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7/24/21 Results from New Japan’s Summer Struggle in Nagoya
1 - Robbie Eagles, YOH and SHO vs. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI
Suzuki-Gun attacks at the bell. Match spills to the floor. Eagles begins to attack the left knee of Desperado. Kanemaru and YOH start the match in the ring. As everyone settles into their corners, Kanemaru hurts YOH’s back against the guardrails. Suzuki-Gun keeps YOH in their area and continue to punish him. Pace picks up and quick tags are made. Desperado and Eagles are paired up and they trade submission finishers till Kanemaru broke it up.
Eagles surprised Desperado with a roll up and pin.
Desperado was arguing with the referee after the match about the count. Eagles was celebrating that he pinned the Champion. Desperado hit Eagles with a right hand punch. Kanemaru threw chairs in the ring and Desperado smashed Eagles’ left knee with chairs.
SHO and YOH helped their partner to the locker room.
Wrestle Grandslam Prediction for IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado vs. Robbie Eagles
El Desperado should retain here. The big matchup in the Jr. Division should be Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado. I think they are building to that match. As long as everyone remains healthy.
2 - Rocky Romero, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, Jado and Yujiro Takahashi
Lots of comedy at the start. CHAOS members took turns throwing Bullet Club members into Taguchi’s rear end.
Taguchi locked Jado in an ankle lock submission. ELP tried for Sudden Death. Rocky hit ELP with a hip attack. Jado had no choice but to tap out.
After the match, ELP and Ishimori tried to attack Rocky and Taguchi but they fought them off back to the locker room.
Wrestle Grandslam Prediction for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship: Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo vs. Rocky Romero and Ryusuke Taguchi
I see this match as a comedy spot fest to entertain the Tokyo Dome crowd. Bullet Club should retain the titles here.
3 - Great O-Khan and Jeff Cobb vs. Toru Yano and Kazuchika Okada
Okada attacks United Empire before the bell. United Empire uses their power to gain control. Yano and Okada were both on their backs on the floor while Cobb and O-Khan stood tall in the ring. Cobb threw the bigger Yano across the ring like he was a Jr. Heavyweight. Wow! Yano was able to tag out. Cobb hit Okada with a running uppercut then lifted him into the a running vertical suplex. Yano and O-Khan tagged in and they battled to the floor. Both men were grappling near the ring apron when Yano pulled out handcuffs and he cuffed O-Khan to a metal bar under the ring. The referee counted out O-Khan while Yano hopped back in the ring.
Yano wins the match.
O-Khan was pissed as he screamed at the referee. Cobb tried to attack Okada but Okada hit him with a dropkick. Cobb rolled to the floor. Cobb launched a chair from the crowd into the ring. Okada caught the chair and taunted Cobb. Meanwhile, everyone left ringside and O-Khan was still cuffed. He yelled at officials to help him. They came to get the cuffs off. O-Khan attacked Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura who were working at ringside and beat them down.
Wrestle Grandslam Prediction for the Special Single Match: Jeff Cobb vs. Kazuchika Okada
The build to this match has been great. I see Okada using wrestling ability to get a win over Cobb’s power attacks. This will be the next step up the ladder for Okada to get closer to the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
4 - Tomoaki Honma and Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi and BUSHI
Takagi pins Wato with Made in Japan.
Good competitive match. But for third night in a row, Takagi showed how good he is. Nothing against the other wrestlers in this match, but Takagi is on another level. Also, it showed that the IWGP World Title picture is missing Kota Ibushi . With Will Ospreay out injured and Jay White defending the NEVER Openweight Championship in the United States, the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship title picture is limited.
Wrestle Grandslam Prediction for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi
As of this report, all signs point to Kota Ibushi being ready for the Tokyo Dome. I think Shingo Takagi will retain here. If Ibushi is still unhealthy, keep the title on Takagi. Let Ibushi rest till the G1 Climax begins.
5 - Tomohiro Ishii vs EVIL, with Dick Togo
Ishii attacked EVIL before the bell. They fought to the floor. Togo attacks Ishii throws him into the guardrails. EVIL gets the advantage and works in Ishii’s lower back. Ishii fights back with chops and elbows. EVIL slapped Ishii in the face. Ishii chopped EVIL close to his larynx. EVIL doubled over in pain. Ishii smashed Togo and EVIL into the timekeeper’s table. EVIL continued to punish Ishii’s back with a Superplex. EVIL and Togo hit a Magic Killer. Two count.
Ishii fights back with a Back drop suplex. Ishii hits a delayed Superplex on EVIL. Ishii hits a lariat and is gaining momentum. Ishii is throws EVIL into Togo and hits a Sliding Lariat. Two count. They reverse out of each other’s finishers and EVIL hits a low blow and gets a breather. EVIL hits Darkness Falls. Two count. EVIL with a lariat. Two count. Ishii hits EVIL right in the jaw with a headbutt. Ouch! Togo jumps in the ring to choke out Ishii. Ishii powers out and hits Togo with a lariat. EVIL goes for a low blow but Ishii blocks it, and throws a high kick. Ishii hits a big lariat. Two count. Ishii goes for a brainbuster, but EVIL wiggles out. EVIL pushes Ishii into a corner and the referee takes a bump.
Yujiro Takahashi hits the ring to interfere. Ishii stops his attack, but EVIL hits a low blow on Ishii. Takahashi drops Ishii on his head with Pimp Juice.
EVIL pins Ishii after hitting Everything is Evil.
Good match. It took three Bullet Club members to take down Ishii. It would have been nice to see EVIL win it on his own.
Katsuyori Shibata makes his way to ringside to a nice ovation. He joins the Japanese commentary team.
6 - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA
KENTA refused to lock up with Tanahashi at first. He left the ring to take a walk around ringside. He stared down Shibata at the announcers desk. They lockup and Tanahashi takes an early advantage with his power. Tanahashi took a spill over the top rope and KENTA hit a double stomp from the ring apron. Tanahashi is thrown into guardrails. KENTA gets into the face of Shibata and talks trash. Referee gets the match back in the ring.
KENTA tries to weaken Tanahashi with strikes and headlocks. Tanahashi catches a kick by KENTA and hits a Dragon Screw leg whip. Tanahashi applies the Texas Cloverleaf. KENTA gets a break in the ropes. Pace picks up. KENTA with a power slam and fisherman’s buster. KENTA hits a top rope lariat for a two count. KENTA nails a hanging DDT to the floor. Tanahashi almost gets counted out. KENTA with a Mafia Kick and a delayed dropkick. KENTA goes for Go To Sleep, but Tanahashi reverses into a Dragon Screw.
They trade elbow strikes. Both men are getting angry. Tanahashi pushes down the referee and tells KENTA that it is one on one. Tanahashi catches KENTA in the corner and hammers him with elbow. Tanahashi goes for a running dropkick but pulled the referee in front. Referee takes a bump out of the ring. KENTA hits a low blow on Tanahashi. KENTA goes to the floor and pulls out his old red briefcase, the same one which he hit Tanahashi with months ago. KENTA blasts Tanahashi in the head with the briefcase.
Shibata gets into the ring to confront KENTA. Shibata hits a thrust kick to KENTA’s chest. Shibata pats Tanahashi on the back. Tanahashi is hulking up. KENTA tries for a GTS, but Tanahashi reverses into Twist and Shout. Tanahashi with Sling blade. Another Sling blade. KENTA hits a Psycho Knee and Tanahashi is stunned. KENTA hits another Psycho Knee. Two count. KENTA goes for another GTS. Tanahashi reverses out and hits a Dragon Suplex. Tanahashi with a drop kick in the face of KENTA. Tanahashi hits the High Fly Flow.
Tanahashi pins KENTA.
Very good match. Both men looked sharp in the match and told a good story.
Tanahashi left the ring and acknowledged Shibata at ringside. Tanahashi approached Shibata and they shook hands.
Tanahashi took the mic and thanked the fans. He gave them an air guitar show to send everyone home happy.
He also announced that if he is needed at the Tokyo Dome against Shingo Takagi, he will be ready.
Wrestle Grand Slam Prediction for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Tetsuya Naito and SANADA vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi
I still maintain if Ibushi is unable to wrestle, this match could be the main event. I would have the Los Ingobernales de Japon retain the titles. Dangerous Tekkers are great team and having them chase the titles could be entertaining. Both of these teams could be back at the Dome in January for Wrestle Kingdom.
Thanks for reading.
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