by Bryan Rose, WrestlingObserver.com
This morning is another live event for New Japan, this time being broadcasted on New Japan World live at Korakuen Hall. This is the last show before the finals, so we’ll have a clear idea of those matches by the time the show is over. We already know that Kushida is in the finals, but who will join him is still in the air.
Yohei Komatsu vs. Beretta
They had a fast paced match that was full of action. Komatsu got the half crab and managed to transition to an STF but Beretta grabs the ropes. Beretta follows with a tornado DDT and takes him to the apron, where he slams him with a fireman’s carry. Komatsu makes a tremendous comeback, kicking out of Beretta’s knee strike, then mounts a great comeback, but gets caught with another knee strike and is pinned. Really great opener.
David Finlay vs. Tiger Mask IV
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A solid back and forth match. There were times that things seemed a bit off between the two, but mostly just solid back and forth work. Finlay kicked out of the tiger driver, but eventually submitted to a modified crossface chickenwing. For the record, both him and Yohei Komatsu ended up with no wins in this tournament.
Barbaro Cavernario vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Liger and Cavernario started things off by doing some mat wrestling, exchanging surfboards. Liger exits the ring and Cavernario fires off with a tope con hilo across a ring post to the floor on Liger then followed with a giant splash from the top rope to the floor. Liger cut him off with the palm strike and a liger bomb. Cavernario made a comeback, got frustrated, then Liger cut him off and won with a brainbuster. Short, but full of action and cool high spots by Cavernario.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma, Hirooki Goto, Togi Makabe and Katsuyori Shibata vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Yoshi Hashi, Kazushi Sakuraba, Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii
This went like you’d expect – everyone paired off with their rival. Tanahashi had the heat on him briefly, but then it went back to guys working with their rivals. Goto laid out YH and had Honma go for the kokeshi but Yoshi Hashi dodged. Goto went for a lariat but YH blocked it. Nakamura came back and attacked Honma, looking for the boma ye but Honma came back with the tornado kokeshi. Ishii took him out and Nakamura got the boma ye, but everyone came and broke it up. Everyone separated again, then Nakamura pinned Honma with another boma ye. Good action packed match, but it’s been done.
Shibata was laid out with an armbar by Sakuraba then Nakamura struck Goto with a boma ye after the match, cutting a promo on him.
Mascara Dorada vs. Rocky Romero
Romero came to the ring wearing a dual Black Tiger/Dorada mask. Romero with a big suicide dive on Dorada at the start. Dorada soon topped that with a step up tope con hilo to the floor. Turned into a solid back and forth match. Dorada got the win after Romero got crotched and Dorada hit a hurricanrana, followed by a Michinoku Driver.
Bobby Fish vs. Nick Jackson
Jackson had Cody Hall out there as a second. He got laid out accidently by Nick, but then he took out Fish which allowed Jackson to get the heat. They actually did a spot where Jackson kept telling Fish to suck it, but then a dazed Fish headbutted him in the nether regions. They also did a spot where Cody Hall grabbed Fish and carried him all the way backstage for a count out tease, but sure enough Fish came back at 19. Nick kicked the ringpost by accident and Fish made a comeback and started work on the leg. They had a great sequence of back and forth action before Fish caught Jackson and laid him out with a falcon arrow for the win.
Gedo vs. Kyle O’Reilly
The story of the match initially was that Gedo was working as the babyface underdog as O’Reilly worked on him. But he made a comeback and worked on O’Reilly’s leg, including wrapping it around a post in the figure four position. They worked for submissions towards the end. Gedo went for a roll up but O’Reilly caught him and worked with a armbar. Gedo caused a ref bump, low blowed O’Reilly and hit the superkick, complete shot and Gedo clutch but O’Reilly kicked out. After Gedo kicked out of a brainbuster O’Reilly followed with an armbar that eventually got Gedo to tap. This was the best match of the night, with lots of great back and forth work, mat wrestling, and the last few minutes were pretty damn great.
Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Chase Owens
Back and forth early. Taguchi hit a huge tope con hilo on Owens to the floor. They worked on body parts with Taguchi working over Owens’ leg and getting the ankle lock in a couple of times. Owens removes the padding on the mats and tries for the package piledriver on the exposed hardwood floor but Taguchi escapes and hits a DDT. Taguchi hits the dodon, then poses like Nakamura and hits a seated hip attack. Taguchi did his pose then went for another dodon, but Owens counters and out of nowhere hits the package piledriver for the win. That puts Taguchi out of the finals and O’Reilly in, so it’s Kushida vs Kyle O’Reilly in the finals. Good, solid match.
O’Reilly, bum leg and all, hobbled to the ring as he and Kushida, who was on commentary all night, had a staredown. O’Reilly left as Kushida cut a promo and the show ended.
Final Standings:
Block A:
Kyle O’Reilly (12)
Ryusuke Taguchi (10)
Beretta (8)
Jushin Thunder Liger (8)
Chase Owens (8)
Babaro Cavernario (6)
Gedo (4)
Yohei Komatsu (0)
Block B:
Kushida (12)
Mascara Dorada (10)
Bobby Fish (10)
Rocky Romero (8)
Tiger Mask IV (8)
Nick Jackson (6)
Alex Shelley (2) (Out of tournament due to injury)
David Finlay (0)
And here are recaps of the previous shows for quick reference:
Day 1: Gedo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
Day 2: Kushida vs. Nick Jackson
Day 3: Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Kyle O’Reilly
Day 4: Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Beretta
Day 5: Chase Owens vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
Day 6: Rocky Romero vs. Tiger Mask IV
Day 7: Kushida vs. Bobby Fish
Day 8: Kushida vs. Tiger Mask IV
Day 9: Mascara Dorada vs. Bobby Fish
Day 10: Rocky Romero vs. Kushida
Day 11: Bobby Fish vs. Mascara Dorada