NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9, Jan 4

rovert

Ibushi vs Nakamura was outstanding. If that match falls out of the 2015 MOTYC discussion it will be a great year indeed.

rovert

Tanahashi-Okada was your Rock-Austin Wrestlemania type match.

THE WRONG MAN WON but there's probably some business/Meltzer reason for it though. Tanahashi hasn't had the title for long I suppose too.

Machismo Fan

Top two matches were brilliant. Styles/Naito and Ishii/Makabe were both very good. Both tag title matches were good. Great show. Shame though that much of the spectacle and theatricality for the big entrances and stuff got cut this year, likely to make it in four hours. That was a real highlight of last years show.

Pingi

Belter of a show, Ibushi vs Nakamura is absolutely must see.

New Japan world stream was flawless all the way through.

How did flipps app go for people? Might try and rewatch some of it with the English commentary during the week.

Manning3000

How do you get the repeat on flipps the app can't find it I want to give them my money why won't they take it.

artvandulet

Flipps didn't work. I ordered it and saw nothing! official line is that it was "technical difficulties due to the high demand". Based on twitter there were lots of people unable to watch. they are giving refunds at least

den87

Does anyone have a detailed recap in spoiler tags please? Would be greatly appreciated.

BohsJohnny

den87 wrote: »

Does anyone have a detailed recap in spoiler tags please? Would be greatly appreciated.

NEW JAPAN RUMBLE MATCH

We're opening the Rumble with Tiger Mask vs. Yuji Nagata. Guys are coming in every minute. The building is really empty at this point, but then again the advertised start time is 40 minutes away.

Yuji Nagata pinned Yoshi-Hashi with the bridging back suplex in a long Rumble match. It wasn't very good. They are shooting right into the tarped off sections which makes no sense at all. Crowd wasn't that hot for it. There were a few surprises, Yoshiaki Fujiwara, Great Kabuki and Hiro Saito. Saito gave everyone sentons and Fujiwara gave everyone head-butts. Sho Tanaka and Yohei Komatsu did some good stuff and Tama Tonga went for a Stinger splash on Yoshi-Hashi when he was one of the last three, Yoshi-Hashi ducked and Tonga flew over the top to the floor. This was a Battle Royal where you could be eliminated by over the top rope, pins (mostly gang up pins) and submissions. Japan has never done Battle Royals well and this was the epitome of a get everyone on the show match.

Great video package to open the show.

BOBBY FISH & KYLE O'REILLY VS. YOUNG BUCKS VS. ALEX SHELLEY & KUSHIDA VS. ROCKY ROMERO & ALEX KOSLOV FOR IWGP JR. TITLE

Fish & O'Reilly won when O'Reilly pinned Koslov after Chasing the Dragon. Great match with all kinds of super moves. Really cool spot where Romero gave a Doomsday Device onto the Young Bucks who did a flip bump and landed on their feet and hit. All the dives, superkick party, Meltzer driver, Forever clothesline and all the stuff you'd expect. Really fun, hurt a little because the juniors have a hard time getting heat in a building this large.

SATOSHI KOJIMA & HIROYOSHI TENZAN & TOMOAKI HONMA VS. JEFF JARRETT & BAD LUCK FALE & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI

Karen Jarrett and Scott D'Amore were at ringside. Surprise ending as Honma pinned Yujiro with a diving head-butt off the top rope after Jarrett went to hit Honma with the guitar, but he moved and it hit Yujiro. Solid match built around Honma. Match was really rushed.

TORU YANO & MIKEY NICHOLLS & SHANE HASTE & NAOMICHI MARUFUJI VS. TAKASHI IIZUKA & SHELTON BENJAMIN & DAVEY BOY SMITH JR. & LANCE ARCHER

Another rushed match when Marufuji pinned Iizuka with a Tiger uppercut kneelift. Good athletic action by Nicholls & Haste, who worked a lot with Smith & Archer. Benjamin did a leap to the top and threw overhead belly to belly on Marufji all the way across the ring. Good for what it was.

KAZUSHI SAKURABA VS. MINORU SUZUKI IN UWF RULES

Jim Ross put this match over so big like people have waited a lifetime for this, the best protege of Karl Gotch against the best protege of Billy Robinson.

Suzuki won with a choke after a choke suplex. The story of the match is that Sakuraba may have broken Suzuki's arm with a Kimura on the floor. So Suzuki worked the rest of the match with one arm. There were super hard kicks and slaps back and forth, teased knockdowns, and great early matwork. They played UWFI music for Sakuraba after the match even though he lost. The match would have been better with five more minutes but they are rushing through things. For what they were doing, this was really good.

TOMOHIRO ISHII VS. TOGI MAKABE FOR THE NEVER TITLE

Super match mostly stiff elbows and elbows. Makabe worked on the injured left shoulder, including a German suplex on the shoulder. Makabe won the title after tons of near falls and one count kick outs after a kneedrop off the top right on the bad shoudler that Makabe worked on the entire match. This was the best thing so far.

Next is the announcement of the big shows for the year

2/11 New Beginning in Osaka

2/14 New Beginning in Sendai

3/5 New Japan Cup show final in Tokyo

3/15 New Japan Cup in Hiroshima

4/15 Invasion Attack in Tokyo

4/29 Big show in Kumamoto

5/3 Fukuoka Internatioal Center Wrestling Dontaku

May Ring of Honor tour

6/7 Best of the Super Junior tournament in Tokyo

7/5 Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall

G-1 Climax 25

7/20 opener in Sapporo

8/14 at Sumo Hall

8/15 at Sumo Hall agian

8/16 finals at Sumo Hall

RYUSUKE TAGUCHI VS. KENNY OMEGA FOR JR. TITLE

An excellent match and they had a disadvantage of following Ishii without an intermission. Omega won with the One Winged Angel, an electric chair into a ki krusher. The best spot was Omega going for a power bomb into the buckles and Taguchi turned it into a huracanra sending him into the turnbuckles. The Young Bucks were at ringside interfering and Taguchi did a running flip dive onto all of them.

DOC GALLOWS & KARL ANDERSON DEFEND IWGP TAG TITLES AGAINST HIROOKI GOTO & KATSUYORI SHIBATA

Amber O'Neal was at ringside as the Bullet Club Babe.

Goto & Shibata won the title with a double team GTS and then Shibata pinned him after the penalty kick. This match was rushed, but a really good match, really the best match I've seen these teams have.

A.J. STYLES VS. TETSUYA NAITO

They are putting over the Styles clash as being controversial and using the neck injury to Yo****atsu to make Styles out to be a killer. Styles won when Naito went for a huracanrana off the top rope but Styles blocked it and gave him a Styles clash off the middle rope for the pin. Excellent match. I've got to think Styles is getting an IWGP title match with this win. Some great struggle spots by Naito, trying desperately to block and then get out of the Styles clash. He also did a great struggle trying to get out of calf killer.

We've got 96 minutes left for just two matches. They eliminated big entrances for time unless they are going to only do them for the last two matches.

SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS. KOTA IBUSHI FOR THE IC TITLE

Nakamura came out dressed as the statue of liberty. This was a pretty great entrance.

This was a match of the year candidate. Nakamura got the pin in 21:00 with a bom a ye after a falcon arrow. There were moves here that I've never seen before. Ibushi did a bunch of Nakamura's spots during the match like the vibration boot, reverse powerslam and bom a ye and he did a Cesaro like power move standing on the top rope while Nakamura was on the apron and German suplexed him into the ring for a near fall. They did all kinds of vicious kicks to the face like they were in a violent street fight, and Ibushi did great acrobatic moves including a moonsault off the top to the floor. You could argue this was the night to put Ibushi over and I would agree, particularly with how the match was going. Nakamura came across here like he was the best wrestler in the world, both work, charisma, the complete package and maybe it's by a wide margin.

Jim Ross put this over so strong.

There was one hour left when the ring entrance started. They don't have time for a 60 minute draw.

HIROSHI TANAHASHI VS. KAZUCHIKA OKADA FOR THE IWGP TITLE

They have as long as they need. But I have no idea how they can possibly top the previous match. Ross is putting Okada over like crazy.

This was another match of the year candidate. Each man kicked out of the others finisher, with Okada kicking out of the high fly flow and Tanahashi kicked out of the rainmaker. They did everything in their arsenal. Tanahashi did a big plancha off the top rope onto Okada who was over the guard rail. Okada did all of his regular stuff. Okada had his leg draped over the ropes after a reverse dragon screw and a regular dragon screw in the ropes, and Tanahashi gave him the high fly flow. He did two more high fly flows and got the pin. Okada never did the red ink once nor did he debut the new move he promised.

Okada was breaking down crying as he left the ring.

Tanahashi said Okada, I'll tell you one thing, the IWGP title is so far away from you. Tanahashi thanked he fans and now he's doing the air guitar spot.

den87

Thanks. Looks like a great show.

wolfpac

There's a NJPW European official merch store open google "njpweurope" decent prices

Hashtag_HEEL

Delighted I got up to watch this live instead of staying up for UFC 182. This was absolutely amazing! Will re-watch it during the week when I get a chance and see if I can dig out the GFW version and see how my commentary dream team did. Yes, Ross and Striker are my commentary dream team.

Cianan2

The only match i was really looking forward too doesnt sound like it dissapointed!!

rovert

Just woke up about an hour ago. Even if you are the absolute casual Wrestling fan watch Jim Ross's call of the last two matches.

BohsJohnny

I Rewatched Tanahashi/Okada it was great better then i thought watching it live really helped not having to follow Nakamura/Ibushi in my mind not as good as the Nakamura match but damn close,and JR really shined in the main event he was loving it.

rovert

Could absolutely hockey the thread out of it with gifs of my favourite moves from the show but I'll just keep to two:

Agent Coulson

A great show and a great start to the 2015 wrestling year.

Side note :pac: I enjoyed JR and Striker on commentary.


So NJPW, GFW(Double J counts ) , ROH & Noah all involved and no home promotion bias just whats "Good for business" maybe another promotion could learn from that.

Cianan2

JR's commentary in the main event, never heard a dropkick being so over before!

Jerichoholic

I cant bring myself to watch Raw tonight after that show. It would be like drinking the perfect pint of Guinness and then having a yard of pig urine.

JR and Striker were great, not sure Meltzer would have been that good.

Hashtag_HEEL

Watched the English version and enjoyed it a lot. Great to hear JR so invested again and to see Striker as awesome as always!

Andy_rse

Anyone watched the replay on Flipps? If so how's the buffering and quality? Didn't get watching it live and will probably get watching it at the weekend.

Manning3000

Superb show so enjoyable especially since I had not watched NJPW in awhile. Commentary helped a lot.

Also I know it's late now but Cypress Avenue in cork were showing wrestle Kingdom tonight at 7 for free, which is brilliant. Couldn't make it but hopefully they get a good crowd.

harney

I'm watching it at the moment, and I liked the Bloody Sunday homage to Fergal Devitt comment. It isn't bad for my first time watching NJPW, although the English commentary with JR did help.

Do they not have womens wrestling in Japan?

BohsJohnny

harney wrote: »

Do they not have womens wrestling in Japan?

They keep them separate it was huge in the early 90s running the Toyko dome and everything at times.

This match is my favorite great selling and ALOT of blood pretty sure people only used to thinking about certain things WWE do with women not counting NXT would be shocked with this.

rovert

harney wrote: »

Do they not have womens wrestling in Japan?

They do but it is kind of running on fumes now. 1970 & 1980s Wrestlers we pretty much pop stars. Caused every young Japanese girl wanting to be a Wrestler. Promoters had their pick of the very best athletes. It was bigger than male Wrestling in the 90s at times. But it dove tailed in the late 90s for a whole host of issues and never recovered.

Lots of Women retired in 2014 as the scene is so dead. Still a decent place to learn with you are Westerner female Wrestler. Even if attendance is really sparse you can get a lot of matches in and the training is superb.

The Owens Twins from Northern Ireland went over there a couple times:

Rebecca Knox (cheap pop) I think still is the youngest Westerner Wrestler to ever wrestle in Japan at 18 years of age. I think TJ Perkins/Manik is the second youngest. Becky was kind of a big deal there. Headlining shows either winning Battle Royals or teaming with legendary male and female Wrestlers and getting the pin. Which is really odd usually the youngest/most inexperienced gets pinned in Japan. Most of her matches were taped but never really made it out of Japan. That's a long story. But anyways hear is her in a lesser match debating with a Cow:

She also had a modelling contract/promotional deal that would promote her as a brand. She was on billboards apparently.

den87

Nakamura Vs Ibushi is a war, great match.

Andersonisgod

Well that was quite a brilliant way to spend 4 hours. It was like a little dose of paradise having Japanese wrestling and the fun commentary team of JR and Striker. It's been said already on here but to anyone watching the English version, by the end of the show Nakamura, Ibushi, Okada (in particular Okada, JR really likes Okada) and Tanahashi came across as total megastars. Never has a dropkick been so over. Imagine if anyone on the WWE commentary team could show such passion for any aspect of the show as JR showed for this dropkick.

The final two matches were killer, really fantastic stuff. Nakamura is so charismatic and his ring work is as good as it gets really. Though I will admit to enjoying the main event more (by the slightest margin imaginable). Loved the pacing of the main event, the timing and the gradual build to a wonderful finish. Also I'll admit to being a mark for Tanahashi's post match routine.

Taguchi vs Omega and Styles vs Naito were excellent matches too. All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable 4 hours, nothing disappointed and the big matches more than matched, and in some cases exceeded, expectations.

brianregan09

Man the pace of them multi man matchs were hard to keep up with at times...1st time NJPW watcher by the way

ShaneU

First time watching New Japan, Nakamura impressed me the most. The 4 team tag match was great too.

den87

ShaneU wrote: »

First time watching New Japan, Nakamura impressed me the most. The 4 team tag match was great too.

Nakamura was awesome. Can anyone recommend some of his matches? He made a lasting impression on me.

BohsJohnny

den87 wrote: »

Nakamura was awesome. Can anyone recommend some of his matches? He made a lasting impression on me.

The first Ibushi match from the 2013 G1 is great too,vs Sakuraba from the 2013 Dome is amazing really for what Nak got out of Sakuraba,,Vs Tanahashi,Shibata and Okada all from this years G1 there is a lot more but that's enough for you to get through for now i think :P