NJPW “DOMINION 6.16″, 6/16/12 (WPW)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
6,850 Fans – Super No Vacancy Full House
1. Kota Ibushi , Kenny Omega & Daisuke Sasaki beat Prince Devitt, KUSHIDA & BUSHI (10:48) when Ibushi used a sit-down Last Ride on BUSHI.
2. YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii & Rocky Romero beat Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Captain New Japan (9:26) when Ishii used a brainbuster on Captain.
3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask beat TAKA Michinoku & Taichi (9:20) when Tiger used a Tiger suplex hold on Taichi to become the 32nd champions (decision match).
4. Special Tag Match: MVP & Shelton Benjamin beat Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga (10:19) when Benjamin used the Paydirt on Tonga.
5. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Low Ki (c) beat Ryusuke Taguchi (12:32) with the Warrior’s Wrath (1st defense).
6. IWGP Tag Team Title: Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka (c) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima went to a double countout (2:41). (RESTART) Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka (c) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima went to a no contest (12:26) (1st defense).
7. Special Tag Match: Shinsuke Nakamura & Masato Tanaka beat Hirooki Goto & Tetsuya Naito (13:28) when Tanaka used the Sliding D on Naito.
8. Special Singles Match: Togi Makabe beat Minoru Suzuki (16:21) with a King Kong kneedrop.
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Kazuchika Okada (c) (28:06) with the High Fly Flow to become the 58th champion.
* Another complete sell out for New Japan with people turned away, the company remains on fire and the healthiest it has been in many years.
* The first “Rainmaker” era is over as a rematch from February in the same building saw ace Hiroshi Tanahashi avenge his IWGP Heavyweight Title loss to upstart Kazuchika Okada by defeating him in a memorable main event. Okada has seemed unstoppable since he shocked the wrestling world and defeated Tanahashi, but the leader of New Japan struck back today and defeated the CHAOS man with his High Fly Flow. Thus begins Tanahashi’s sixth reign as champion, equaling Tatsumi Fujinami’s record six reigns that Tanahashi seems very likely to better in his career. Masato Tanaka and Togi Makabe, both big winners on the show, appeared after the match to challenge Tanahashi for the title.
* Makabe feels he deserved a shot after a big win over Suzuki Gun leader, Minoru Suzuki, in the semi final. This grudge feud that has been going on for much of the year came to a head in Osaka with Makabe pinning Suzuki for an important victory.
* Tanaka’s own shout for a title shot came in the seventh match as he and CHAOS leader Nakamura defeated Hirooki Goto & Tetsuya Naito. Naito, who has been a little unfocused lately and arguing constantly with Tanahashi who he seems a little bitter (jealous?) of, fell to Tanaka’s Sliding D.
* The TenKoji vs. Yano & Iizuka feud showed no signs of ending in Osaka as Tenzan & Kojima were granted a rematch for the IWGP Tag Team Title that they lost to the CHAOS tandem in Fukuoka last month. The match had barely started before both teams were counted out. President Sugabayashi ordered a restart and a more orderly bout began but after 12 1/2 minutes the referee completely lost control and had to throw the match out. This counts as a successful V1 defence for Yano & Iizuka so they retain but this feud is likely to roll on.
* The Best of the Super Jr. final was repeated just days after the event in which Ryusuke Taguchi stalled the Low Ki juggernaut. Low Ki had won nine matches in a row without a defeat until Taguchi defeated him in the final, setting up an enticing V1 defense of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title for Ki in Osaka. But despite his big tournament win, Taguchi was unable to get the job done on a bigger stage tonight as he was beaten. DDT’s Kota Ibushi, returning to New Japan after a long absence due to injury, appeared afterwards and challenged Ki to a title match that could be quite spectacular. This could happen on the joint New Japan/All Japan anniversary show at Sumo Hall in July.
* For the first time since 2006, Jushin Thunder Liger appeared as Kishin Liger as he and Tiger Mask met TAKA Michinoku & Taichi for the vacant IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title. The Kishin Liger persona was debuted in the legendary Liger vs. Great Muta match at Kobe World Hall in 1996 and revived briefly in 2006 when Liger destroyed Bad Boy Hido. He and Tiger Mask finally got their shot at the belts today as they were supposed to last month in Fukuoka but Davey Richards was unable to appear, forcing the title to be held up. In their way stood TAKA & Taichi but they proved to be little match for the fearsome Kishin Liger who went on a rampage, spitting red mist in Taichi’s eyes which allowed Tiger Mask to drop the young punk with his Tiger suplex hold for the win. So Liger finally wins IWGP gold again for the first time since he and AKIRA won these sames belts in 2008, while this is Tiger Mask’s first title since dropping the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title to Marufuji on 1/4/10.
