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Welcome to PWInsider.com's live, ongoing coverage of New Japan Pro Wrestling's King of Pro Wrestling 2017 from Sumo Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Bullet Club's Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi & Leo Tonga vs. Los Ingobernables' SANADA & Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
LIJ attacked Bullet Club at the bell. Fale was able to overcome being attacked to slam Takahashi and sit down on his chest for a two count. The story is that Takashi wanted revenge for the destruction of his stuffed car Daryl with the story being that the cat underwent massive reconstructive surgery. Don't ever say WWE is the only one with ridiculous storylines. Tonga tagged in and slammed Takahashi for another two count. Yujiro tagged in and continued working him over, but was caught and snapped over with a big rana by Takahashi.
SANADA tagged in and was rocked by a big forearm by Tonga. SANADA was able to ward him off with a big dropkick, then knocked Fale off the apron. He hit a big dive over the top to the floor on Bullet Club. He tossed Tonga back into the ring and nailed a series of rights. Tonga absorbed them and nailed a big head-butt. That cut off SANADA's momentum. SANADA escaped a suplex attempt but was still nailed. BUSHI nailed a missile dropkick. No effect. Tonga wiped him out with a big boot.
Fale tagged in and they double teamed BUSHI. Fale splashed him for a two count. LIJ hit the ring to break it up. Fale went for the old Terry Gordy Asiatic Spike. Takahashi distracted him with the stuffed cat. Fale charged him. Takashahi avoided the charge and distracted the referee. That allowed BUSHI to spray mist in Fale's face and roll him up for the pin.
Your winners, LIJ!
A blinded Fale was rushed to the back.
Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto vs. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki-Gun attacked Yano and Goto at the bell. The story is that Yano has beaten Suzuki over the years, befuddling the grizzled veteran. He grabbed an armbar then turned it into a Kimura, trying to force a submission. Yano used his leg to drape the rope. Sabre joined in and they each tried to snap an arm. Yano again used his leg to get to the rope. The story continued to be that they were trying to force a submission as Sabre grabbed extremities and tried to force a submission. Suzuki tagged in and went from working over the arms to the legs. As all this was going on, Desperado and TAKA Michinoku pulled Goto off the apron and worked him over. Yano finally turned the tide, catching Sabre with an inverted atomic drop.
Goto tagged in and hit a leaping enziguri in the corner. Goto scored a two count, then ascended to the top. He went for the leaping elbow but Sabre slipped away and caught him with an armbar submission, transitioning over to a Rings of Saturn style submission where he also grabbed a leg. Goto made it to the ropes. Goto sent Sabre into the ropes but was caught again in submissions. Sabre looked awesome here. Goto was caught in an Octopus. Goto fought his way free and sent Sabre over with a Death Valley Driver, dropping Sabre across his knee.
Suzuki and Yano tagged in. Suzuki was unrelenting in beating down Yano with strikes. He nailed a stiff knee that sent Yano to the floor. Suzuki-Gun tossed him back in the ring. Suzuki drilled him in the chest and scored a two count. Suzuki sent Yano to the floor. Sabre grabbed him. Goto attacked Sabre but was caught in an abdominal stretch on the floor. Suzuki slammed Yano into one of the ringside tables. Suzuki pulled rope out of a bag. The referee tried to intercede but was shoved down. Suzuki tied up Yano and tried to strangle him. Yano kicked him low and rolled back into the ring, beating the countout, so once again, Yano gets one over on Suzuki.
Your winners by countout, Toru Yano & Hirooki Goto!
Yano put the Never Openweight championship across his shoulder to celebrate and walked off with it.
Suzuki went nuts, attacking everyone at ringside, wiping out everyone. That was entertaining as well. Sabre grabbed the referee in a front guillotine choke as well.
They aired a vignette teasing the debut of Roppongi Vice 3K, who were revealed to be The Tempura Boyz, Sho and Yo. They had been off on excursion to get better. Rocky Romero was referred to as their director. They are great talents and this is a big return for them.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team champions Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet vs. The debuting Roppongi 3K.
Lots of really good action early. The champions had control early until Roppongi turned the tide by sending Ricochet into his own partner, who was on the ropes and then dropkicked him down. Roppongi began double teaming Taguchi. Sho worked over Taguchi, focusing on his arm. Yo tagged in and slammed him for a two count. He scissored the neck of Taguchi, trying to force a submission. Taguchi was able to make it to the ropes to force the break by Sho tagged back in and nailed a knee to the mid-section. He cinched in a front headlock. Roppongi nailed a series of atomic drops. Taguchi avoided a double dropkick and tagged Ricochet.
Ricochet caught Yo in mid-air with a dropkick and began dishing out all sorts of awesome offensive maneuvers. He snapped Sho with a suplex and then hit a standing shooting star for a two count. Sho worked him over, setting up a crossface but Ricochet made it to the ropes. Ricochet maneuvered Roppongi into each other. Taguchi tagged in and went for the Three Amigos. On the third, Sho grabbed a front guillotine choke. He went for a package pildedriver but was backdropped. Taguchi hits an enziguri. Yo hit the ring but Ricochet worked him over and dropkicked him out of the ring. Ricochet nailed Sho with a big dropkick.
Roppongi nailed a series of jumping knees, playing off of their relationship with Romero. Ricochet nailed a hip attack on Sho and hit a dive over the top to the floor on Yo. Ricochet nailed a springboard uppercut for a two count on Sho. Ricochet was shocked his kicked out. He went to the top and hit a shooting star press but when he went for the pin, Yo grabbed him and whipped out a series of German suplexed. Taguchi went for a hip attack but was caught and hit with a German suplex as well.
Ricochet was caught with a flapjack into a DDT and pinned.
Your winners and new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team champions, Roppongi 3K!
The match was designed to introduce Roppongi 3K as players and they did a great job of that here with an fun competitive match and a big win. Best thing on the show so far if you want great back and forth wrestling.
Coverage continues on Page 2!
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