Yesterday, depending on which time zone you prefer, New Japan had its annual supershow on January 4 in the Tokyo Dome. I haven't gotten my hands on the show itself, yet, but I do have results in hand that I can pass along and comment upon.
Without further ado...
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Davey Richards (ROH) & Rocky Romero (c)
I'm a little disappointed, as a fan of the reunited No Remorse Corps in Japan. I can't say I didn't see this coming to an extent, as New Japan does love Apollo 55 and cementing them as one of the most dominant junior teams ever with this win makes sense for them. I'd still expect big things out of Davey in New Japan this year, though. A Jr. Heavyweight championship may be in store for him.
Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, KUSHIDA, & Mascara Dorada (CMLL) def. Atlantis (CMLL), Valiente (CMLL), Taka Michinoku (K-Dojo), & Taichi
There's not a whole lot to say here. This is just the typical Dome Show CMLL match with lots of lucha spots to get everyone pumped up. Inoffensive, quite exciting, but really not much in the way of effect on the future of New Japan.
Kazuchika Okada def. Yoshi-Hashi
I thought this was a really interesting match, as both men have been on extended international sojourns, Okada to TNA and the Florida area, Yoshi-Hashi to CMLL. This was their big return to New Japan, and you get the feeling that the man that won this match was going to be a big part of the heavyweight division in 2012. I expect Okada to do just that, but I wouldn't count out Yoshi-Hashi as a part of the future as well.
Masakatsu Funaki & Masayuki Kono (All Japan) def. Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue
This was another neat pairing. Funaki is a veteran, a wrestler converted to mixed martial artist reconverted to wrestler, while Kono is a student of his. On the Blue Justice side, Nagata is another veteran with a huge 2011 and Inoue is a student of his. There's history between Kono and Nagata as well, as they met in the Champion's Carnival in 2011 which Nagata would win. The victory of the All Japan team is impressive. I don't think this feud is over, personally. Look for it to continue in both New Japan and All Japan.
MVP & Shelton Benjamin (ROH) def. Masato Tanaka (Zero-1) & Yujiro Takahashi
MVP has been facing an onslaught from both Tanaka and Takahashi for the better part of six months now, and he's stood against it mostly alone. Furthermore, Tanaka is the man that took MVP's Intercontinental Championship from him in October, and MVP wants revenge. To deal with the combined onslaught here, MVP called in reinforcements in the interesting form of Shelton Benjamin, who is a mainstay of ROH's tag division right now and has obvious history with MVP back in WWE. The victory by the former WWE talent sets up MVP for a rematch with Tanaka for the title. Whether we see any more of Benjamin remains to be seen. It seems unlikely, but you never know. He would make another nice gaijin to be part of the Intercontinental title hunt.
IWGP Tag Team Titles: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima def. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson (c)
Finally, a really huge match for the tag titles at the Dome Show. It feels like its been ages since NJPW really booked a serious match for the titles at one of these shows. Bad Intentions shattered the record for longest tag title reign. Tenzan and Kojima are a reunited pairing, one of the most popular tag teams in NJPW history and former champions for over a year in their own right. This was an awesome pairing and a match I can't wait to see. Dethroning Bad Intentions was a major accomplishment, and it leaves the state of the tag team championships in 2012 wide open.
Hirooki Goto def. Takashi Sugiura (Pro Wrestling NOAH)
A now traditional continuation of the NJPW vs NOAH war at Wrestle Kingdom, and also Goto and Sugiura's private war at Wrestle Kingdom. At Wrestle Kingdom III, they were on opposite sides of a tag match won by Goto's team. At Wrestle Kingdom IV in 2010, Sugiura defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Goto in a victory for Sugiura. At Wrestle Kingdom V, they were on opposite sides of a tag match that was won by Sugiura's team, though neither man was involved in the decision. For the fourth consecutive year, these two square off. There's nothing on the line but honor. Goto's victory really helps his case to return to title contention in 2012, and evens the series between these two. A high stakes rematch next year? Perhaps.
Togi Makabe def. Yoshihiro Takayama
This match had a lot of emotion behind it. Makabe and Takayama were friends, until Takayama turned on him in October of this year, joining up with Minoru Suzuki's attempted takeover of New Japan that continues in the main event of this show. This is the first one on one meeting of these two since the turn, and Makabe picked up a big win. This one defied my expectations - I though Takayama would win to give Suzuki's alliance a victory and continue this feud. It'll be interesting to see where it goes from here, if at all.
Go Shiozaki & Naomichi Marfuji (Pro Wrestling NOAH) def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Toru Yano
Another NJPW vs NOAH match. Four of the best in Japan in this match here, and the victory by NOAH evens up the series for the night, leaving a big rematch open for next year, or even later this year.
Keiji Mutoh (All Japan) def. Tetsuya Naito
What a pairing this was. Billed as Genius vs Genius, it pitted the greatest innovator of Japan's wrestling past against one of the top new innovators and breakout singles stars of the present. A huge match for Naito, who looks to be getting pushed as a singles star in New Japan. The loss really takes nothing away from Naito - just getting a match one on one with Mutoh is huge for him. I expect this match to lead to big things for Naito in NJPW, regardless of its finish. Reportedly, Naito refused a handshake at the end of the match and walked off, suggesting that he'll be a heel going forward.
IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) def. Minoru Suzuki
This was a huge, huge match for Tanahashi. With the victory, he stands poised to set the record for longest IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign ever. Barring losing the title in the next two days - which won't happen, of course - he will set the record for longest reign. I expected this, personally, but I don't think Suzuki's attempted takeover is over. This was a record breaking 11th successful defense for Tanahashi in addition to setting the length record, making this truly a historic title reign all around for him. His triumph over Suzuki seems to have put a damper in his revolution, but I would expect him to come back strong soon. I wouldn't be surprised if he won the title over the summer. What surprised me is that Takayama lost earlier in the show, shutting down the group altogether in high profile matches tonight. It'll be interesting to see where that goes in 2012. On another interesting note, Kazuchika Okada challenged Tanahashi to close the show. Okada certainly didn't waste any time there. I can't really see him becoming a champion just yet, but they seem to be intent on making him a part of the future of the heavyweight division in NJPW.
That's what I got. Feel free to discuss the results and anything you expect to fallout of them for NJPW in 2012.
Without further ado...
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Titles: Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi def. Davey Richards (ROH) & Rocky Romero (c)
I'm a little disappointed, as a fan of the reunited No Remorse Corps in Japan. I can't say I didn't see this coming to an extent, as New Japan does love Apollo 55 and cementing them as one of the most dominant junior teams ever with this win makes sense for them. I'd still expect big things out of Davey in New Japan this year, though. A Jr. Heavyweight championship may be in store for him.
Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, KUSHIDA, & Mascara Dorada (CMLL) def. Atlantis (CMLL), Valiente (CMLL), Taka Michinoku (K-Dojo), & Taichi
There's not a whole lot to say here. This is just the typical Dome Show CMLL match with lots of lucha spots to get everyone pumped up. Inoffensive, quite exciting, but really not much in the way of effect on the future of New Japan.
Kazuchika Okada def. Yoshi-Hashi
I thought this was a really interesting match, as both men have been on extended international sojourns, Okada to TNA and the Florida area, Yoshi-Hashi to CMLL. This was their big return to New Japan, and you get the feeling that the man that won this match was going to be a big part of the heavyweight division in 2012. I expect Okada to do just that, but I wouldn't count out Yoshi-Hashi as a part of the future as well.
Masakatsu Funaki & Masayuki Kono (All Japan) def. Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue
This was another neat pairing. Funaki is a veteran, a wrestler converted to mixed martial artist reconverted to wrestler, while Kono is a student of his. On the Blue Justice side, Nagata is another veteran with a huge 2011 and Inoue is a student of his. There's history between Kono and Nagata as well, as they met in the Champion's Carnival in 2011 which Nagata would win. The victory of the All Japan team is impressive. I don't think this feud is over, personally. Look for it to continue in both New Japan and All Japan.
MVP & Shelton Benjamin (ROH) def. Masato Tanaka (Zero-1) & Yujiro Takahashi
MVP has been facing an onslaught from both Tanaka and Takahashi for the better part of six months now, and he's stood against it mostly alone. Furthermore, Tanaka is the man that took MVP's Intercontinental Championship from him in October, and MVP wants revenge. To deal with the combined onslaught here, MVP called in reinforcements in the interesting form of Shelton Benjamin, who is a mainstay of ROH's tag division right now and has obvious history with MVP back in WWE. The victory by the former WWE talent sets up MVP for a rematch with Tanaka for the title. Whether we see any more of Benjamin remains to be seen. It seems unlikely, but you never know. He would make another nice gaijin to be part of the Intercontinental title hunt.
IWGP Tag Team Titles: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima def. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson (c)
Finally, a really huge match for the tag titles at the Dome Show. It feels like its been ages since NJPW really booked a serious match for the titles at one of these shows. Bad Intentions shattered the record for longest tag title reign. Tenzan and Kojima are a reunited pairing, one of the most popular tag teams in NJPW history and former champions for over a year in their own right. This was an awesome pairing and a match I can't wait to see. Dethroning Bad Intentions was a major accomplishment, and it leaves the state of the tag team championships in 2012 wide open.
Hirooki Goto def. Takashi Sugiura (Pro Wrestling NOAH)
A now traditional continuation of the NJPW vs NOAH war at Wrestle Kingdom, and also Goto and Sugiura's private war at Wrestle Kingdom. At Wrestle Kingdom III, they were on opposite sides of a tag match won by Goto's team. At Wrestle Kingdom IV in 2010, Sugiura defended the GHC Heavyweight Championship against Goto in a victory for Sugiura. At Wrestle Kingdom V, they were on opposite sides of a tag match that was won by Sugiura's team, though neither man was involved in the decision. For the fourth consecutive year, these two square off. There's nothing on the line but honor. Goto's victory really helps his case to return to title contention in 2012, and evens the series between these two. A high stakes rematch next year? Perhaps.
Togi Makabe def. Yoshihiro Takayama
This match had a lot of emotion behind it. Makabe and Takayama were friends, until Takayama turned on him in October of this year, joining up with Minoru Suzuki's attempted takeover of New Japan that continues in the main event of this show. This is the first one on one meeting of these two since the turn, and Makabe picked up a big win. This one defied my expectations - I though Takayama would win to give Suzuki's alliance a victory and continue this feud. It'll be interesting to see where it goes from here, if at all.
Go Shiozaki & Naomichi Marfuji (Pro Wrestling NOAH) def. Shinsuke Nakamura & Toru Yano
Another NJPW vs NOAH match. Four of the best in Japan in this match here, and the victory by NOAH evens up the series for the night, leaving a big rematch open for next year, or even later this year.
Keiji Mutoh (All Japan) def. Tetsuya Naito
What a pairing this was. Billed as Genius vs Genius, it pitted the greatest innovator of Japan's wrestling past against one of the top new innovators and breakout singles stars of the present. A huge match for Naito, who looks to be getting pushed as a singles star in New Japan. The loss really takes nothing away from Naito - just getting a match one on one with Mutoh is huge for him. I expect this match to lead to big things for Naito in NJPW, regardless of its finish. Reportedly, Naito refused a handshake at the end of the match and walked off, suggesting that he'll be a heel going forward.
IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) def. Minoru Suzuki
This was a huge, huge match for Tanahashi. With the victory, he stands poised to set the record for longest IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign ever. Barring losing the title in the next two days - which won't happen, of course - he will set the record for longest reign. I expected this, personally, but I don't think Suzuki's attempted takeover is over. This was a record breaking 11th successful defense for Tanahashi in addition to setting the length record, making this truly a historic title reign all around for him. His triumph over Suzuki seems to have put a damper in his revolution, but I would expect him to come back strong soon. I wouldn't be surprised if he won the title over the summer. What surprised me is that Takayama lost earlier in the show, shutting down the group altogether in high profile matches tonight. It'll be interesting to see where that goes in 2012. On another interesting note, Kazuchika Okada challenged Tanahashi to close the show. Okada certainly didn't waste any time there. I can't really see him becoming a champion just yet, but they seem to be intent on making him a part of the future of the heavyweight division in NJPW.
That's what I got. Feel free to discuss the results and anything you expect to fallout of them for NJPW in 2012.
