Tencozy quickly even their scores, while the Tag Team Champions strike a blow ahead of their upcoming title defence, pinning challenger Choshu in the process.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 3
1. Yutaka Yoshie defeated Katsushi Takemura in 7:10 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [48]
2. Katsuyori Shibata defeated EZ Money in 10:12 by pinfall with a Penalty Kick. [36]
3. Minoru Tanaka and Gran Naniwa defeated Kendo Kashin and Kaz Hayashi in 16:32 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Kaz Hayashi with a Minoru Special. [56]
4. Tadao Yasuda defeated Takashi Iizuka in 9:37 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [62]
5. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) defeated TEAM2000 (Super J, AKIRA and Michiyoshi Ohara) in 12:06 when Osamu Nishimura pinned AKIRA with an Abdominal Stretch Cradle. [58]
6. Tencozy defeated Scott Norton and Hiro Saito in 12:03 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Hiro Saito with a TenKoji Cutter. [66]
7. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Wataru Inoue) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) in 12:48 when Yuji Nagata pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Backdrop Hold. [69]
8. Nagata and Kensuke Post Match Pull Apart [73]
9. TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Jado and Gedo) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) in 16:29 when Rob Van Dam pinned El Samurai with a Five Star Frog Splash. [73]
[71]

The temperatures between Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS continue to rise on night three. After Nagata beats Kenzo with a Backdrop, Kensuke feels that the IWGP Champion is disrespectful to the youngster after the bell and stands up for his new protege, leading to Nagata and Sasaki needing to be seperated by young lions, team-mates and officials.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 4
1. Mad Dogs defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and El Samurai in 9:20 when Michiyoshi Ohara pinned El Samurai with a Choke Slam. [56]
2. Osamu Nishimura defeated Katsushi Takemura in 12:44 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [41]
3. Kendo Kashin, Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated AKIRA, Chris Candido and EZ Money in 11:14 when Dr. Wagner Jr. pinned EZ Money with a Wagner Driver. [53]
4. Scott Norton defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 6:13 by pinfall with a Powerslam. [54]
5. IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Jado and Gedo (c) defeated Minoru Tanaka and Gran Naniwa in 16:14 when Gedo pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Complete Shot, after interference by Koji Kanemoto. Jado and Gedo make defence V2 of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [61]
6. Kanemoto Joins Team TEAM2000 [45]
7. Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Kaz Hayashi and Kenzo Suzuki in 12:14 when Yuji Nagata pinned Kaz Hayashi with a Backdrop Hold. [68]
8. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Shinya Makabe) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) in 13:18 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Takashi Iizuka with a Three-Quarter Nelson Suplex. [66]
9. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and Rob Van Dam) in 13:16 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Hiro Saito with a TenKoji Cutter. [76]
[72]

After their altercation the previous night, Nagata and Kensuke are thankfully kept apart, coming out on top in seperate matches leading into the 5 v 5 Elimination Match.


The big news coming out of the show though is the long awaited return and surprise betrayal of Koji Kanemoto. Kanemoto shows up seemingly to help his tag team partner Minoru - who seems shocked to see him - only to kick Minoru in the back of the head and help Jado and Gedo to victory. Kanemoto solidifies his status post match, shaking hands with the Jr. Tag Champions and accepting a Team2000 t-shirt.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 5
1. Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Chris Candido and EZ Money in 12:14 when Dr. Wagner Jr. pinned EZ Money with a Wagner Driver. [62]
2. Super Strong Machine defeated Super J in 8:48 by pinfall with a Lariat. [49]
3. Osamu Nishimura defeated Katsushi Takemura in 15:33 by pinfall with a roll up. [61]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) defeated Minoru Tanaka, Shinya Makabe, Kendo Kashin and Gran Naniwa in 11:56 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Shinya Makabe with a Koji Clutch. [57]
5. Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue in 11:22 when Riki Choshu pinned Wataru Inoue with a Lariat. [61]
6. Scott Norton defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan in 7:53 by pinfall with an Inverted Shoulder Breaker. [70]
7. Satoshi Kojima, Keiji Muto and Katsuyori Shibata defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and Rob Van Dam) in 16:42 when Keiji Muto pinned Hiro Saito with a Shining Wizard. [77]
8. 4 VS. 4 ELIMINATION MATCH: Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin Thunder Liger) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka, Kenzo Suzuki and Kaz Hayashi) in an Elimination match in 20:58. 1. Nagata pins Hayashi 2. Koshinaka pins Liger 3. Nagata pins Kenzo 4. Kensuke pins Tanahashi 5. Kensuke throws Nakanishi over the top rope, only for Nagata to eliminate him moments later 6. Nagata pins Koshinaka [76]
[74]

The halfway point of the tour sees Fujinami and Choshu gain momentum ahead of their Tag Team Title challenge, Koji Kanemoto victorious in his comeback and Team2000 debut and Keiji Muto return to help Kojima and Shibata to a win.

In the main event, Blue Justice prevails, with Nagata eliminating all members of the ERUPTIONS team, including throwing out Kensuke right after Sasaki had gotten rid of Nakanishi, leaving the final two to be Nagata and Koshinaka. Koshinaka fought gamely, but the IWGP Champion was ultimately too much.

Nagata - "Kensuke... you want respect? You'll have to do better than that next time! I expected more after you challenged me like that. If you want this back - (holds up IWGP Title) - then maybe you need to pay better attention! Don't test me unless you're strong enough to handle it!"

Edited by cbacon87
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NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 6
1. Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 16:05 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Silver King with a Minoru Special. [67]
2. Shinya Makabe defeated Chris Candido in 9:08 by pinfall with a Brainbuster. [52]
3. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 7:51 by pinfall with a Samoan Driver. [44]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) defeated El Samurai, Wataru Inoue and Gran Naniwa in 11:36 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Wataru Inoue with a Koji Clutch. [55]
5. Yuji Nagata and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine in 10:29 when Yuji Nagata pinned Super Strong Machine with a Backdrop Hold. [65]
6. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Super J) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Hiroshi Tanahashi) in 12:14 when Scott Norton pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with an Inverted Shoulder Breaker. [73]
7. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and AKIRA) in 13:03 when Katsuyori Shibata pinned AKIRA with a Penalty Kick. [71]
8. Kensuke Sasaki defeated Jushin Thunder Liger in 21:42 by pinfall with a Lariat. [76]
[74]

In a rare heavyweight versus junior heavyweight main event, Blue Justice's Jushin Thunder Liger - cornered by Yuji Nagata - squared off with ERUPTIONS leader Kensuke Sasaki and defied the size difference, pushing Kensuke to a hard fought battle, before ultimately being put away with a Lariat. There was an upset elsewhere, as Shibata got the pin on AKIRA in the semi main, possibly Shibata's biggest win to date.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 7
1. Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Gran Naniwa and Shinya Makabe in 9:56 when Silver King pinned Shinya Makabe with a Death Valley Driver. [61]
2. Yutaka Yoshie defeated AKIRA in 6:35 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [48]
3. Minoru Tanaka and Shiro Koshinaka defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 15:29 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Katsushi Takemura with a Minoru Special. [58]
4. Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Super Strong Machine in 9:26 by pinfall with a Goto Facebuster. [53]
5. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) defeated Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Wataru Inoue) in 11:31 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Wataru Inoue with a Koji Clutch. [67]
6. Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu defeated Super J and Michiyoshi Ohara in 11:26 when Tatsumi Fujinami submitted Super J with a Dragon Sleeper. [56]
7. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kaz Hayashi and Kenzo Suzuki) in 14:58 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Kaz Hayashi with a German Suplex. [74]
8. Keiji Muto, Tencozy and Katsuyori Shibata defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito) in 18:11 when Keiji Muto pinned Hiro Saito with a Shining Wizard. [77]
[74]

After defeat in the main event at the hands of Muto and Tencozy, Chono is frustrated, issuing an ultimatum of sorts to Team2000 that they need to get back to winning ways - and fast.

Chono - "We run New Japan Pro Wrestling... not Nagata, not Sasaki, not that outsider, Muto... Team2000 do! Tomorrow night... we win... or else!"

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 8
1. Minoru Tanaka and EZ Money defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 12:28 when Minoru Tanaka pinned Dr. Wagner Jr. with a Wrist-Clutch Fisherman's Driver. [53]
2. Manabu Nakanishi defeated Michiyoshi Ohara in 6:51 by pinfall with a German Suplex. [65]
3. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) defeated El Samurai, Gran Naniwa and Kendo Kashin in 15:41 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Kendo Kashin with a Koji Clutch. [54]
4. Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe in 10:53 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Shinya Makabe with a Diving Splash. [57]
5. Satoshi Kojima defeated Super J in 8:20 by pinfall with a Koji Cutter. [60]
6. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 12:35 when Hiro Saito pinned Super Strong Machine with a Diving Seated Senton. [67]
7. Masahiro Chono and AKIRA defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 12:31 when Masahiro Chono pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Yakuza Kick. [71]
8. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kaz Hayashi) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger and Wataru Inoue) in 14:37 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Wataru Inoue with a Three-Quarter Nelson Suplex. [71]
[70]

Chono's warning is headed, for the mostpart, with Chono himself putting away Shibata in tag team action. Super J and Ohara don't win, but the Jr. branch of Team2000 continue to hold up their end, with Kanemoto unbeaten since alligning with Jado and Gedo and no doubt eyeing an opportunity at former partner Minoru's Jr. Heavyweight Title.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 9
1. Shinya Makabe defeated EZ Money in 6:40 by pinfall with a Brainbuster. [55]
2. Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated Kendo Kashin and Katsushi Takemura in 15:27 when Dr. Wagner Jr. pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Wagner Driver. [54]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Chris Candido in 11:30 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [58]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and AKIRA) defeated Gran Naniwa and Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 11:51 when AKIRA pinned Gran Naniwa with a Diving Splash. [63]
5. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka in 13:16 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Blizzard Suplex. [64]
6. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami and Osamu Nishimura) defeated TEAM2000 (Super J, Michiyoshi Ohara and Tatsutoshi Goto) in 12:21 when Riki Choshu pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Lariat. [61]
7. Scott Norton and Hiro Saito defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 11:17 when Scott Norton pinned Katsuyori Shibata with an Inverted Shoulder Breaker. [65]
8. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kaz Hayashi) in 13:14 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Kaz Hayashi with a German Suplex. [72]
9. Nagata and Kensuke Pull Apart [68]
10. Satoshi Kojima and Keiji Muto defeated Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam in 20:30 when Keiji Muto pinned Rob Van Dam with a Shining Wizard. [76]
[73]

Muto proves to be Team2000's kryptonite once again, securing the win in a competitive main event. With the 5 Versus 5 series between Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS on the horizon, Nagata and Kensuke have to be seperated post match for the second time in the tour, as the heat continues to build between the two leaders.

 

NJPW SURVIVAL NIGHT 10
1. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, Koji Kanemoto and Chris Candido) defeated EZ Money, Silver King, Gran Naniwa and Kendo Kashin in 11:33 when Koji Kanemoto submitted EZ Money with a Koji Clutch. [55]
2. Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka, Wataru Inoue and Yutaka Yoshie) defeated TEAM2000 (Super J, Michiyoshi Ohara and Tatsutoshi Goto) in 8:47 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Blizzard Suplex. [56]
3. Keiji Muto defeated Osamu Nishimura in 18:21 by submission with a Muta Lock. [67]
4. IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami in 14:46 when Scott Norton pinned Riki Choshu with a Powerslam. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam make defence V2 of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [68]
5. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and AKIRA) in 13:28 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned AKIRA with a TTD. [69]
6. BLUE JUSTICE VS. ERUPTIONS SURVIVAL GAUNTLET SERIES MATCH 1: Manabu Nakanishi [BJ]defeated Kenzo Suzuki [ER] in 12:03 by pinfall with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [57]

BLUE JUSTICE 1 - ERUPTIONS 0

7. BLUE JUSTICE VS. ERUPTIONS SURVIVAL GAUNTLET SERIES MATCH 2: Shiro Koshinaka [ER] defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi [BJ] in 10:56 by pinfall with a roll up. [59]

BLUE JUSTICE 1 - ERUPTIONS 1

8. BLUE JUSTICE VS. ERUPTIONS SURVIVAL GAUNTLET SERIES MATCH 3: Kaz Hayashi [ER] defeated El Samurai [BJ] in 13:02 by pinfall with a Wrist-Clutch Kryptonite Krunch [62]

BLUE JUSTICE 1 - ERUPTIONS 2

9. BLUE JUSTICE VS. ERUPTIONS SURVIVAL GAUNTLET SERIES MATCH 4: Jushin Thunder Liger [BJ] defeated Minoru Tanaka [ER] in 15:27 by pinfall with a rollup. [73]

BLUE JUSTICE 2 - ERUPTIONS 2

10. BLUE JUSTICE VS. ERUPTIONS SURVIVAL GAUNTLET SERIES MATCH 5: Yuji Nagata drew with Kensuke Sasaki in 30:00 when the time limit expired. [84]

BLUE JUSTICE 2 - ERUPTIONS 2

[79] [gained pop in 1 region]

The five match gauntlet series between Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS ends in a tie, as for the second time in 2001 after their clash in the G1, Nagata and Sasaki fight to an indecisive thirty minute draw. This time, Sasaki looks to have the match potentially won after hitting a Lariat, only for the time to expire before he can make the cover.

Kensuke - "...Nagata, this isn't over until we find out who the better man is. I want you one more time... Tokyo Dome, IWGP Championship, no time limit!"

Elsewhere Norton and RVD make their second successful IWGP Tag Team Title defence over Dradition, but there's another defeat for Team2000 against IT'S JUST US! and Chono is furious post match, berating an apologetic AKIRA and threatening journalists.

Chono - "Understand this... losing is not an option! And if I have to make an example out of someone, then god-damn it... I WILL!"

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-TOUR NOTES-

BEST MATCHES:
Yuji Nagata vs. Kensuke Sasaki N10 [84]
Muto, Tencozy and Shibata vs. Chono, Norton, RVD and Saito N7 [77]
Kojima, Muto and Shibata vs. Chono, Saito and RVD N5 [77]

- Muto added some strength to this tour, but his tag match on Night 9 would have been a lot better had he and Kojima not had some unexpected Awful Chemistry as a tag team.

- On the other end of the scale, Yoshie and Tanahashi had Great Chemistry on Night 8, which is going to earn them a spot in the G1 Tag League on the next tour and a spot as a permanent team going forward.

- There were some rough pairings in singles action, as Yoshie had Poor Chemistry with both Norton and AKIRA - maybe he needs to stick to tags for other reasons - while Koshinaka and Ohara had Awful Chemistry and a stinker on Night 1.

- Wagner Jr. suffered a Clavicle Contusion in the opener on Night 8, which he was able to work through.

ELSEWHERE...
- Both Ohara and Kaz Fujita are taking MMA fights in 2 months time.

- Dolgorsuren Serjudbee has graduated the dojo and is ready to debut on the Tag League tour.

- The Godfather's contract with WWF has expired.

- AJPW suffered a big blow as Taiyo Kea tore his ACL and is going to be out for the next year.

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NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING Presents...

 

G1 JR. TAG LEAGUE 2001

TEAM2000 (Jado and Gedo) - Jr. HV Tag Team Champions
TEAM2000 (Koji Kanemoto and AKIRA)
Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai)
ERUPTIONS (Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka)
Team CMLL (Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King)
Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa

The Tag League tour gets underway with a first time junior heavyweight version of the tournament across the first six nights. Two pairings from Team2000 enter the tournament, as well as representatives from both Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS, plus the outside entrants of CMLL's Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. and the debuting Rey Mysterio Jr. from IWA in Puerto Rico teaming with AJPW's Gran Naniwa.


JR. TAG LEAGUE N1 - Ishikawa Industrial Exhibition Hall #4 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
Jado and Gedo vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King
Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai vs. Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka
Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa vs. Koji Kanemoto and AKIRA

JR. TAG LEAGUE N2 - Takaoka Citizen Gymnasium in Takaoka, Toyama, Japan
Jado and Gedo vs. Koji Kanemoto and AKIRA
Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa
Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King vs. Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka

JR. TAG LEAGUE N3 - Ina Labor Welfare Center in Ina, Nagano, Japan
Jado and Gedo vs. Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai
Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King vs. Koji Kanemoto and AKIRA
Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa

JR TAG LEAGUE N4 - Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Jado and Gedo vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa
Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka vs. Koji Kanemoto and AKIRA
Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai vs. Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King

JR TAG LEAGUE N5 - Fujisawa City Akiba Bunka Gymnasium in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
Jado and Gedo vs. Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka
Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai vs. Koji Kanemoto and AKIRA
Dr. Wagner Jr. and Silver King vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa

JR TAG LEAGUE N6 - Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
JR. TAG LEAGUE FINAL

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G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 1
1. Takashi Iizuka and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated EZ Money and Chris Candido in 9:42 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned EZ Money with a Frog Splash. [56]
2. Osamu Nishimura defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 16:01 by pinfall with a surprise cradle. [53]
3. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine) in 11:25 when Scott Norton pinned Super Strong Machine with a Powerslam. [68]
4. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki) in 13:21 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Diving Splash. [71]
5. JR. TAG LEAGUE: AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto [2] defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa [0] in 11:52 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Koji Clutch. [60]
6. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jado and Gedo [2] defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. [0] in 14:35 when Gedo pinned Silver King with a Gedo Clutch. [59]
7. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai [2] defeated Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka [0] in 21:46 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Liger Bomb. [70]
[69]

AKIRA/Kanemoto 2 [1-0], Jado/Gedo 2 [1-0], Liger/Samurai 2 [1-0], Hayashi/Minoru 0 [0-1], Rey/Naniwa 0 [0-1], S.King/Wagner 0 [0-1]

Both Team2000 representatives get off to winning starts in the Junior Tag League, while Liger and Samurai win the battle of Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS in the main event, with Liger defeating Jr. HV Champion Minoru again. Outside of tournament action, Shibata once again holds his own against Nishimura in singles action, before ultimately finding himself caught with a pinning combination.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 2
1. Kenzo Suzuki defeated Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 10:26 by pinfall with a Spear. [42]
2. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jado and Gedo [4] defeated AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto [2] in 6:44 when Gedo pinned AKIRA with a Gedo Clutch. [46]
3. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Silver King and Wagner Jr. [1] drew with Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka [1] in 30:00 when the time limit expired. [60]
4. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai [4] defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa [0] in 12:34 when El Samurai pinned Gran Naniwa with a Samurai Bomb. [66]
5. Kensuke Sasaki and Shiro Koshinaka defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie in 11:46 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Three-Quarter Nelson Suplex. [65]
6. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Riki Choshu and Super Strong Machine in 12:04 when Yuji Nagata pinned Super Strong Machine with a Backdrop Hold. [72]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 14:53 when Rob Van Dam pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Five Star Frog Splash. [78]
[74]

Jado/Gedo 4 [2-0], Liger/Samurai 4 [2-0], AKIRA/Kanemoto 2 [1-1], Hayashi/Minoru 1 [0-1-1], S.King/Wagner 1 [0-1-1], Rey/Naniwa 0 [0-2]

Jr. Tag Champions Jado and Gedo go out into the lead after the inter-Team2000 match of the tournament, alongside former champions Liger and Samurai with 2 wins from 2. The time limit draw between ERUPTIONS and Team CMLL sees both sides pick up their first point, but leave themselves with plenty to chase to reach the final. The opening match sees a debuting new dojo graduate in action - Mongolian Dolgosuren Serjudbee puts up a good fight, before losing to Kenzo.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 3
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 8:44 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [44]
2. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. [3] defeated AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto [2] in 7:42 when Silver King pinned AKIRA with a Moonsault. [55]
3. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Super J) in 12:22 when Riki Choshu pinned Super J with a Lariat. [68]
4. TEAM2000 Kick Out Super J [72]
5. Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Shinya Makabe in 14:49 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Shinya Makabe with a Lariat. [56]
6. Yuji Nagata and Takashi Iizuka defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki in 12:31 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Blizzard Suplex. [73]
7. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka [3] defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa [0] in 13:48 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Gran Naniwa with a Minoru Special. [64]
8. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai [6] defeated Jado and Gedo [4] in 15:51 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Gedo with a Brainbuster. [71]
[70]

Liger/Samurai 6 [3-0], Jado/Gedo 4 [2-1], Hayashi/Minoru 3 [1-1-1], S.King/Wagner 3 [1-1-1], AKIRA/Kanemoto 2 [1-2], Rey/Naniwa 0 [0-3]

The two unbeaten teams after two rounds of league action meet in the main event and it's the former champions who beat the current champions, sending Blue Justice's duo to 6 points. ERUPTIONS and Team CMLL both pick up their first wins to close the gap at the top.

Elsewhere, Tanahashi follows Kenzo in defeating the new young lion. And after threatening to make an example out of someone in Team2000 during the last tour after some poor results, Chono delivers on his promise. Defeat for Super J proves to be the final straw for the Team2000 leader as he instructs Norton and Van Dam to attack, before telling Super J that he's a loser and he's out of the group!

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 4
1. Super Strong Machine defeated Katsushi Takemura in 8:01 by pinfall with a Sitout Powerbomb. [47]
2. Rob Van Dam and Chris Candido defeated Yutaka Yoshie and Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 10:39 when Rob Van Dam pinned Dolgorsuren Serjudbee with a Five Star Frog Splash. [63]
3. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jado and Gedo [6] defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa [0] in 15:24 when Jado pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Backdrop Driver. [54]
4. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Wataru Inoue) in 14:18 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Wataru Inoue with a Lariat. [71]
5. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka [5] defeated AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto [2] in 10:53 when Kaz Hayashi pinned AKIRA with a Final Cut. [60]
6. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai [8] defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. [3] in 18:25 when Jushin Thunder Liger submitted Dr. Wagner Jr. with a Rings Of Saturn stretch. [60]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 13:38 when Masahiro Chono pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Yakuza Kick. [71]
[70]

Liger/Samurai 8 [4-0], Jado/Gedo 6 [3-1], Hayashi/Minoru 5 [2-1-1], S.King/Wagner 3 [1-1-2], AKIRA/Kanemoto 2 [1-3], Rey/Naniwa 0 [0-4]

Victory for Liger and Samurai secures a place in the final and eliminates Team CMLL from contention, meaning that night 5's match between ERUPTIONS and Jado and Gedo is essentially a play-in for the final after both teams win their penultimate bouts. The champions just need a draw to set up another match with the team they captured the gold from in July.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 5
1. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Takashi Iizuka in 11:03 by pinfall with a Samoan Driver. [54]
2. Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Super Strong Machine and Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 8:40 when Tatsutoshi Goto pinned Dolgorsuren Serjudbee with a Goto Facebuster. [45]
3. Osamu Nishimura and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Wataru Inoue in 14:37 when Tatsumi Fujinami submitted Wataru Inoue with a Dragon Sleeper. [57]
4. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) in 11:42 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Shinya Makabe with a Frog Splash. [67]
5. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Rey Mysterio Jr. and Gran Naniwa [2] defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. [3] in 13:38 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Dr. Wagner Jr. with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [61]
6. JR. TAG LEAGUE: AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto [4] defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai [8] in 10:26 when AKIRA pinned El Samurai after using a foreign object. [61]
7. JR. TAG LEAGUE: Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka [7] defeated Jado and Gedo [6] in 12:38 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Gedo with a Minoru Special. [64]
8. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated Super J and Tencozy in 14:40 when Masahiro Chono pinned Super J with a Shining Black. [79]
[74]

Liger/Samurai 8 [4-1], Hayashi/Minoru 7 [3-1-1] ; Jado/Gedo 6 [3-2], AKIRA/Kanemoto 4 [2-3], S.King/Wagner 3 [1-1-3], Rey/Naniwa 2 [1-4]

The final night of league action sees Minoru and Kaz leapfrog the Jr. Tag Champions into the final with a win, ensuring it will be Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS meeting again. Liger and Samurai are prevented from a clean sweep in the league after AKIRA uses the ring bell hammer to strike Liger behind the official's back. Mysterio Jr. and Naniwa ensure they don't end the tournament pointless with their first win.

After being excommunicated from Team2000, Super J is offered a change at revenge by fellow former members Tencozy in the main event, with Shibata vacating his spot. Super J is put away by Chono though, who taunts Super J further after the match.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 6
1. Hiro Saito defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 8:44 by pinfall with a Senton. [56]
2. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue defeated EZ Money and Shinya Makabe in 12:18 when Takashi Iizuka pinned EZ Money with a Blizzard Suplex. [59]
3. Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 7:01 by pinfall with a Goto Facebuster. [36]
4. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine in 14:51 when Osamu Nishimura pinned Super Strong Machine with a roll up. [54]
5. Rey Mysterio Jr., Gran Naniwa, Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated TEAM2000 (AKIRA, Koji Kanemoto, Jado and Chris Candido) in 12:53 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Chris Candido with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [59]
6. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Michiyoshi Ohara) in 11:50 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a TenKoji Cutter. [78]
7. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki) in 15:10 when Yuji Nagata pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Backdrop Hold. [81]
8. Masahiro Chono defeated Super J in 12:02 by pinfall with a Yakuza Kick. [76]
9. JR. TAG LEAGUE FINAL: Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 21:47 when Minoru Tanaka submitted El Samurai with a Minoru Special. [75]
[74]

After defeat in the league stage, Minoru and Hayashi win the Jr. Tag League for ERUPTIONS and gain revenge on Blue Justice in the process. Minoru's sights are set on Koji Kanemoto in the post match interview however, challenging his former tag team partner to a match on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome and offering to put his Jr. Title on the line. Liger and Samurai are disappointed, but point out that they defeated the Jr. Tag Champions in the league and make their intentions known for another shot at the belts.

In the semi main event Super J gets a one on one shot against his former leader Chono and shows a newfound fire, getting the crowd behind him in a spirited match. Chono is again too much for Super J in the end though. Also on the card, Dradition compete in a friendly 2 on 2 bout, while Mysterio Jr. gets the win in the battle of eliminated Jr. Tag League competitors, pinning Candido who subs in for an injured Gedo.

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-TOUR NOTES-
TITLE CHANGE: Minoru Tanaka and Kaz Hayashi of ERUPTIONS win the first Junior Heavyweight Tag League.

BEST MATCH: Blue Justice (Nagata, Nakanishi and Tanahashi) vs. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke, Koshinaka and Kenzo) N6 [81]

BEST TOURNAMENT MATCHES:
Minoru and Hayashi vs. Liger and Samurai N6 [75]
Liger and Samurai vs. Jado and Gedo N3 [71]
Minoru and Hayashi vs. Liger and Samurai N1 [70]

- The tournament was somewhat hampered by AKIRA and Kanemoto having Awful Chemistry, not helping Kanemoto who needs to gain some steam after coming back from his injury and could have used a good showing.

- Also not helping the tournament was an injury to Gedo on Night 4. A botched suplex from Gran Naniwa left him with a Hip Pointer, which he was able to work through, but hurt the quality of the deciding match with ERUPTIONS on the next show. Naniwa isn't going to be back in New Japan anytime soon, never really impressing that much, and because, well, you don't hurt the booker...

- Ahead of the Heavyweight Tag League there was good news, as Kensuke and Kenzo have Great Chemistry as tag team partners (as well as opponents now). They were already pencilled in as participants, but this seals the deal.

- There was also Great Chemistry between Yoshie and Dolgorsuren, which could be useful once the Mongolian is out of his young lion phase and needs a role on the shows.

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NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING Presents...

G1 TAG LEAGUE 2001

The rest of the tour sees the 11th iteration of the heavyweight G1 Tag League take place. The IWGP Tag Team Champions RVD and Scott Norton will not be participating in the tournament itself, with Norton in non tournament matches throughout the tour and Van Dam returning for the final night. Blue Justice are represented by three pairings, with two from Team2000 and Tencozy, ERUPTIONS and Dradition making up the field.

Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima)
Team2000 (Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito)
Mad Dogs (Tatsutoshi Goto and Michiyoshi Ohara)
Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi)
Blue Justice (Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi)
Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue)
ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki)
Dradition (Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE N1 - Kyoto City Gymnasium in Kyoto, Japan
Tencozy vs. Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito
Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi vs. Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi
Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue
Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura vs. Mad Dogs

G1 TAG LEAGUE N2 - Takasago City Gymnasium in Takasago, Hyogo, Japan
Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue
Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki vs. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura
Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito vs. Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi
Tencozy vs. Mad Dogs

G1 TAG LEAGUE N3 - Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Tencozy vs. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi
Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki
Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito vs. Mad Dogs
Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue

G1 TAG LEAGUE N4 - Fukui City Gymnasium in Fukui, Japan
Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi vs. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura
Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito vs. Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki
Tencozy vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue
Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Mad Dogs

G1 TAG LEAGUE N5 - Hiroshima Sun Plaza in Hiroshima, Japan
Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi vs. Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki
Tencozy vs. Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi
Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito vs. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura
Mad Dogs vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue

G1 TAG LEAGUE N6 - Tokushima Municipal Gymnasium in Tokushima, Japan
Tencozy vs. Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki
Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura
Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue
Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi vs. Mad Dogs

G1 TAG LEAGUE N7 - Tex Port Imabari in Imabari, Ehime, Japan
Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito vs. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi
Tencozy vs. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura
Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue
Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki vs. Mad Dogs

G1 TAG LEAGUE FINAL - Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium in Osaka, Japan

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G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 7
1. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Dr. Wagner Jr. in 14:39 by pinfall with a Penalty Kick. [61]
2. Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura defeated Super Strong Machine and Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 8:36 when Katsushi Takemura pinned Dolgorsuren Serjudbee with a Fireman's Carry Facebuster. [51]
3. ERUPTIONS (Kaz Hayashi, Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe) defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Chris Candido and Koji Kanemoto) in 11:47 when Minoru Tanaka pinned Jado with a 450 Splash. [61]
4. Scott Norton and AKIRA defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 12:12 when Scott Norton pinned Jushin Thunder Liger with an Inverted Shoulder Breaker. [66]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [2] defeated Mad Dogs [0] in 10:49 when Riki Choshu pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Lariat. [62]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [2] defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [0] in 11:58 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Wataru Inoue with a Northern Lights Bomb. [72]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [2] defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [0] in 13:32 when Yuji Nagata pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Backdrop Hold. [75]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Tencozy [2] defeated Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [0] in 18:25 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Hiro Saito with a Lariat. [75]
[74]

Choshu/Nishimura 2 [1-0], Kensuke/Kenzo 2 [1-0], Nagata/Nakanishi 2 [1-0], Tenzan/Kojima 2 [1-0], Chono/Saito 0 [0-1], Iizuka/Inoue 0 [0-1], Mad Dogs 0 [0-1], Yoshie/Tanahashi 0 [0-1]

Night one of Tag League sees wins for Dradition, ERUPTIONS, Nagata and Nakanishi and Tencozy. Nagata and Nakanishi win the first of three meetings between Blue Justice teams in the tournament when Nagata pins his protege, while Tencozy defeat their former Team2000 allies in the main event.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 8
1. Kaz Hayashi and Minoru Tanaka defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 15:47 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Silver King with a Minoru Special. [66]
2. Scott Norton defeated Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 4:48 by pinfall with a Powerslam. [38]
3. Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Shinya Makabe in 9:23 when Tadao Yasuda pinned Shinya Makabe with a Tiger Driver. [53]
4. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and AKIRA) in 13:13 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned AKIRA with a Brainbuster. [66]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Tencozy [4] defeated Mad Dogs [0] in 9:35 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a TenKoji Cutter. [69]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [2] defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [0] in 13:21 when Masahiro Chono submitted Yutaka Yoshie with an STF. [70]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [4] defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [2] in 12:29 when Osamu Nishimura pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a quick cradle. [67]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [4] defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [0] in 14:41 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Takashi Iizuka with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [75]
[73]

Choshu/Nishimura 4 [2-0], Nagata/Nakanishi 4 [2-0], Tenzan/Kojima 4 [2-0], Chono/Saito 2 [1-1], Kensuke/Kenzo 2 [1-1], Iizuka/Inoue 0 [0-2], Mad Dogs 0 [0-2], Yoshie/Tanahashi 0 [0-2]

Three teams move to 2-0, with Nagata and Nakanishi defeating their other Blue Justice team-mates in the top bout. Chono and Saito are the other team to get on the board, as Chono forces Yoshie to quit to the STF.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 9
1. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Katsushi Takemura in 14:51 by pinfall with a Penalty Kick. [45]
2. Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated Dolgorsuren Serjudbee and EZ Money in 10:46 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned EZ Money with a Liger Bomb. [59]
3. Super J defeated Chris Candido in 9:39 by pinfall with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [52]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) defeated ERUPTIONS (Minoru Tanaka, Kaz Hayashi and Shinya Makabe) in 12:32 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Shinya Makabe with a Koji Clutch. [55]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [2] defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [4] in 11:36 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Riki Choshu with a DDT. [64]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [4] defeated Mad Dogs [0] in 10:02 when Masahiro Chono pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a Yakuza Kick. [68]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [2] defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [2] in 13:15 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Frog Splash. [73]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [6] defeated Tencozy [4] in 22:39 when Yuji Nagata pinned Hiroyoshi Tenzan with a Backdrop Hold. [80]
[76]

Nagata/Nakanishi 6 [3-0], Chono/Saito 4 [2-1], Choshu/Nishimura 4 [2-1], Tenzan/Kojima 4 [2-1], Iizuka/Inoue 2 [1-2], Kensuke/Kenzo 2 [1-2], Yoshie/Tanahashi 2 [1-2], Mad Dogs 0 [0-3]

Only one team remains unbeaten after Nagata and Nakanishi come out on top in one of the key matches of the entire tournament on paper, handing Tencozy their first loss. Choshu and Nishimura fall to a surprise defeat to Iizuka and Inoue to open a gap for their fellow Blue Justice members, with Chono and Saito joining the pack on 4 with their win over Team2000 team-mates Mad Dogs. It's three for three for Blue Justice on the night, as Tanahashi gets the pinfall over his former partner Kenzo to earn he and Yoshie their first points.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 10
1. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Katsushi Takemura in 14:51 by pinfall with a Samoan Driver. [41]
2. Scott Norton defeated Super J in 8:01 by pinfall with a Powerslam. [64]
3. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated EZ Money, Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 13:02 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned EZ Money with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [68]
4. Gedo and Koji Kanemoto defeated Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe in 11:47 when Koji Kanemoto pinned Shinya Makabe with a Brainbuster. [65]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [4] defeated Mad Dogs [0] in 11:52 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a German Suplex. [59]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Tencozy [6] defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [2] in 14:34 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Wataru Inoue with a TenKoji Cutter. [73]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [6] defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [2] in 12:49 when Masahiro Chono pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Yakuza Kick. [74]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [6] defeated Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [6] in 14:59 when Riki Choshu pinned Manabu Nakanishi with a Lariat. [78]
[75]

Chono/Saito 6 [3-1], Choshu/Nishimura 6 [3-1], Nagata/Nakanishi 6 [3-1], Tenzan/Kojima 6 [3-1], Yoshie/Tanahashi 4 [2-2], Iizuka/Inoue 2 [1-3], Kensuke/Kenzo 2 [1-3], Mad Dogs 0 [0-4]

A fourway tie at the top appears, as Choshu and Nishimura knock off Blue Justice in the main event. Those two teams are joined by Tencozy and Chono and Saito on 6 points, while Mad Dogs remain on 0 and are already out of contention to make the final with their defeat.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 11
1. Shiro Koshinaka defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 15:13 by pinfall with a Powerbomb. [46]
2. Tadao Yasuda defeated Super Strong Machine in 8:27 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [58]
3. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Chris Candido) in 12:46 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Chris Candido with a Frankensteiner. [65]
4. Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto defeated Super J and Minoru Tanaka in 12:08 when Scott Norton pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Powerbomb. [62]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Mad Dogs [2] defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [2] in 11:43 when Tatsutoshi Goto pinned Wataru Inoue with a Goto Facebuster. [62]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [8] defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [6] in 13:27 when Hiro Saito pinned Osamu Nishimura with a Diving Seated Senton. [72]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [6] defeated Tencozy [6] in 14:46 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Satoshi Kojima with a Frog Splash. [75]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [8] defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [2] in 17:16 when Yuji Nagata pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Backdrop Hold. [80]
9. Nagata Taunts Kensuke, Pull Apart [53]
[76]

Chono/Saito 8 [4-1], Nagata/Nakanishi 8 [4-1], Choshu/Nishimura 6 [3-2], Tenzan/Kojima 6 [3-2], Yoshie/Tanahashi 6 [3-2], Iizuka/Inoue 2 [1-4], Kensuke/Kenzo 2 [1-4], Mad Dogs 2 [1-4]

The continuing rivalry between Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS and their leaders Nagata and Kensuke boils over again after their match. Victory for Nagata eliminates Kensuke and Kenzo from the running, which Nagata takes great joy in celebrating, infuriating Sasaki and sparking another brawl between the two.

Also eliminated are Iizuka and Inoue, beaten by Mad Dogs for their first victory. Chono and Saito move joint top with their win over Dradition, while there's a major upset in the semi main event, as Yoshie and Tanahashi stay alive with a win over Tencozy, with Tanahashi getting the decisive fall on Kojima.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 12
1. Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine defeated Katsuyori Shibata and Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 15:14 when Tatsumi Fujinami submitted Dolgorsuren Serjudbee with a Dragon Sleeper. [47]
2. Super J defeated Katsushi Takemura in 8:18 by pinfall with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [48]
3. Scott Norton and Chris Candido defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 9:31 when Scott Norton pinned Jushin Thunder Liger. [66]
4. Minoru Tanaka, Rey Mysterio Jr., Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) in 14:17 when Minoru Tanaka submitted AKIRA with a Minoru Special. [62]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [10] defeated Mad Dogs [2] in 11:20 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a German Suplex. [71]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [10] defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [2] in 11:54 when Masahiro Chono submitted Wataru Inoue with an STF. [73]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [8] defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [6] in 12:07 when Riki Choshu pinned Yutaka Yoshie with a Lariat. [64]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Tencozy [8] defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [2] in 14:28 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan submitted Kenzo Suzuki with an Anaconda Vice. [74]
[72]

Chono/Saito 10 [5-1], Nagata/Nakanishi 10 [5-1], Choshu/Nishimura 8 [4-2], Tenzan/Kojima 8 [4-2], Yoshie/Tanahashi 6 [3-3], Iizuka/Inoue 2 [1-5], Kensuke/Kenzo 2 [1-5], Mad Dogs 2 [1-5]

With one match left four teams remain in contention for the final. Wins for Nagata and Nakanishi and Chono and Saito solidify the top two spots, with the two teams set to meet next. The winner would be guaranteed a final spot - the loser will be forced into a playoff match with the winner of Tencozy's match with Dradition. Choshu and Nishimura's win here puts Yoshie and Tanahashi out.

Kenzo is despondant after taking a fifth fall in a row and blames himself for ERUPTIONS's failure, but Kensuke tells him not to be disheartened or to let Nagata make him lose faith in himself, because he sees Kenzo's potential.

Kensuke - "You have to come back stronger! Understand? This is just the beginning... I believe in you... you just have to believe in yourself. If we win tomorrow night, we finish off the bottom... we pick ourselves up and tomorrow, we win!"

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 13
1. Tatsumi Fujinami and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:52 when Katsuyori Shibata pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Penalty Kick. [33]
2. Super Strong Machine defeated EZ Money in 9:21 by pinfall with a Lariat. [47]
3. ERUPTIONS (Super J, Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe) defeated TEAM2000 (AKIRA, Koji Kanemoto and Chris Candido) in 11:13 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Chris Candido with a Minoru Special. [58]
4. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Jado and Gedo) defeated Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 12:48 when Scott Norton pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Powerbomb. [68]
5. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki [4] defeated Mad Dogs [2] in 12:21 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Michiyoshi Ohara with a Northern Lights Bomb. [67]
6. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue [4] defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie [6] in 12:44 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Blizzard Suplex. [65]
7. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Tencozy [10] defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura [8] in 12:54 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Osamu Nishimura with a TenKoji Cutter. [73]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE: Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi [12] defeated Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito [10] in 17:43 when Yuji Nagata pinned Hiro Saito with a Backdrop Hold. [79]
[75]

Nagata/Nakanishi 12 [6-1], Chono/Saito 10 [5-2], Tenzan/Kojima 10 [5-2] ; Choshu/Nishimura 8 [4-3], Yoshie/Tanahashi 6 [3-4], Iizuka/Inoue 4 [2-5], Kensuke/Kenzo 4 [2-5], Mad Dogs 2 [1-6]

The first finalist is set, as Nagata and Nakanishi win the league stage with victory over Team2000, finishing 2 points clear of their rivals. Chono and Saito now have to face Tencozy in a decider match after they defeat Choshu and Nishimura, with Tencozy already holding a win over Team2000 but tiebreakers not in effect.
Kensuke and Kenzo's win ensures they don't finish bottom - nor do Iizuka and Inoue, who win the final face-off between Blue Justice teams over Yoshie and Tanahashi to end on 4 points with ERUPTIONS.

 

G1 TAG LEAGUE NIGHT 14
1. Takashi Iizuka defeated Michiyoshi Ohara in 11:03 by pinfall with a Blizzard Suplex. [61]
2. Yutaka Yoshie defeated Chris Candido in 9:43 by pinfall with a Diving Splash. [49]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Wataru Inoue defeated Silver King and Dr. Wagner Jr. in 14:44 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Silver King with a Frog Splash. [60]
4. G1 TAG LEAGUE DECISION MATCH: Tencozy defeated Masahiro Chono and Hiro Saito in 15:33 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Hiro Saito with a TenKoji Cutter. [76]
5. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) defeated ERUPTIONS (Super J, Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe) in 12:27 when Scott Norton pinned Shinya Makabe with an Inverted Shoulder Breaker. [61]
6. TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Jado and Gedo) defeated Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 14:47 when Rob Van Dam pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Five Star Frog Splash. [77]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki) defeated Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Super Strong Machine) in 11:52 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Super Strong Machine with a Lariat. [61]
8. G1 TAG LEAGUE FINAL: Tencozy defeated Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi in 26:26 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Manabu Nakanishi with a Koji Cutter. Tencozy win the G1 Climax Tag League. [81]
[78] [gained pop in 1 region]

Needing to win twice to come out on top, Tencozy manage to prevail in the G1 Tag League after a marathon performance - 42 minutes across two victories over Team2000 and, in the final, Nagata and Nakanishi. With their win, Tencozy set up a rematch against Norton and RVD for the IWGP Tag Team Titles at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th, with both Tag Champions picking up seperate pinfall wins on the undercard.

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-TOUR NOTES-
TITLE CHANGE: Tencozy win their first G1 Tag League together, their second each individually.

BEST MATCHES:
Tencozy vs. Nagata and Nakanishi N14 [81]
Tencozy vs. Nagata and Nakanishi N9 [80]
Nagata and Nakanishi vs. Kensuke and Kenzo N11 [80]

- There was a big injury on the undercard of Tag League, as Kaz Hayashi suffered a Torn Achilles in his six man tag match on Night 9. He needed surgery and is estimated to be sidelined for 7 months, meaning he'll be out until next July, which leaves a pretty big hole in ERUPTIONS.

- Kojima offered to put over Tanahashi before the tour started, giving the opportunity to do a big upset in the tournament. Although Kojima would be happy to do it, it's a little too early to give Tanahashi a singles win, so this worked out perfectly.

- Outside of the tournament, Norton and Super J had Great Chemistry on Night 10, Shibata and Takemura had Poor Chemistry on Night 9 and Gedo and Kanemoto worked Great together on Night 10.

ELSEWHERE...
- The big WWF news saw HHH caught up in an illegal steroids scandal. The news doesn't seem to have lead to any big repercussions, but caused a brief stir publically.

- On screen, Survivor Series was headlined by an Angle/Austin/Jericho Ladder Match for the WWF Title, with Angle retaining. With the unofficial WWF/WCW merger storyline still going, Shane McMahon became Intercontinental Champion by beating DDP and The Hardyz won the WCW Tag Titles, while Undertaker remains WCW Champion and Benoit beat Jericho for the WCW US Title in the build-up.

- AJPW have moved on from Kawada as their figurehead and are looking to expand their roster.

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NJPW DREAM WIN 2001
1. Osamu Nishimura defeated Wataru Inoue in 15:21 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [72]
2. Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 9:27 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Katsushi Takemura with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [53]
3. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Chris Candido) in 15:42 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned Chris Candido with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [68]
4. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami and Super Strong Machine) defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Shinya Makabe and Dolgorsuren Serjudbee in 11:48 when Riki Choshu pinned Dolgorsuren Serjudbee with a Lariat. [53]
5. Takashi Iizuka defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 9:35 by pinfall with a Blizzard Suplex. [59]
6. Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto defeated Super J and Minoru Tanaka in 14:07 when Masahiro Chono pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Yakuza Kick. [69]
7. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito) in 15:45 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Hiro Saito with a TenKoji Cutter. [76]
8. Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Kenzo Suzuki in 18:17 when Yuji Nagata pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Backdrop Hold. [78]
9. Nagata/Kensuke Pull Apart, Kensuke Vows To Win At Wrestling World [83]
[76] [gained pop in 1 region]

 

ELSEWHERE...
- Ohara and Kaz Fujita have officially begun training for their MMA fights and will be gone for 5 and 6 months respectively.

- All Japan's hiring has begun with a new crop of gaijin talent. Ken Shamrock, Dustin Rhodes and Tracy Smothers have all joined, as well as Chris Candido, who has opted to work for them over us. We're beginning to rely less on cross-promotion, so he's effectively done with us for now.

- The WWF switched the HV Title to Kane on Raw before Vengeance, winning a triple threat with Angle and Booker T. At the PPV, Undertaker and Kane retained their WCW and WWF World Titles against Rock and Booker in the top two matches. Scott Hall beat Benoit for the WCW US Title and Edge and Christian became WWF Tag Champions beating The Dudleyz.

- Dean Malenko has retired and opened up a new wrestling school.

- The WWF's Val Venis and Starla Saxton have begun dating.

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2001 WRAP-UP
CHAMPIONS ROLLCALL
WWF- Kane
WCW- The Undertaker
NOAH GHC- Mitsuharu Misawa
NJPW IWGP- Yuji Nagata
AJPW Triple Crown- Genichiro Tenryu
CMLL World- Mr. Niebla
AAA Campeon de Campeones- Cibernetico
NWA World- Road Warrior Animal

YEAR END AWARDS
Best Wrestler- Kane
Best Tag Team- Edge and Christian
Best Young Wrestler- Jeff Hardy
Best Veteran- Scott Hall
Best Female- Ivory
Best Independent Wrestler- Rey Mysterio Jr.
Best Company- WWF
Best Match- Angle and Austin vs. Kane and Rock (RAW)
Best Show- WWF King Of The Ring 2001

NJPW AWARDS
Best Wrestler- Yuji Nagata
Best Match- Nagata vs. Chono, G1 World Night 9
Best Show- G1 World Night 9

 

NJPW WRESTLING WORLD 2002 - Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan

(1) Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura vs. Katsuyori Shibata and Shinya Makabe

(2) King Of The Hills Explosion Special Challenge Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenzo Suzuki

(3) IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] Team 2000 (Jado and Gedo) vs. [Challengers] Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) ~ 3rd Defense

(4) TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito, Tatsutoshi Goto and AKIRA) vs. Shiro Koshinaka, Super J and Rey Mysterio Jr.

(5) IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Minoru Tanaka vs. [Challenger] Koji Kanemoto ~ 6th Defense

(6) Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine)

(7) IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] TEAM 2000 (Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) vs. [Challengers] Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima ~ 3rd Defense

(8)  Special Singles Match: Masahiro Chono vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

(9)  IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Yuji Nagata vs. [Challenger] Kensuke Sasaki ~ 3rd Defense

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NJPW WRESTLING WORLD 2002 - Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan

(1) Katsuyori Shibata and Shinya Makabe

(2) King Of The Hills Explosion Special Challenge Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi

(3) IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] Team 2000 (Jado and Gedo)

(4) Shiro Koshinaka, Super J and Rey Mysterio Jr.

(5) IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Minoru Tanaka

(6) Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine)

(7) IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] TEAM 2000 (Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam)

(8)  Special Singles Match: Masahiro Chono

(9)  IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: [Challenger] Kensuke Sasaki ~ 3rd Defense

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NJPW WRESTLING WORLD 2002 - Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan

(1) Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura vs. Katsuyori Shibata and Shinya Makabe

(2) King Of The Hills Explosion Special Challenge Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenzo Suzuki

(3) IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] Team 2000 (Jado and Gedo) vs. [Challengers] Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) ~ 3rd Defense

(4) TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito, Tatsutoshi Goto and AKIRA) vs. Shiro Koshinaka, Super J and Rey Mysterio Jr.

(5) IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Minoru Tanaka vs. [Challenger] Koji Kanemoto ~ 6th Defense

(6) Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine)

(7) IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] TEAM 2000 (Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) vs. [Challengers] Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima ~ 3rd Defense

(8)  Special Singles Match: Masahiro Chono vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

(9)  IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Yuji Nagata vs. [Challenger] Kensuke Sasaki ~ 3rd Defense

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Katsuyori Shibata and Shinya Makabe
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai)
Shiro Koshinaka, Super J and Rey Mysterio Jr.
Minoru Tanaka
Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine)
TEAM 2000 (Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam)
Masahiro Chono
Kensuke Sasaki

 

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Katsuyori Shibata and Shinya Makabe

Hiroshi Tanahashi

Team 2000 (Jado and Gedo)

Shiro Koshinaka, Super J and Rey Mysterio Jr.

Minoru Tanaka

Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue)

Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima)

Masahiro Chono

Yuji Nagata

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Posted (edited)

NJPW WRESTLING WORLD 02
1. Katsuyori Shibata and Shinya Makabe defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 10:39 when Katsuyori Shibata submitted Katsushi Takemura with an Octopus Hold. [58]

2. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Kenzo Suzuki in 15:33 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [59]

3. IWGP JR. HV TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Jado and Gedo (c) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 16:16 when Gedo pinned Jushin Thunder Liger with a Gedo Clutch. Jado and Gedo make defence V3 of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [66]

4. Shiro Koshinaka, Super J and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito, Tatsutoshi Goto and AKIRA) in 11:54 when Super J pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a Choke Slam. [59]

5. IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: Minoru Tanaka (c) defeated Koji Kanemoto in 18:28 by pinfall with a 450 Splash. Minoru Tanaka makes defence V6 of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. [72]

6. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Tatsumi Fujinami, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) in 12:50 when Riki Choshu pinned Wataru Inoue with a Lariat. [61]

7. IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Tencozy in 19:52 when Rob Van Dam pinned Satoshi Kojima with a Five Star Frog Splash. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam make defence V3 of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [77]

8. Masahiro Chono defeated Yoshihiro Takayama in 15:23 by pinfall with a Shining Black. [71]
9. Chono and Takayama Handshake [71]

10. IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: Kensuke Sasaki defeated Yuji Nagata (c) in 29:34 by pinfall with a Northern Lights Bomb. Kensuke Sasaki wins the IWGP Heavyweight title. [86]
11. Kensuke Celebrates [78]
 

[82] [gained pop in 1 region]

 

-SHOW NOTES-
- Chono and Takayama unfortunately had Poor Chemistry in the semi main. Takayama was a one-off deal as Chono needed an opponent. We've used the Muto card enough already and we're looking to move away from AJPW talent a little while they're becoming more competitive.

ELSEWHERE...
- Tori suffered a Broken Ankle on Smackdown against Lita and will miss a few months.

- Jazz and Redd Dogg have split.

Edited by cbacon87
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Posted (edited)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 TOUR PREVIEW

Following his big victory at the Tokyo Dome, new IWGP Champion Kensuke Sasaki's first contender - or contenders - emerged in the week after, in the form of the IWGP Tag Team Champions, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam. It was proposed that Norton would get the first shot, due to his tenure, with Van Dam also getting a title match, providing Sasaki got past Norton. Sasaki accepted the challenge of the Team2000 pair, on the condition that he would in turn challenge them for their titles, naming former Team2000 member Super J as his partner and the newest member of ERUPTIONS.

Prior to those title matches, Sasaki will first attend to unfinished business with former champion Nagata, with the two squaring off against each others chosen proteges in singles action on Night 1, before ERUPTIONS face Blue Justice in an Elimination Match on Night 2.

The other challenge laid out for the Fighting Spirit tour came from Tencozy, on behalf of their young ally Katsuyori Shibata. After facing off with and then teaming with Tatsumi Fujinami on the G1 Tag League tour, Tencozy proclaim Shibata wants to take the next step in the paths of Strong Style, setting up a series of clashes between the members of Dradition and IT'S JUST US! across the tour to test his credentials, before a singles match Trial Series with all four.

Elsewhere on the tour, Team2000's Jr. ranks continue to clash with both Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS, with Minoru granting an IWGP Jr. HV shot to AKIRA.

Following Wrestling World, an official invitation was extended from Kensuke to Super J to become the newest member of ERUPTIONS, which he accepted, joining the group for this tour with his sights still set on revenge against Team2000.

And a new era begins for Dolgorsuren Serjudbee, with the results of a fan vote seeing him re-christened as "Blue Wolf" ahead of this tour, during which he will face tough challenges, including singles bouts with both Chono and Nagata.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 1 - Sports Center in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine)
. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and AKIRA) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka)
. Yuji Nagata vs. Kenzo Suzuki
. Kensuke Sasaki vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 2 - Teisen Hall in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) vs. Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka, Wataru Inoue and Yutaka Yoshie)
. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)
. 4 VS. 4 ELIMINATION MATCH: ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J, Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka) vs. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin Thunder Liger)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 3 - Teisen Hall in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) vs. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto)
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Shiro Koshinaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito)
. Dradition (Osamu Nishimura and Tatsumi Fujinami) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 4 - Industrial Hall in Gifu, Japan
. Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Satoshi Kojima
. Dradition (Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and AKIRA)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 5 - Wakayama, Japan
. Dradition (Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata
. IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Minoru Tanaka (c) vs. [Challenger] AKIRA ~ 7th Defense
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Shiro Koshinaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 6 - City Gymnasium in Okayama, Japan
. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) vs. Blue Justice (Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto) vs. ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka)
. IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] TEAM2000 (Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) (c) vs. [Challengers] ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Super J) ~ 4th Defense

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 7 - Maishima Arena in Osaka, Japan
. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #1: Super Strong Machine vs. Katsuyori Shibata
. Tencozy vs. Dradition (Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J and Minoru Tanaka)
. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) vs. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Shiro Koshinaka)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 8 - City Gymnasium in Shirakawa, Fukishima, Japan
. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #2: Osamu Nishimura vs. Katsuyori Shibata
. Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Jado and Gedo
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and AKIRA) vs. ERUPTIONS (Super J, Shiro Koshinaka and Shinya Makabe)
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Minoru Tanaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 9 - City Gymnasium in Fukushima, Japan
. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #3: Riki Choshu vs. Katsuyori Shibata
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Shiro Koshinaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Tatsutoshi Goto)
. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto) vs. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger)

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 10 - Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #4: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Katsuyori Shibata
. Scott Norton vs. Super J
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Koji Kanemoto)

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT NIGHT 11 - Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan
(1) Wataru Inoue vs. Katsushi Takemura
(2) ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) vs. Blue Justice (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yutaka Yoshie and Blue Wolf)
(3) Tatsutoshi Goto vs. Super Strong Machine
(4) Takashi Iizuka vs. Tadao Yasuda
(5) Hiro Saito vs. Super J

(6) 4 VS. 4 ELIMINATION MATCH: TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr., Minoru Tanaka, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai

(7) IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura)

(8) TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam) vs. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi)

(9) IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Kensuke Sasaki vs. [Challenger] Scott Norton ~ 1st Defense

Edited by cbacon87
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NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 1
1. Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue defeated Silver King and EZ Money in 10:31 when Wataru Inoue pinned Silver King with a Cross-Legged Brainbuster. [61]
2. Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 12:02 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Katsushi Takemura with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [59]
3. Masahiro Chono defeated Blue Wolf in 8:13 by pinfall with a Yakuza Kick. [65]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) defeated Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Rey Mysterio Jr. in 13:01 when Koji Kanemoto submitted El Samurai with a Koji Clutch. [70]
5. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 13:50 when Satoshi Kojima pinned Super Strong Machine with a Lariat. [67]
6. Tencozy Calm Shibata/Choshu Confrontation [53]
7. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and AKIRA) defeated ERUPTIONS (Super J, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) in 12:37 when Rob Van Dam pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Five Star Frog Splash. [69]
8. Yuji Nagata defeated Kenzo Suzuki in 15:17 by pinfall with a Backdrop Hold. [64]
9. Kensuke Sasaki defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi in 19:16 by pinfall with a Northern Lights Bomb. [69]
[68]

Despite spirited efforts, Nagata and Kensuke eventually come out on top in their respective battles with the other's proteges. Another young upstart takes the headlines as well, as after spending much of IT'S JUST US!'s win over Dradition clashing with Choshu, Shibata decides to try and continue the battle after the bell and squares up to the veteran. Tencozy manage to pull him away, with Choshu restraining from retaliating, but affronted.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 2
1. Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura defeated Blue Wolf and Silver King in 11:18 when Tadao Yasuda pinned Blue Wolf with a Tiger Driver. [47]
2. TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito, Jado and Gedo) defeated Shiro Koshinaka, Shinya Makabe and Rey Mysterio Jr. in 12:28 when Hiro Saito pinned Shinya Makabe with a Senton. [59]
3. Super Strong Machine defeated EZ Money in 9:53 by pinfall with a Sitout Powerbomb. [47]
4. Koji Kanemoto defeated El Samurai in 14:58 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [56]
5. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka, Wataru Inoue and Yutaka Yoshie) in 12:31 when Rob Van Dam pinned Wataru Inoue with a Five Star Frog Splash. [73]
6. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura) defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 12:33 when Tatsumi Fujinami pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Dragon Suplex. [69]
7. Shibata/Fujinami Start Pull Apart [59]
8. 4 VS. 4 ELIMINATION MATCH: ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J, Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka) defeated Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jushin Thunder Liger) in 20:04.
1. Liger eliminates Minoru over rope 2. Kensuke pins Liger 3. Super J pins Tanahashi 4. Nakanishi pins Kenzo 5. Kensuke eliminates Nagata after Super J sends him onto apron 6. Nakanishi eliminates Super J over rope 7. Kensuke pins Nakanishi [75]
9. Kensuke Post Match Promo, Ready For Norton and RVD [69]
[72]

ERUPTIONS come out on top in the main event elimination match, with Kensuke now turning his attentions to Team2000. Meanwhile, Shibata's attempts to step up to Dradition step up a notch, as his decision to go after Fujinami post match are met with a more aggressive response from The Dragon than Choshu the night before, leading to the veteran and the rookie needing to be prised apart by their team-mates.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 3
1. Wataru Inoue defeated Silver King in 15:13 by pinfall with a Spear. [62]
2. Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:01 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Katsushi Takemura with a German Suplex. [59]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Blue Wolf in 11:18 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [46]
4. Satoshi Kojima defeated Super Strong Machine in 9:41 by pinfall with a Koji Cutter. [58]
5. Masahiro Chono and AKIRA defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Minoru Tanaka in 11:36 when Masahiro Chono submitted Minoru Tanaka with an STF. [66]
6. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) in 15:43 when Yuji Nagata submitted Gedo with a Nagata Lock II. [75]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Shiro Koshinaka) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito) in 12:52 when Super J pinned Hiro Saito with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [74]
8. Osamu Nishimura and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 14:31 when Tatsumi Fujinami pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Dragon Suplex. [69]
[70]

The main-event revolves around the Fujinami/Shibata issue, with the temperature changing anytime Nishimura and Tenzan aren't involved. Shibata targets The Dragon whie he's on the apron as soon as he's tagged in, before being taught a painful lesson for much of the rest of the match and being put away with the Dragon Suplex in the end. ERUPTIONS and Team2000 split their first matches, with Kensuke and Super J coming out on top against the Tag Team Champions.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 4
1. Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Silver King in 14:39 by pinfall with a quick roll up. [50]
2. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) defeated EZ Money, Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 9:16 when Yuji Nagata pinned EZ Money with a Backdrop Hold. [63]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Blue Wolf and Super Strong Machine in 10:21 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Blue Wolf with a Diving Splash. [53]
4. Satoshi Kojima defeated Tatsumi Fujinami in 10:27 by pinfall with a Lariat. [56]
5. Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) in 12:45 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Jado with a German Suplex. [66]
6. Rob Van Dam and Hiro Saito defeated Super J and Kenzo Suzuki in 11:59 when Rob Van Dam pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Five Star Frog Splash. [72]
7. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 13:20 when Riki Choshu pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Lariat. [69]
8. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and AKIRA) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) in 13:54 when Scott Norton pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Powerslam. [72]
[71]

Team2000 get the better of ERUPTIONS this time around, with both Van Dam and Norton getting the pinfall in the two bouts. It's Choshu's turn to clash with Shibata here, with the match again resembling two halves, with Nishimura and Tenzan more respectful and Shibata's stubborness and aggression ending with a Choshu Lariat. Kojima gets a win over Fujinami in singles action, but comes out with an injured eye from a bruising battle.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 5
1. Koji Kanemoto defeated Wataru Inoue in 12:37 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [57]
2. Tadao Yasuda defeated Blue Wolf in 7:44 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [46]
3. Kenzo Suzuki, Rey Mysterio Jr. and Shinya Makabe defeated Silver King, Katsushi Takemura and EZ Money in 10:51 when Rey Mysterio Jr. pinned EZ Money with a Springboard Frankensteiner. [55]
4. Yuji Nagata and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine in 12:26 when Yuji Nagata pinned Super Strong Machine with a Backdrop Hold. [70]
5. TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Jado and Gedo) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai) in 14:46 when Rob Van Dam pinned Jushin Thunder Liger with a Five Star Frog Splash. [78]
6. Riki Choshu and Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 12:01 when Tatsumi Fujinami pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Dragon Suplex. [62]
7. IWGP JR. HV CHAMPIONSHIP: Minoru Tanaka (c) defeated AKIRA in 17:29 by pinfall with a surprise roll up. Minoru Tanaka makes defence V7 of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. [61]
8. Team 2000 Jr. Attack Minoru, Liger/Samurai/Rey Save, Minoru Brushes Off Help [43]
9. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Shiro Koshinaka) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) in 15:02 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Hiro Saito with a Lariat. [67]
10. Kensuke Promo On Team 2000 [64]
[68]

With Kojima out, Dradition's match with Tenzan and Shibata proves another harsh lesson for Shibata, despite Tenzan's best efforts to counter Choshu and Fujinami's desire to put the youngster in his place. Minoru retains the Jr. Title and gets jumped post match, with Blue Justice and Mysterio coming to his rescue, but Minoru not showing much appreciation for his rivals' help afterwards. And Kensuke picks up the win in the main event ahead of the Tag Team Title match, warning Norton and Van Dam to focus on their belts, not his, or suffer the consequences.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 6
1. Osamu Nishimura defeated Silver King in 15:20 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [67]
2. Super Strong Machine defeated Blue Wolf in 7:48 by pinfall with a Lariat. [42]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:09 when Katsuyori Shibata pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Penalty Kick. [63]
4. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and AKIRA) in 13:09 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned AKIRA with a Brainbuster. [65]
5. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated Blue Justice (Yutaka Yoshie, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) in 13:39 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Wataru Inoue with a Frog Splash. [69]
6. Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe in 10:35 when Hiro Saito pinned Shinya Makabe with a Senton. [55]
7. Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka in 12:09 when Masahiro Chono submitted Shiro Koshinaka with an STF. [70]
8. IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Super J in 15:57 when Scott Norton pinned Super J with a Powerslam. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam make defence V4 of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [82]
[77]

Norton and RVD do focus on retaining their championships and overcome the new team of Sasaki and Super J, with Norton's eyes now turning to Kensuke's IWGP Title after victory here. It's a good night all round for Team2000 against ERUPTIONS, potentially a bad omen for the champ. A meeting of Blue Justice teams sees Tanahashi come out on top to continue his recent progression, while Shibata gets a win ahead of his Dradition Gauntlet Series.

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NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 7
1. Silver King and Koji Kanemoto defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and El Samurai in 15:28 when Koji Kanemoto pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Roundhouse Kick. [58]
2. Wataru Inoue defeated Katsushi Takemura in 11:06 by pinfall with a Spear. [51]
3. Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe defeated EZ Money and Blue Wolf in 9:49 when Kenzo Suzuki pinned Blue Wolf with a Spear. [48]
4. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #1: Super Strong Machine defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 11:47 by pinfall with a Sitout Powerbomb. [54]
5. Blue Justice (Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Jushin Thunder Liger) defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Tatsutoshi Goto) in 12:32 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Gedo with a German Suplex. [72]
6. Tencozy defeated Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura in 12:46 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Osamu Nishimura with a TenKoji Cutter. [75]
7. Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam defeated Super J and Minoru Tanaka in 14:41 when Rob Van Dam pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Five Star Frog Splash. [82]
8. Scott Norton and Hiro Saito defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Shiro Koshinaka in 14:36 when Scott Norton pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Powerbomb. [71]
[72]

Norton - and potentially RVD - continue their path to shots at the IWGP Title, by picking up the victories in the two main tag team matches against ERUPTIONS. Shibata's four match trial series against the members of Dradition ends in defeat, but Kojima's return to action sees Tencozy get a win over his next two opponents.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 8
1. Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:26 when Yuji Nagata pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Backdrop Hold. [71]
2. Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka, Hiroshi Tanahashi and El Samurai) defeated EZ Money, Silver King and Blue Wolf in 10:37 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Blue Wolf with a Frog Splash. [55]
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Super Strong Machine in 12:01 by submission with an Anaconda Vice. [66]
4. Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Wataru Inoue in 8:57 by pinfall with a Goto Facebuster. [51]
5. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #2: Osamu Nishimura defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 14:39 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [59]
6. Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Jado and Gedo in 13:53 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Gedo with a Brainbuster. [66]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Hiro Saito and AKIRA) defeated ERUPTIONS (Super J, Shiro Koshinaka and Shinya Makabe) in 13:14 when Masahiro Chono submitted Shinya Makabe with an STF. [66]
8. Scott Norton and Koji Kanemoto defeated Kensuke Sasaki and Minoru Tanaka in 15:11 when Scott Norton pinned Minoru Tanaka with an Inverted Shoulder Breaker. [68]
[68]

TEAM2000 come out on top over ERUPTIONS again, with Kanemoto watching his former partner Minoru be pinned by Norton. The Jr. Tag Champions are upset in non-title action by the irregular team of Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. meanwhile, ahead of a big eight man tag featuring Team2000's juniors and their various rivals.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 9
1. Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) defeated EZ Money, Silver King and Katsushi Takemura in 10:08 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned EZ Money with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [64]
2. Hiro Saito defeated Blue Wolf in 7:45 by pinfall with a Senton. [41]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated AKIRA in 12:22 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [61]
4. Tadao Yasuda defeated Super Strong Machine in 8:10 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [54]
5. Jado and Gedo defeated El Samurai and Rey Mysterio Jr. in 14:39 when Jado pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Backdrop Driver. [55]
6. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #3: Riki Choshu defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 10:03 by pinfall with a Lariat. [52]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Super J and Shiro Koshinaka) defeated TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam and Tatsutoshi Goto) in 13:39 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Tatsutoshi Goto with a Lariat. [71]
8. Masahiro Chono and Koji Kanemoto defeated Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger in 17:08 when Masahiro Chono pinned Jushin Thunder Liger with a Yakuza Kick. [80]
[75]

Kensuke re-discovers a bit of momentum with a win on the opposite side of the Tag Champions, while the main event sees Chono and his junior understudy Kanemoto get a victory against Blue Justice. Shibata falls to Choshu in his trial series, with the veteran on top for most of the match despite Shibata's best efforts.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 10
1. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) defeated Blue Justice (Hiroshi Tanahashi, Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue) in 15:06 when Riki Choshu pinned Wataru Inoue with a Lariat. [59]
2. Manabu Nakanishi and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:26 when Manabu Nakanishi pinned Katsushi Takemura with a German Suplex. [63]
3. Yuji Nagata defeated Blue Wolf in 10:14 by pinfall with a Backdrop Hold. [57]
4. Tatsutoshi Goto and AKIRA defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe in 10:52 when Tatsutoshi Goto pinned Shinya Makabe with a Goto Facebuster. [53]
5. KATSUYORI SHIBATA DRADITION TRIAL SERIES #4: Tatsumi Fujinami defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 9:57 by pinfall with a Dragon Suplex. [52]
6. Shibata Defiantly Confronts Fujinami, Tenzan Intervenes [59]
7. Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Yutaka Yoshie) defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Hiro Saito) in 11:51 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Gedo with a fast roll up. [64]
8. Scott Norton defeated Super J in 13:05 by pinfall with a Powerslam. [64]
9. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Rob Van Dam and Koji Kanemoto) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) in 15:04 when Rob Van Dam pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Five Star Frog Splash. [77]
10. Chono w/Norton+RVD Promo On Fallen Kensuke [83]
[73]

Ahead of his IWGP Title match, Norton knocks off former teammate Super J, then joins his stable-mates after the main event, as Chono warns Kensuke there's no way he can get past the might of Team2000. There's no way past Dradition for Shibata either, with Fujinami administering the final lesson to the young upstart. Shibata is determined not to back down even in defeat though and tries to stand up to Fujinami post match anyway, with Tenzan having to convince him to live to fight another day.

 

NJPW FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002 NIGHT 11
1. Wataru Inoue drew with Katsushi Takemura in 15:00 when the time limit expired. [54]
2. ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yutaka Yoshie and Blue Wolf in 12:37 when Kenzo Suzuki pinned Blue Wolf with a Spear. [58]
3. Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Super Strong Machine in 8:40 by pinfall with a Goto Facebuster. [54]
4. Tadao Yasuda defeated Takashi Iizuka in 9:42 by pinfall with a Tiger Driver. [62]
5. Super J defeated Hiro Saito in 12:27 by pinfall with a Choke Slam. [56]
6. 4 VS. 4 ELIMINATION MATCH: Rey Mysterio Jr., Minoru Tanaka, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) in 26:20.
1. Kanemoto eliminates Minoru over rope, after miscommunication with Liger 2. Liger flash pins AKIRA 3. Gedo pins El Samurai 4. Liger pins Jado 5. Liger eliminates Gedo over rope 6. Kanemoto pins Mysterio 7. Liger eliminates Kanemoto over rope. [69]
7. Dradition (Tatsumi Fujinami, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura) defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 13:32 when Tatsumi Fujinami pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Dragon Suplex. [66]
8. Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam defeated Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi in 22:31 when Rob Van Dam pinned Manabu Nakanishi with a Five Star Frog Splash. [88]
9. IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: Kensuke Sasaki (c) defeated Scott Norton in 15:01 by pinfall with a Lariat. Kensuke Sasaki makes defence V1 of the IWGP Heavyweight title. [74]
[76]

Step one of Sasaki's challenge is complete, as he manages to overcome Norton in the main event in his first title defence. RVD scores the pin in an exciting semi-main event tag and he will get the next shot at the upcoming 30th Anniversary Show. Elsewhere, Team2000's juniors are beaten in the elimination match, despite Blue Justice and ERUPTIONS's tensions resulting in Minoru being the first man out.

Edited by cbacon87
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Posted (edited)
-TOUR NOTES-

BEST MATCHES:
Chono and RVD vs. Nagata and Nakanishi N11 [88]
Chono and RVD vs. Super J and Minoru N7 [82]
Norton and RVD vs. Kensuke and Super J N6 [82]

- Super J ends up in two of the top three matches on the tour, as he continues to be a surprise hit since leaving Team2000. His improvement in-ring is noticeable and he's received a re-upped contract to keep him around. Van Dam's success is much less of a surprise, still riding the wave of momentum from his debut this many months on, heading into his first IWGP Title main event.

- Kojima picked up a Bruised Eye Socket in his match with Fujinami on Night 4 which he carried through the rest of the tour, resulting in him only being used when necessary.

- Kensuke and Minoru had Poor Chemistry working together in the Night 8 main event, which isn't great for the top heavyweight and junior in a group to have.

- There were two successful singles pairings on Night 9 though, with Saito and Blue Wolf having Good Chemistry and Tanahashi and AKIRA having Great Chemistry.


ELSEWHERE...
- The big news coming out of the WWF revolves around the breakup and subsequent divorce of Steve Austin and Debra, with rumours surfacing of an affair between Stone Cold and Terri Powers aka Tori causing the split. Austin and Tori are now said to be openly an item with the news out, which might spell the end of Debra's time in WWF as well.

- On screen, Austin won January's Royal Rumble. Kane and The Undertaker were paired up with the remaining members of The Radicalz, in the lead-up to Chris Benoit winning the WCW Championship from Undertaker on Smackdown. A big Austin and Rock versus Angle and HHH main event on Raw drew big ratings, while Lita beating Trish for the Women's Title headlined a Smackdown. Sean O'Haire will miss time with a Dislocated Knee picked up in a match on Metal and Spike Dudley is out with a Fractured Cheekbone.

- AJPW's injury bug continues to bite, as Don Frye suffered a Depressed Orbital Fracture and is going to be out for a year. Mutoh is continuing to work through reported Chronic Shoulder Pain, trying to turn some recent bad momentum for the company around.

- In the US, a new company has opened in the form of Ring Of Honor, run by former ECW employee Gabe Sapolsky. A number of former ECW and WCW names have been announced for the first show, including Little Guido, Christian York and Joey Matthews, Jimmy Yang, Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias.

 

NJPW 30TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW - Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan

(1) AKIRA, Koji Kanemoto and Dick Togo vs. El Samurai, Wataru Inoue and Gran Hamada

(2) Katsuyori Shibata vs. Blue Wolf

(3) ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) vs. Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura

(4) Terry Funk, Jado and Gedo vs. Dustin Rhodes, Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr.

(5) Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) vs. Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie)

(6) Tencozy vs. Super J and Rick Steiner

(7) Yuji Nagata, Tatsumi Fujinami and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito)

(8) IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Kensuke Sasaki vs. [Challenger] Rob Van Dam ~ 2nd Defense

Edited by cbacon87
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NJPW 30TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW
1. AKIRA, Koji Kanemoto and Dick Togo defeated El Samurai, Wataru Inoue and Gran Hamada in 14:55 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Wataru Inoue with a Koji Clutch. [57]
2. Katsuyori Shibata defeated Blue Wolf in 7:58 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [40]
3. Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:37 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Katsushi Takemura with a Minoru Special. [63]
4. Dustin Rhodes, Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Terry Funk, Jado and Gedo in 12:06 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Jado with a Liger Bomb. [65]
5. Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) defeated Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie) in 12:55 when Riki Choshu pinned Takashi Iizuka with a Lariat. [62]
6. Tencozy defeated Super J and Rick Steiner in 12:20 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Rick Steiner with a TenKoji Cutter. [69]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) defeated Yuji Nagata, Tatsumi Fujinami and Hiroshi Tanahashi in 14:33 when Masahiro Chono submitted Hiroshi Tanahashi with a Nagata Lock II. [77]
8. IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: Kensuke Sasaki (c) defeated Rob Van Dam in 26:31 by pinfall with a Northern Lights Bomb. Kensuke Sasaki makes defence V2 of the IWGP Heavyweight title. [87]
9. Chono Challenges Kensuke [86]
[83] [gained pop in 1 region]

 

SHOW NOTES
- While Togo, Hamada, Dustin and Funk were brought in as one-offs for this show, Rick Steiner will be sticking around in the short-term, with ERUPTIONS needing someone else to fill out their numbers. Funk looked a little rusty in his match, having not worked since the close of WCW.

- Shibata and Blue Wolf had Poor Chemistry, which hurt their match on the show considerably.

ELSEWHERE
- The Rock is once again WWF Champion, winning a fourway match against Kane, HHH and Kurt Angle at No Way Out. It's expected that there won't be another Rock vs. Austin match at Wrestlemania, with Austin pegged to challenge for the WCW Championship instead and a possibly roster split being rumoured for after Wrestlemania.

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NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 TOUR PREVIEW
Having retained his IWGP Championship against both Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam to begin his fourth reign, the end of New Japan's 30th Anniversary celebrations saw Kensuke Sasaki challenged to defend by the leader of Team2000, Masahiro Chono, next. The leader of ERUPTIONS has quickly accepted the bout, with designs on holding victories over all of Team2000's contenders and ridding NJPW of the group, claiming that a win over Chono will leave him with nowhere else left to go.

That match will conclude New Japan's Hyper Battle tour, during which Team2000 and ERUPTIONS will do battle across all six nights. A five on five elimination match will highlight the card in Nagoya, while Norton and Van Dam's defeats against Sasaki have opened the door for an IWGP Tag Team challenge for ERUPTIONS, with former Team2000 member Super J drafting in tag team expert Rick Steiner as his partner.

After teaming with Tatsumi Fujinami and Hiroshi Tanahashi on the 30th Anniversary Show in a team of past, present and future, Yuji Nagata praised Fujinami and his Dradition peers for their work in establishing NJPW. A request was extended by Nagata to fight alongside them again as a sign of further respect, which will result in Nagata teaming with various Dradition members in bouts against Tencozy and their IT'S JUST US protege Katsuyori Shibata throughout the tour.

Elsewhere, on a tour defined by convenient allies, Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai continue to pursue Jado, Gedo and the IWGP Tag Team Championships, with Rey Mysterio Jr.'s loose affiliation to Blue Justice seeing him join forces with them once more.

 

 NJPW HYPER BATTLE NIGHT 1 - City Gymnasium in Niigata, Japan
. Rob Van Dam vs. Rey Mysterio Jr.
. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Super Strong Machine
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner and Shiro Koshinaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito)

NJPW HYPER BATTLE NIGHT 2 - City Gymnasium in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa, Japan
. TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Jado and Gedo) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai
. Tencozy vs. Yuji Nagata and Osamu Nishimura
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner and Super J) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito)

NJPW HYPER BATTLE NIGHT 3 - Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
. ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito and Koji Kanemoto)
. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Yuji Nagata, Super Strong Machine and Hiroshi Tanahashi
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner and Super J) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam)

NJPW HYPER BATTLE NIGHT 4 - Prefectural Gymnasium in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Yuji Nagata, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura
. 5 VS. 5 ELIMINATION MATCH: ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner, Super J, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam, Tatsutoshi Goto and Koji Kanemoto)

NJPW HYPER BATTLE NIGHT 5 - Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan
. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) vs. Yuji Nagata, Riki Choshu and Wataru Inoue
. Scott Norton vs. Rick Steiner
. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki and Super J) vs. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam)

NJPW HYPER BATTLE NIGHT 6 - Memorial Park Gymnasium in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan
(1) ERUPTIONS (Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe) vs. Silver King and Katsushi Takemura
(2) Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Katsuyori Shibata
(3) Blue Justice (Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie) vs. Super Strong Machine and Blue Wolf

(4) ERUPTIONS (Shiro Koshinaka and Kenzo Suzuki) vs. TEAM2000 (Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto)

(5) Special Singles Match: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Osamu Nishimura

(6) TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) vs. Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Wataru Inoue

(7) IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champions] Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam vs. [Challengers] ERUPTIONS (Rick Steiner and Super J) ~ 5th Defense

(8) Special Tag Team Match: Tencozy vs. Yuji Nagata and Tatsumi Fujinami

(9) IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: [Champion] Kensuke Sasaki vs. [Challenger] Masahiro Chono ~ 3rd Defense

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NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 NIGHT 1
1. Takashi Iizuka defeated Katsushi Takemura in 11:58 by pinfall with a Blizzard Suplex. [57]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe in 12:05 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Shinya Makabe with a Diving Splash. [57]
3. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and Koji Kanemoto) defeated Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Wataru Inoue) in 16:42 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Wataru Inoue with a Koji Clutch. [66]
4. Rob Van Dam defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. in 10:53 by pinfall with a Five Star Frog Splash. [77]
5. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi and Super Strong Machine defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 13:25 when Yuji Nagata pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Backdrop Hold. [75]
6. Super J and Minoru Tanaka defeated Tatsutoshi Goto and AKIRA in 11:54 when Super J pinned AKIRA with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [63]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner and Shiro Koshinaka) in 13:20 when Masahiro Chono pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Shining Black. [73]
[73]

NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 NIGHT 2
1. Koji Kanemoto defeated Wataru Inoue in 14:52 by submission with a Koji Clutch. [54]
2. Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe defeated Super Strong Machine and Blue Wolf in 9:23 when Kenzo Suzuki pinned Blue Wolf with a Spear. [50]
3. TEAM2000 (Rob Van Dam, Jado and Gedo) defeated Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 14:12 when Rob Van Dam pinned El Samurai with a Five Star Frog Splash. [72]
4. Tadao Yasuda defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 9:39 by pinfall with a DDT. [56]
5. Tencozy defeated Yuji Nagata and Osamu Nishimura in 15:07 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Osamu Nishimura with a TenKoji Cutter. [74]
6. Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka defeated Tatsutoshi Goto and AKIRA in 11:53 when Shiro Koshinaka pinned AKIRA with a Samoan Driver. [63]
7. ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner and Super J) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Hiro Saito) in 15:28 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Hiro Saito with a Northern Lights Bomb. [73]
[72]

NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 NIGHT 3
1. Silver King defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. in 14:53 by pinfall with a fast roll up. [60]
2. Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe in 10:30 when Tadao Yasuda pinned Shinya Makabe with a Tiger Driver. [56]
3. Manabu Nakanishi defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 9:36 by pinfall with an Argentine Neckbreaker. [63]
4. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and AKIRA) defeated Blue Justice (Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Wataru Inoue) in 14:01 when AKIRA pinned Wataru Inoue with a Diving Splash. [69]
5. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated Yuji Nagata, Super Strong Machine and Hiroshi Tanahashi in 12:55 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Super Strong Machine with a TenKoji Cutter. [69]
6. Hiro Saito and Koji Kanemoto defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka in 12:29 when Hiro Saito pinned Minoru Tanaka with a Senton. [66]
7. TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner and Super J) in 12:17 when Scott Norton pinned Rick Steiner with a Powerbomb. [80]
[76]

NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 NIGHT 4
1. Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai defeated AKIRA and Silver King in 14:33 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned AKIRA with a Brainbuster. [73]
2. Manabu Nakanishi defeated Blue Wolf in 7:21 by pinfall with a German Suplex. [54]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:47 when Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Frog Splash. [59]
4. Jado and Gedo defeated Wataru Inoue and Rey Mysterio Jr. in 12:28 when Gedo pinned Wataru Inoue with a Gedo Clutch. [61]
5. Hiro Saito defeated Super Strong Machine in 8:28 by pinfall with a Senton. [58]
6. Yuji Nagata, Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) in 12:36 when Yuji Nagata pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Backdrop Hold. [74]
7. 5 VS. 5 ELIMINATION MATCH: ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Rick Steiner, Super J, Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka) defeated TEAM2000 (Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton, Rob Van Dam, Tatsutoshi Goto and Koji Kanemoto) in 21:15.
1. Steiner pins Goto 2. Van Dam pins Minoru 3. Chono eliminates Koshinaka over rope 4. Super J pins Kanemoto 5. Chono and Steiner eliminated over rope 6. Kensuke eliminates Norton over rope 7. Kensuke pins Van Dam [78]
[75]

NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 NIGHT 5
1. Manabu Nakanishi defeated Katsushi Takemura in 7:31 by pinfall with a German Suplex. [64]
2. Hiro Saito and Koji Kanemoto defeated Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe in 12:23 when Hiro Saito pinned Shinya Makabe with a Diving Senton. [66]
3. Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Yutaka Yoshie in 7:04 by pinfall with a Goto Facebuster. [50]
4. Osamu Nishimura defeated Shiro Koshinaka in 15:16 by submission with an Octopus Hold. [56]
5. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo and AKIRA) defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. and Jushin Thunder Liger and El Samurai in 11:58 when AKIRA pinned Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Diving Splash. [69]
6. IT'S JUST US! (Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Katsuyori Shibata) defeated Yuji Nagata, Riki Choshu and Wataru Inoue in 14:02 when Katsuyori Shibata pinned Wataru Inoue with a Penalty Kick. [71]
7. Scott Norton drew with Rick Steiner in 10:05 following a double disqualification. [45]
8. Kensuke Sasaki and Super J defeated Masahiro Chono and Rob Van Dam in 17:04 when Kensuke Sasaki pinned Rob Van Dam with a Lariat. [83]
[79]

NJPW HYPER BATTLE 2002 NIGHT 6
1. Minoru Tanaka and Shinya Makabe defeated Silver King and Katsushi Takemura in 14:42 when Minoru Tanaka submitted Katsushi Takemura with a Minoru Special. [68]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Katsuyori Shibata in 12:45 by pinfall with a Frog Splash. [59]
3. Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Super Strong Machine and Blue Wolf in 6:51 when Takashi Iizuka pinned Blue Wolf with a Blizzard Suplex. [56]
4. Hiro Saito and Tatsutoshi Goto defeated Kenzo Suzuki and Shiro Koshinaka in 11:44 when Hiro Saito pinned Kenzo Suzuki with a Senton. [57]
5. Osamu Nishimura defeated Manabu Nakanishi in 18:07 by pinfall with a roll up. [68]
6. TEAM2000 (Jado, Gedo, AKIRA and Koji Kanemoto) defeated Rey Mysterio Jr., Jushin Thunder Liger, El Samurai and Wataru Inoue in 16:08 when Koji Kanemoto pinned Wataru Inoue with a Roundhouse Kick. [69]
7. IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP: Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam (c) defeated Rick Steiner and Super J in 14:46 when Scott Norton pinned Rick Steiner with a Powerbomb. Scott Norton and Rob Van Dam make defence V5 of the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles. [77]
8. Tencozy defeated Yuji Nagata and Tatsumi Fujinami in 15:20 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Tatsumi Fujinami with a TenKoji Cutter. [83]
9. IWGP CHAMPIONSHIP: Masahiro Chono defeated Kensuke Sasaki (c) in 30:25 by pinfall with a Yakuza Kick. Masahiro Chono wins the IWGP Heavyweight title. [86]
10. Chono Celebration and Promo [100]
[84] [gained pop in 1 region]

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Posted (edited)

-TOUR NOTES-

TITLE CHANGE: Masahiro Chono wins the IWGP Championship for the second time.

BEST MATCHES:
Masahiro Chono vs. Kensuke Sasaki N6 [86]
Tencozy vs. Nagata and Fujinami N6 [83]
Kensuke and Super J vs. Chono and RVD N5 [83]

- With the tour built around ERUPTIONS and Team2000, Chono and Kensuke delivered in the main event - not quite topping Kensuke's match with Van Dam, but coming damn close. Chono's speech after winning the title was raucous and sets up Team2000 well heading into the start of his reign. The group has been going for a while now, but hopefully Chono as champion and changing up the members in recent months has given them some new impetus.

- The double disqualification finish to Norton and Rick Steiner went down really badly, with the fans expecting a restart but not getting one. Even used sparingly, non-finishes are not popular.

- Nagata and Nishimura had Poor Chemistry in their night two tag match with Tencozy.

- Also suffering from Poor Chemistry were Tanahashi and Shibata on Night 6. Considering the high hopes we have for both as potential stars, that could be awkward in the future.

 

ELSEWHERE...
- The Rock has been announced for a new buddy-comedy film called The Rundown, which is going to start shooting after Wrestlemania. Having just put the WWF Title on him at No Way Out, it might be a short reign.

- More injuries around wrestling, as Billy Kidman suffered Cracked Ribs working Metal against Mike Awesome, Vader will miss a couple of months in NOAH with a leg fracture and Jeff Jarrett is rumoured to be suffering from back pain, which won't be helped by splitting time between IWA in Puerto Rico and WWA in Australia.

 

NJPW Presents Exciting Battle In Naeba 2002

NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT

Heavyweight and Juniors combine forces to decide the Naeba Cup Champions, in a single elimination competition over two nights in Naeba.

FIRST ROUND:

TEAM2000 - Rob Van Dam and AKIRA
vs.
Blue Justice - Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue

TEAM2000 - Scott Norton and Jado
vs.
IT'S JUST US! - Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata

-

ERUPTIONS - Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka
vs.
Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura

Blue Justice - Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger
vs.
Team 2000 - Hiro Saito and Gedo

Edited by cbacon87
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  • 2 weeks later...

NJPW EXCITING BATTLE IN NAEBA NIGHT 1
1. Koji Kanemoto defeated El Samurai in 14:44 by pinfall with a Roundhouse Kick. [60]
2. Super J defeated Blue Wolf in 8:06 by pinfall with a Cobra Clutch Slam. [45]
3. Blue Justice (Manabu Nakanishi, Yutaka Yoshie and Hiroshi Tanahashi) defeated Dradition (Riki Choshu, Osamu Nishimura and Super Strong Machine) in 12:34 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Riki Choshu with a Diving Splash. [63]
4. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT 1ST ROUND: Rob Van Dam and AKIRA defeated Takashi Iizuka and Wataru Inoue in 14:26 when Rob Van Dam pinned Wataru Inoue with a Five Star Frog Splash. [69]
5. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT 1ST ROUND: Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata defeated Scott Norton and Jado in 13:04 when Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Jado with a TTD. [72]
6. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT 1ST ROUND: Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka defeated Tadao Yasuda and Katsushi Takemura in 11:38 when Shiro Koshinaka pinned Katsushi Takemura with a Samoan Driver. [63]
7. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT 1ST ROUND: Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Hiro Saito and Gedo in 14:46 when Jushin Thunder Liger pinned Gedo with a Brainbuster. [75]
[73]

NJPW EXCITING BATTLE IN NAEBA NIGHT 2
1. Koji Kanemoto and Silver King defeated El Samurai and Rey Mysterio Jr. in 16:08 when Koji Kanemoto submitted Rey Mysterio Jr. with a Koji Clutch. [67]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi and Yutaka Yoshie defeated Super Strong Machine and Blue Wolf in 11:47 when Yutaka Yoshie pinned Blue Wolf with a Diving Splash. [59]
3. Satoshi Kojima defeated Tatsutoshi Goto in 10:33 by pinfall with a Koji Cutter. [58]
4. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL: Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Shiro Koshinaka and Minoru Tanaka in 12:31 when Yuji Nagata pinned Shiro Koshinaka with a Backdrop Hold. [69]
5. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT SEMI FINAL: Rob Van Dam and AKIRA defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Katsuyori Shibata in 12:18 when Rob Van Dam pinned Katsuyori Shibata with a Five Star Frog Splash. [72]
6. Riki Choshu and Osamu Nishimura defeated Manabu Nakanishi and Takashi Iizuka in 13:54 when Riki Choshu pinned Takashi Iizuka with a Lariat. [68]
7. TEAM2000 (Scott Norton, Jado and Gedo) defeated ERUPTIONS (Kensuke Sasaki, Kenzo Suzuki and Shinya Makabe) in 14:36 when Scott Norton pinned Shinya Makabe with a Powerbomb. [73]
8. NAEBA CUP TAG TEAM TOURNAMENT FINAL: Yuji Nagata and Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Rob Van Dam and AKIRA in 20:42 when Yuji Nagata pinned AKIRA with a Backdrop Hold. [73]
9. Nagata and Liger Celebrate [87]
[72] [lost pop in 1 region]
 

SHOW NOTES
- Norton and Jado showed Great Chemistry in their one tournament match.

ELSEWHERE
- The top matches at Wrestlemania X8 saw The Rock retain the WWF Title against Chris Jericho in the main event and Royal Rumble winner Stone Cold take the WCW Title in a fourway against Benoit, Angle and Undertaker. It appears more and more that the build is towards the roster being separated into two parts, with the two top names as champions now. Also on the show, Big Show won the WCW US Title from Scott Hall, Eddie Guerrero - who has split from the Radicalz - defeated Shane McMahon to win the IC Title and Ivory and Hardcore Holly became Womens and European Champions.

- In the aftermath of Steve Austin and Tori's affair, Debra is no longer with the WWF.

- Yet another injury for AJPW, as Kendo Kashin is out for 6 months.

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