NJPW 2006: Rebirth

Tomohiro Ishii vs Daisuke Sekimoto
A hard-hitting match to kick off the night between RISE’s Tomohiro Ishii and rookie Sekimoto. Ishii has been finding his footing as a brawler lately, and it was a good matchup with a young lion that very much suits this style. They got the crowd going and the match was actually pretty competitive, but as expected Ishii got the win following a Vertical Drop Brainbuster.
Time: 9:31
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii

CTU (Minoru Tanaka and Jushin Liger) and Fergal Devitt vs Shiro Koshinaka, Tatsuhito Takaiwa and Tetsuya Naito
Following his unsuccessful challenge of IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Koji Kanemoto, the legendary Jushin Thunder Liger was looking to regain some positive momentum heading into the BOSJ tournament next week. He’s partnered by stablemate Minoru Tanaka and pitted against probable participants Koshinaka and Takaiwa, which means this match works a bit like a preview of the tournament. However, the two young lions didn’t shy away from the spotlight either, with Devitt and Naito both being very involved and having some good spurts, even if they were on the defensive side most of the time against more established opposition Tanaka locked in the Minoru special on Naito to give CTU the win via submission.
Time: 11:28
Winners: Minoru Tanaka, Jushin Liger and Fergal Devitt



Apache Army (Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Kintaro Kanemura, GENTARO and BADBOY Hido) vs Tiger Mask, El Samurai, Masayuki Naruse and Naofumi Yamamoto
The main card opened with another sort of BOSJ preview, pitting Apache against 4 Hontai junior heavyweights. It was a fast-paced affair, with quick tags and good teamwork, but there was a bit more tension in the air with BOSJ coming up. El Samurai hit his Samurai Bomb on Hido for the win, picking up some good momentum for the tournament.
Time: 8:21
Winners: Tiger Mask, El Samurai, Masayuki Naruse and Naofumi Yamamoto

Shinsuke Nakamura vs Kenzo Suzuki
A frustrated Kenzo rushed Nakamura as soon as the bell rang, hitting a Shotgun Dropkick that sends Shinsuke out of the ring and then hits a huge Suicide Dive! He’s just as fast and furious as his theme song! A prone Nakamura leans against the railing and Suzuki goes for a Spear, but he avoids it and Kenzo goes shoulder first against the steel. From there Shinsuke takes control of the match and things do slow down a bit but remain intense, as Nakamura focuses his attacks on Suzuki’s arm and shoulder with an emphasis on stiff kicks and knees. Suzuki has his offensive spurts and one of them does see him connect with a Spear, but when he goes to STO Nakamura he lands a beautiful counter into the Rolling Armbar, Suzuki struggles for a bit but the pain is too much as he has to tap out. Nakamura celebrates as Kenzo hits the mat in frustration and stroms out of the ring.
Time: 12:06
Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

BLACK (Ryoji Sai, Akebono and Ryushi Yanagisawa) vs Yuji Nagata, Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie
This was just your decent standard undercard tag match, nothing spectacular. The two teams worked well, with the younger guys getting some good licks in. Eventually the Hontai team got the win, with Iizuka pinning Yanagisawa after a Blizzard Suplex.
Time: 10:09
Winners: Yuji Nagata, Takashi Iizuka and Yutaka Yoshie


The World Class Tag Team (Jado and Gedo) (c) vs RISE (CIMA and Ryusuke Taguchi) (IWGP Junior Heavywieght Tag Team Championship)
This was a good sprint for the tag titles, with CIMA and Taguchi using their quickness edge to gain an advantage over Gedo and Jado. We saw great teamwork between the RISE duo, who tried to keep the pace up every time they were on top, with the champions looking to slow things down. In the end, despite a great showing, the challenger’s overeagerness came back to bite them, with CIMA missing a Meteora from the top rope and getting caught in the Gedo Clutch for the pin in a narrow win.
Time: 10:53
Winners: Jado and Gedo – 1st title defence

Manabu Nakanishi vs Takao Omori
The crowd was very much behind Omori for his final challenge, and he delivered another intense, spirited performance. Nakanishi’s power overwhelmed him at times, and Omori had to fight from underneath most of the time, gutting through the punishment as Nakanishi couldn’t put him away. He seemed to have done it when he had Omori in the Torture Rack, but Omori elbowed his way out of it and hit a Backdrop, followed by 3 consecutive Axe Bombers to Nakanishi for the win!
Time: 16:14
Winner: Takao Omori

Omori will get his rematch with Yuji Nagata! Blue Justice comes out after the match and they stare down, Nagata offers a handshake but Omori turns his back on him and leaves the ring.

A video package plays announcing the participants in the upcoming Best of the Super Juniors tournament: Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask, El Samurai, Wataru Inoue, Shiro Koshinaka, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Masayuki Naruse, Naofumi Yamamoto, Jushin Liger, Gedo, Jado, Minoru Tanaka, Black Tiger, Ryusuke Taguchi, CIMA, Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Kintaro Kanemura, Alex Shelley, Homicide and Yoshinobu Kanemaru!
The lineup is set, but who will head into BOSJ as the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion? We find out now!


Koji Kanemoto (c) vs Wataru Inoue vs Black Tiger (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship)
A 3-way match is an unusual sight in NJPW, with championships usually being contested in 1-on-1 bouts. This was a nice change of pace, and added some unpredictability ahead of the BOSJ. The match itself was pretty fast paced, with good exchanges between all three men. Black Tiger had something to prove here, with questions remaining over his lack of killer instinct. His best chance came when Koji Kanemoto fell onto the apron, and he dropkicked Inoue onto him, causing them to bump heads and Kanemoto to take a nasty bump onto the floor, nearly landing on his neck. The referee was worried for him and went to check for injury, leaving Black Tiger and a downed Inoue in the ring. Black Tiger goes to grab the title belt and he’s about to hit Inoue either… but he hesitates, whether it’s because of the boos or because the referee might see him. He tosses the title away, calls out the referee and goes for the BT Bomb, but Inoue counters and locks in the Triangle Lancer. It’s locked in tight and Inoue is about to get the win… but Black Tiger counters out of it, props Inoue on his shoulders and hits the Death Valley Driver! But from out of nowhere Kanemoto gets back in the ring and clotheslines Black Tiger out! He quickly goes to the top… Moonsault to Inoue! 1..2…3! Kanemoto is still champion and Black Tiger is now factionless! The Best of the Super Juniors tournament is next!
Time: 19:04
Winner: Koji Kanemoto – 2nd title defence

Brock Lesnar and Karl Anderson vs Steve Corino and Giant Bernard
An interesting bout here, as Corino makes his NJPW debut in what is kind of a number 1 contender match. Corino comes out with Bernard closely behind him, as the crowd boos. Lesnar and Anderson come out accompanies by Lesnar’s wife Rena, who stays at ringside. The match started with Lesnar rearing to go after Corino, but after teasing a lock up he just tagged in Bernard and pointed to his head. Mind games from Corino as he tries to get under the champ’s skin even further. So, as it turns out, Lesnar ended up wrestling Bernard for most of the match, and with the big man going blow for blow with him for a lot of it. Corino would only tag in when Anderson was legal, and he’d hurry back to his corner and tag out whenever Lesnar tagged in. This continued for a while until Lesnar was quick enough to boot Bernard off the apron before Corino could get the tag. The crowd roars as Corino is finally face to face with Lesnar in a fair fight. Lensar gets the better of him at first but Corino is opportunistic, and chop blocks Lesnar when he misses a Lariat. Corino lays some shots on the champion and has him down, he calls for the Superkick… but Lesnar catches him and hits a huge Belly to Belly! Brock signals for the Verdict… but that’s when he sees Giant Bernard grab his wife Rena! Incensed, Lesnar follows after him and they brawl to the back. Corino yells at the referee to count Lesnar out, but much to his dismay he just lets Karl Anderson enter the ring and lets the match continue. With the two big men out of the picture it was down solely to Steve Corino and Karl Anderson and while the youngster gave it his best shot and tried his best, the King of Old School is on a level above and was not to be deterred. After some back and forth, Corino hits the Nothern Lights Bomb on Anderson and pins him for the win!
Time: 17:33
Winners: Steve Corino and Giant Bernard

Once the bell rings Bernard and Lesnar brawl their way to ringside and that’s when Corino intervenes, double teaming the champion once again! Much like at Sakura Genesis Bernard holds up Lesnar as Corino hits him with a Superkick! He pins Lesnar with one foot as Bernard intimidates the begrudging referee to count a pin. Corino then holds up the title again as if he’s won it, before dropping it on Lesnar’s unconscious body. It didn’t count this time, but if it happens again Steve Corino will be the next IWGP Heavyweight Champion!



Cho-Ten (Masahiro Chono and Hiroyoshi Tenzan) (c) vs Most Violent Players (Togi Makabe and Toru Yano) (IWGP Tag Team Championship)
These guys just picked up from where they left off last month, with the MVPs attacking Cho-Ten with chairs as they made their way to the ring and the two teams started fighting all over ringside. Referees Tiger Hattori and Marty Asami struggled to contain the action initially, and Black Strong Machine comes out from the locker room to help his team mates. They all fight, but they eventually got everything in order to start the match with Strong Machine staying in the corner of the champions. It doesn’t take long for Makabe and Yano to try their dirty tactics again, but the extra referee and the seconding of BSM pays off as they get caught multiple times. And so, Cho-Ten are well in control for a lot of the match, working well and tagging often. The MVPs do have their moments, but Cho-Ten have grown more used to their fighting style and are more comfortable to handle it. Chono has Makabe under control but Yano does a blind tag without Cho-Ten seeing it. Yano gets in the ring and Tenzan follows after him, thinking he’s entered illegaly again. The referees hold back Tenzan while Yano attacks him and don’t see an eye poke from Makabe to Chono, followed by a big Lariat! Makabe goes to hit Chono with the chain but he’s stopped by Strong Machine who’s had enough and takes him out! The referees try admonish him, but he’s going after Yano now! Yano is fighting Tenzan and BSM up the ramp now as referees try to break it up! While the refs hold BSM back, Yano nails a low blow on Tenzan and throws him off the ramp to the arena floor! But look at the ring! Someone just came from the crowd with a chair and slid in the ring… it’s a smaller guy in a Black Strong Machine mask! He cracks Chono over the head with a chair and neither one of the referees have seen it! Makabe goes to the top rope… King Kong Knee! With Tenzan taken out and BSM having been led away by Asami, Hattori’s attention is back in the match as Yano slides in the ring! He pins Chono who is out cold… 1…2…3!
Time: 22:29
Winners: Togi Makabe and Toru Yano – [TITLE CHANGE] 49th IWGP Tag Team Champions

 The MVPs have stolen the tag titles! With Chono and Tenzan down and Makabe and Yano celebrating, the masked man takes off his mask and reveals himself to be… Hiro Saito! The former ally of Chono and Tenzan in Team Wolf has cost them the titles!


Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs KENTA (IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship)
After the more chaotic nature of the last 3 matches, it was nice to have a more standard affair for the main event. This was a highly anticipated U-30 championship match, stemming from the New Japan Cup quarter finals where KENTA defeated Tanahashi in brutal fashion. They take their time and start the match slow and technical, letting the crowd get into it gradually. The match already feels important enough and both guys know it’s going long, no need to rush things. Much like last time, the stylistic differences are there, but both guys are able to mix it up in the other’s preferred style of match and that leads to a very even fight. After a long while KENTA finally goes for the GTS, but Tanahashi slips out and hits a DDT. Tanahashi goes up top… Aces High! But KENTA rolls through it, gets Tana up on his shoulder… GTS! No! Tana with an awesome counter into a Sling Blade! 1…2… No! KENTA kicks out! Tanahashi tries to go for the Straightjacket German but KENTA elbows out of it… Tana staggers into the corner and KENTA follows him with a big knee and goes back at him with a big Hesitation Dropkick! GTS time! He’s got Tana on his shoulders, he’s gonna hit it but Tanahashi catches his leg! But before Tana hits the Dragon Screw KENTA nails some stiff palm strikes to create separation. But Tana hits him with a left hand and KENTA goes down! Tanahashi runs the ropes, Sling Blade… no, KENTA counters into a vicious German Suplex with Tana almost landing on his head! KENTA goes up top… Diving Foot Stomp! Tana moves, but KENTA lands on his feet and runs at him. Tana ducks a Lariat, bounces off the ropes… Sling Blade! Tanahashi goes up top… High! Fly! Floooo… no! KENTA got the knees up! And he locks in Game Over! Tanahashi look like he might tap… but he rolls KENTA into a pin! 1…2… was it a 3! Referee says no! KENTA had to break the hold or he would’ve lost the match! KENTA himself isn’t sure as he checks with the referee! But Tana catches him with an inside cradle… 1…2… no! KENTA kicks out! Tanahashi almost had him! KENTA goes for a Lariat! Tana ducks again! German Suplex… with a bridge! 1…2… another kick out! Tana follows it up with a Shining Wizard! Just like his mentor! 1… kick out! KENTA kicked out at 1 and screams at Tanahashi! And they’re trading strikes, just like last time! KENTA nails a big kick, Tana goes to his knees… Shining Wizard! This time from KENTA, and he follows it up with a Sitout Powerbomb! Tana landed hard on the back of his head! KENTA picks him up again…GTS! But he doesn’t go for the cover, instead trying to put Tanahashi away for sure as he backs into the corner and the champ slowly stirs up! KENTA yells out and runs at him! BUSAIKU KNEE! 1…2…3! He has done it! We got a new champion!
Time: 27:22
Winner: KENTA – [TITLE CHANGE] 4th IWGP U-30 Openweight Champion

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Predictions:
Moore - 9/11 (not that one)
Asaemon - 5/11