01/04/10 New Japan Results

NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM IV IN TOKYO DOME”,
January 4, 2010 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo, Japan
41,500 Fans

Nakamura remains the strongest with a decisive victory over Takayama. NJ and NOAH share the spoils with Sugiura besting Goto to keep his title, NJ ace Tanahashi defeating NOAH ace Shiozaki in an alleged 2010 Best Bout candidate, Marufuji dethroning Tiger Mask in a spectacular match, and Makabe making short work of Yone. NO LIMIT returned and made an incredible impact, beating the two gaijin teams to lift the IWGP Tag Team Title – TenKoji comparisons arise as the two cocky youngsters look to become a franchise team for New Japan. Full report to follow of what was called a “god performance”, one of the best Dome shows in years.

1. New Japan Pro-Wrestling 2010 Beginning: Super Strong Machine, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa beat Jushin Thunder Liger, Koji Kanemoto & Kazuchika Okada (4:59) when Inoue used the Triangle Lancer on Okada.

2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title ~Amistad combativa~: Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt (c) beat Ultimo Guerrero & Averno (9:07) when Taguchi pinned Averno after the Black Hole Vacation (4th defense).

3. IWGP Tag Team Title – 3WAY Hardcore Rules Match ~Victim and Greed~: Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito beat “Team 3D” Brother Ray & Brother Devon (c) and Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson (13:28) when Yujiro pinned Anderson after the Limitless Emotion to become the 55th champions.

4. Wrestle Kingdom Special Tag Match ~Blood Stream Blue~: TAJIRI & Masato Tanaka beat Yuji Nagata & Akebono (9:37) when TAJIRI used a Buzzsaw kick on Nagata.

5. Wrestle Kingdom Special 8 Man Tag Match ~The legend never rots~: Terry Funk, Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono & Manabu Nakanishi beat Abdullah The Butcher, Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii (8:52) when Nakanishi used an Argentine backbreaker on Iizuka.

6. NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Wilderness~: Togi Makabe beat Mohammed Yone (5:39) with a top rope King Kong kneedrop.

7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title ~Highest sky~: Naomichi Marufuji beat Tiger Mask (c) (14:14) with the Tiger Frosion to become the 59th champion.

8. NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Radiance~: Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Go Shiozaki (19:04) with the High Fly Flow.

9. GHC Heavyweight Title – NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Blast~: Takashi Sugiura (c) beat Hirooki Goto (20:54) with an ankle hold (1st defense).

10. IWGP Heavyweight Title – The newest, The strongest: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) beat Yoshihiro Takayama (15:51) with the Boma Ye (4th defense).

Courtesy of http://www.puroresufan.com

New Japan Pro Wrestling present: Wrestle Kingdom IV

credit: Puroresufan

Two final matches and full card order for the biggest show of 2010 in Japan, “WRESTLE KINGDOM IV IN TOKYO DOME”, have been announced. Apollo 55, after doing so well in the J-CUP, face two assassins from CMLL in the form of Ultimo Guerrero & Averno with the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title on the line. And Aogi-gun’s Machine, Wataru & Hirasawa battle Liger, Kanemoto & Okada in NJ’s first match of 2010.

NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM IV IN TOKYO DOME”, 1/4/10 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Dome

1. New Japan Pro-Wrestling 2010 Beginning: Super Strong Machine, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Koji Kanemoto & Kazuchika Okada
2. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title ~Amistad combativa~: Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt (c) vs. Ultimo Guerrero & Averno
3. IWGP Tag Team Title – 3WAY Hardcore Rules Match ~Victim and Greed~: “Team 3D” Brother Ray TNA Wrestling & Brother Devon TNA Wrestling (c) vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito
4. Wrestle Kingdom Special Tag Match ~Blood Stream Blue~: Yuji Nagata & Akebono vs. TAJIRI & Masato Tanaka ZERO1
5. Wrestle Kingdom Special 8 Man Tag Match ~The legend never rots~: Terry Funk, Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Abdullah The Butcher, Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
6. NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Wilderness~: Togi Makabe vs. Mohammed Yone Pro Wrestling NOAH
7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title ~Highest sky~: Tiger Mask (c) vs. Naomichi Marufuji Pro Wrestling NOAH
8. NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Radiance~: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Go Shiozaki Pro Wrestling NOAH
9. GHC Heavyweight Title – NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions ~Blast~: Takashi Sugiura Pro Wrestling NOAH (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title – The newest, The strongest: Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

New Japan Pro Wrestling — New Champion!

IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Keiji Muto defened his title for a third time on Sunday the 21st. Muto defeated Togi Makabe with a moonsault press. Makabe spent much of his early career in NWA Pro Wrestling’s Inoki Dojo. Makabe battled against the likes of Samoa Joe. Also on this card, former NWA Midwest stand out Low Ki won his first IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship. Ki used the Ki Krusher ’99 to end Tiger Mask’s reign. In their earlier encounter in the United States, Tiger Mask defended his NWA Jr. Heavyweight Championship against Low Ki in May 2007.

This comes on the heels of of Bryan Danielson winning the NOAH GHC Jr. Heavyweight Championship. It seems NWA wrestlers in Japan are achieving success.

Undisputed IWGP Heavyweight Champion!

According Strong Style Spirit, Kurt Angle was forced to tap out to Shinsuke Nakamura’s cross arm-breaker. By defeating Angle, Nakamura was able to put an end to the dispute of who was the true IWGP title. New Japan Pro Wrestling stripped the International Wrestling Grand Prix Championship from Brock Lesnar over a contract dispute. NJPW held a tournament and crowned Hiroshi Tanahashi after he defeated Bernard. Lesnar traveled to Inoki’s Genome Federation and was recognized as that promotions IWGP Champion. Lesnar had never officially been defeated for the title in New Japan so it made some sense. Kurt Angle defeated Lesnar in Japan and Nakamura regained the title from Tanahashi. So when the two met, one man was to walk out as the Unified Champion. Kurt is still the reigning Heavyweight Champion in Total Non-stop Action and the the craziest athlete to ever perform on Pros versus Joes.

Is the NWA Sanctioning Zero One or Hawaii Championship Wrestling?

As of right now, there is nothing indicating that. There hasn’t been any news reported that the NWA is now sanctioning Zero One or Hawaii Championship Wrestling, let alone, either member joining the Alliance. Furthermore, I haven’t heard of New Japan sanctioning either Z1 or HCW. However, from the Hawaii Championship Wrestling board they are claiming just that. Sandy Beach aka Micah recently won the NWA United Nation Heavyweight Title. The title was established back in early 2004. At that point, Zero One was yet to establish its own NWA Championship. So it took a page out of the NWA History and created a new championship, which shared its name with of 1/3 of the All Japan Triple Crown. The title lost some of its importance when Zero One left the NWA to join the AWA, the championship became a secondary title.

In January 66% of the readers of this blog voted for the NWA to begin the recruitment of Zero One. Is this a sign of things to come? Is New Japan sanctioning NWA matches for Z1 and HCW? Is this BLOG the pulse of NWA? Only time will tell, but nothing has been announced yet.

Joey Ryan v. Bryan Danielson, early NWA Pro match

From a 2004 episode of NJPW-USA TV, “American Dragon” Bryan Danielson takes on Joey Ryan. Featuring color commentary from CM Punk.

As many of you know, New Japan USA was one of the original incarnations of what is today NWA Pro.