NJPW “NJPW 40TH ANNIVERSARY ~ WRESTLING DONTAKU 2012″, 5/3/12 (WPW/PPV)
Fukuoka International Center
6,500 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1.
YOSHI-HASHI, Jado & Tomohiro Ishii beat Strong Man, Captain New
Japan & Tama Tonga (7:12) when Ishii used a brainbuster on Tonga.
2.
TAKA Michinoku & Taichi beat Ryusuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA (8:16)
when Taichi used a Taichi-style Gedo clutch on KUSHIDA.
3. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask beat Rocky Romero & Gedo (7:50) when Tiger used a crucifix hold on Gedo.
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Low Ki beat Prince Devitt (c) (21:01) with the Ki Krusher ’99 to become the 63rd champion.
5.
IWGP Tag Team Title: Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka beat Hiroyoshi
Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (c) (16:47) when Yano used the Oni Koroshi
on Kojima to become the 59th champions.
6. Special Tag Match: Minoru
Suzuki & Yoshihiro Takayama beat Togi Makabe & Yuji Nagata
(13:43) when Suzuki used a Gotch-style piledriver on Makabe.
7. Special Singles Match: Shinsuke Nakamura beat Karl Anderson (12:15) with the Boma Ye.
8.
Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tetsuya Naito beat Masato
Tanaka & Yujiro Takahashi (13:59) when Tanahashi used the High Fly
Flow on Takahashi.
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada (c) beat Hirooki Goto (24:55) with the Rainmaker (2nd defense).
*
Who can stop the Rainmaker!? New Japan Cup winner and IWGP
Intercontinental Champion, Hirooki Goto, remains unable to win the
greatest prize available, the IWGP Heavyweight Title, after another near
miss at a packed Fukuoka International Center today. It was a match
that could have gone either way but the vigor and momentum of Okada
carried him over the line as he finished off Goto with the Rainmaker.
Tanahashi appeared after the match and challenged Okada to a match which
would be a rematch of their February class where Okada shocked everyone
by winning the title. And it looks like this match could take place at
the very same building as last time, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, with
“DOMINION 6.16″ looming as New Japan’s next big show.
* Tanahashi
had just teamed with Naito to defeat Tanaka & Yujiro before his
post-main event appearance, pinning Yujiro after his High Fly Flow.
There was said to be some issues between Tanahashi and Naito after the
match which could be isolated or hint at some bigger problems.
*
Shinsuke Nakamura avenged his upset New Japan Cup loss to Karl Anderson,
which was one of my personal favourite matches of 2012 (the NJC match).
This was a slightly shorter match but was also said to be very exciting
with Shinsuke’s Boma Ye making the difference.
* The thorn in
TenKoji’s side, CHAOS’ Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka, became a much
bigger problem today. After beating TenKoji in a non-title match then
Yano recently pinning Kojima in a singles match, the dastardly heels
today went one step further by capturing the IWGP Tag Team Title from
Tenzan & Kojima. After the Iron Fingers from Hell by Iizuka, Yano
dropped Kojima with his Oni Koroshi for the huge win, very momentous for
both men. This is Yano’s first title since he and Makabe held the IWGP
Tag Title in 2008 while for Iizuka this is his first title since 1996(!)
when he and Kazuo Yamazaki held the tag belts.
* Prince Devitt,
the absolute ace of New Japan’s junior division for two years now, said
going into his match with the “One World Warrior” Low Ki that he may be
the underdog given Ki’s track record across the world where he has
wrestled in almost every major promotion. Devitt had beaten Ki last year
in New York in an IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title defense but today marked
Low Ki’s true return to New Japan as he ended Devitt’s half-year reign
as champion in an exciting match. Ki spiked Devitt with the Ki Krusher
’99 and finally the Irishman seems to have found his first worthy
challenger since Kota Ibushi went down with a long-term injury.
