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KUSHIDA VS. BUSHI HEADLINES: 6/27 NEW JAPAN KIZUNA ROAD REPORT FROM TOKYO, JAPAN

By Matthew Macklin on 2017-06-27 14:34:00

Kizuna Road, Korakuen Hall, June 27th:

Shota Umino vs Tetsuhiro Yagi - 10 minute draw.   For the second day in a row, these young lions wrestled to a time limit draw. This was a really good, basic, solid wrestling match. Lots of good chain wrestling that built into dropkicks and Boston crabs.  Yagi had the move applied until Umino got to the ropes. Umino made a big fiery comeback and locked on the hold. Yagi survived until the bell rang.  No one produces talent like NJPW does. These guys have only been wrestling for a few months and are already incredibly good.

TAKA Michinoku & Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Hirai Kawato & Tiger Mask IV.  Suzuki-Gun jumped Kawato before the bell and beat him down until he dropkicked his way to Tiger. Tiger took control before Kawato was tagged back in.  The finishing stretch here was outstanding. Kawato came so close with a backslide and survived a knee and superkick combo from TAKA. TAKA locked on a crossface and Kawato almost got to he ropes until TAKA tied up his arms to force the submission. This was really good.

Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Jushin Thunder Liger defeated Tomoyuki Oka, Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi.  Just in case you ever thought these veterans were lazy, we had Liger superplex Nakanishi from the top rope, which they definitely did not have to do.  Tenzan & Nagata had a really ugly, but fun exchange in the middle of this. Oka hit a powerslam and a belly to belly on Kojima, before it was turned around with a cutter and a lariat to give Kojima the win. Oka looked really good again.

Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano defeated Katsuya Kitamura & Togi Makabe.  This was all about Ishii vs Kitamura.  They blasted each other with chops to start. Makabe & Yano both got in the match briefly, but it went back to them at the end.  They traded huge blows and Kitamura hit one of the stiffest chops you'll ever see, which just pissed Ishii off, so he nailed him with a lariat and won.

SANADA, EVIL, Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated David Finlay, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Juice Robinson.  Juice was tied up in a ball by SANADA. Taguchi & Tanahashi then tried to do it to SANADA, but they couldn't figure out how to do it, which was hilarious. Naito did his best to avoid Tanahashi. Taguchi & Takahashi had a great exchange that reminded you how good Taguchi is until he went back to ass based comedy. Lots of really good action in the closing minutes. SANADA's speed and athleticism is frightening. He is gonna have a big G1 this year.  He made Finlay submit to the Skull End. After the match Taguchi made an attempt to get SANADA to join Taguchi Japan, but it didn't really go as he planned.

El Desperado, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi & Davey Boy Smith Jr defeated Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI.  This was a very good eight man tag.  Goto & Smith had a good hoss battle. It's a pity Smith isn't in the G1 this year.  Suzuki & Okada got to mix it up again, which is never a bad thing.  There was a big flurry of action in the closing minutes, which left Desperado & Gedo in the ring. Suzuki weakened Gedo with a sleeper, which allowed Desperado to hit Angels Wings and get the pin.

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship: KUSHIDA defeated BUSHI.  This was an awesome main event.  This was one of the best matches these two have had together. They've worked so much, that they have built a great chemistry. BUSHI comes across like a star when he's in this sort of position.  Lots of great back and forth wrestling for the first several minutes. KUSHIDA began going after the arm. The ref went down just as KUSHIDA hit Back to The Future. Hiromu Takahashi ran in, made the count, KUSHIDA thought he won and then ate a superkick. Hiromu powerbombed him on the floor, until Taguchi made the save. Lots of great near falls after this, with BUSHI hitting MX.  KUSHIDA was misted and kicked out of a backslide, for the near fall of the match. KUSHIDA then turned it around and hit a punch to the face and Back to the Future again to get the pin and retain.

After the match El Desperado snuck in and blasted KUSHIDA with a guitar, so he will be the next challenger.

This wasn't a newsworthy show, but it was very good. The main event is definitely worth watching.

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