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From Hiroshima, Japan:
1 - Katsuya Murashima vs. Daiki Nagai
Murashima gets the win with a Boston Crab.
2 - Master Wato, YOH, Boltin Oleg, Toru Yano and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles, Hartley Jackson, Ryohei Oiwa and Zack Sabre Jr.
Oleg pins Jackson after a Kamikaze.
3 - Taiji Ishimori and Clark Conners vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and SHO
Kanemaru hits the Suntory Surprise in Conners’ face. Kanemaru pins Conners with a Victory Roll.
4 - Ryusuke Taguchi, El Phantasmo and El Desperado vs. Jakob Austin Young, Francesco Akira and Templario
ELP hits Sudden Death and a UFO on Young. ELP pins Young.
5 - Shota Umino and Yuya Uemura vs. Shingo Takagi and Yota Tsuji
Umino and Takagi exchanged stiff shots. Takagi hits a Pumping Bomber and gets the pin.
After the match, Takagi continues to attack Umino and hits him with a table.
I don’t understand the booking here. Takagi and Umino will face off in a singles match at Wrestling Dontaku. But Takagi already cleanly pins him in this tag match and Takagi continues to beat up Umino. Why even have a singles match? I do not understand how they are booking Umino at all.
6 - Drilla Moloney, Gabe Kidd and David Finlay vs. SANADA, Ren Narita and EVIL
Typical House of Torture shenanigans. Finlay is about to hit EVIL with his shillelagh. Yujiro comes to the ring and hits Finlay with his Pimp Stick. EVIL blasts Finlay with the shillelagh. EVIL plants Finlay with Everything is Evil.
EVIL pins Finlay.
Big brawl has House of Torture lays out all of the War Dogs. SANADA smashes the guitar on Moloney’s head. War Dogs are left destroyed in the ring.
Both teams will meet in a Dog Pound Cage Match at Wrestling Dontaku.
7 - Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito
Huge chant for Naito from the Hiroshima crowd. BUSHI comes to the ring with his stablemates.
Very unusual to see Taichi and Tomohiro Ishii as a tag team.
Naito entertains the crowd with his tranquillo antics. Great tag match. Taichi hits a modified Emerald Flosion on Naito, followed by and Ishii lariat. Naito kicks out. Taichi hits a Dangerous Backdrop on Naito. Two count.
Hiromu hits a superkick and a Hiromuchan Bomber. Naito goes for a Tornado DDT on Taichi, but slips off the ropes and turns it into a cradle pin. Taichi kicks out. Taichi hits an Ax Bomber on Hiromu and a superkick on Naito. Naito kicks out at two.
Taichi and Ishii hit a double team brainbuster on Naito. Taichi hits Black Mephisto on Naito.
Taichi pins Naito.
Taichi and Naito have words with each other after the pinfall. Taichi shakes his hand and pats his chest. Taichi salutes Naito as he leaves.
Naito is emotional as he stands.
New Japan will be hurt by Naito’s departure. If Naito goes to another Japanese promotion, he will bring more eyes to that promotion.
8 - IWGP Tag Team Championship: YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Great O-Khan and Callum Newman
Good match. Newman hits an Oscutter on YOSHI-HASHI and follows with his new finisher, Prince’s Curse.
Newman pins YOSHI-HASHI.
United Empire wins the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.
Tomohiro Ishii and Taichi come to the ring to face the new champions and ask for a title shot. The new contenders have been established.
The storyline is now course corrected since Jeff Cobb’s departure. Great O-Khan and Callum Newman are the Tag Champs. O-Khan is still the TV Champion so he might drop that one soon.
New Japan is putting a lot on Newman’s shoulders. Newman is not ready to represent New Japan as the champion yet. But as the tag champion, that should be fine.
Thank you for reading.
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