Wrestling World 2004

Legacy Review

Wrestling World 2004

January 4, 2004 from the Tokyo Dome

We're still in the doldrums of Inokism, NJPW's roughest period. This show features the largest card on any 1/4 show to date with a whopping 15 matches. Many familiar names to modern fans make their Dome debut on this show as New Japan continues to rebuild its roster following some high-profile defections.

As usual this is from the New Japan World archives so Japanese commentary only. Also, it's not mentioned on Wiki or Cagematch, but World lists the first five matches as "special gifts match", which through crappy online translation likely means preshow. Also this looks to me like the first Dome show to be recorded in HD, well before US companies made the transition.

Hirooki Goto def Naofumi Yamamoto in 6:21- "Always the bridesmaid but never the bride" Goto is making his Dome debut as a Young Lion. So is Yamamoto, who will later become known to US audiences as Yoshi Tatsu in WWE, a name he'd take back with him to New Japan for his fun run as the "Bullet Club Hunter". Him doing Triple H's entrance was a sight. Good lord, Yamamoto/Tatsu is bald. That look will change. Goto is also much smaller than he would be. I guess he hadn't grown into his body yet. There's hardly anyone in the crowd and no commentary so this must be a preshow. Typical Young Lion basic stuff at the start with lots of mat wrestling. Yamamoto blocks armbar attempts. He gets a drop toe hold into a legbar. Goto reverses into a single leg crab. Basic Goto slam and cover for 2. He works a headlock. Forearm exchange. Yamamoto hiptoss into an armbar. Dropkick for 2. Yamamoto locks in Young Lion Submission Hold 1A, the Boston crab. Goto gets to the ropes. Chop time. Goto dropkick. Goto whips Yamamoto in the middle of the ring but for some reason Yamamoto switches direction mid-whip for the corner instead. Goto corner dropkick. Belly to belly suplex. Boston crab. Yamamoto tires to fight but Goto sits on him and he has to tap. Perfectly serviceable training match, both guys looked very green still with clearly limited movesets. *3/4

 

Katsushi Takemura def El Samurai in 6:53- Takemura was mostly an All Japan wrestler that was having a cup of coffee in New Japan. Takemura attacks during intros. He ducks a Samurai leapfrog, turns and gives him a belly to belly suplex. Standing switch into a Samurai reverse DDT. Takemura fights out of an armbar. Samurai takes control with some fairly basic offense. Takemura goes to mask pulling and eye raking to get out. Both guys are heeling it up a bit here. Takemura starts undoing Samurai's mask. Samurai corner lariato and DDT. Headbutt off the top for 2. Another Samurai reverse DDT. Powerbomb for a long 2. Takemura dodges in the corner and hits a rolling kick to Samurai's back. German for 2. Samurai transitions into a kimura! Takemura gets a foot on the rope. Samurai takes forever to set up, hits a running lariato to Takemura's back, then runs into a sloppy Takemura Frankensteiner for 2. Some kind of arm suplex with a bridge from Takemura for 2. Moonsault off the top and that gets the pin. Bleh, not a lot happening here. *1/2

 

Makai #1, Mitsuya Nagai, Ryota Chikuzen and Ryushi Yanagisawa def Enson Inoue, Hiro Saito, Michiyoshi Ohara and Tatutoshi Goto in 11:55- After being the big new heel stable in New Japan the previous year, Makai Club was in their waning months. This is a preshow large undercard tag match on a 15 match show with no real huge names, so you'll excuse me if I save some time and breeze through this one. The brawl starts before intros are even done. Things settle in with the anti-Makai crowd taking control before Goto gets caught in the heel corner. An uppercut is completely whiffed but sold anyway. Saito has some serious balding going on. The big wrestler looking ref with Tenzan's haircut is working this match again, I remember him giving Makai Club a questionable win at last year's show. No such shenanigans this year though, after the mandatory donnybrook the Makai team gang up on Goto and get a clean pin. *

 

Toru Yano and Shinya Makabe def Blue Wolf and Wataru Inoue in 10:18- Yano is also making his Dome debut, and this is not the Yano we know and love now. In the first half of his career he was a mega-heel. Or at least he would be after this, he hasn't dyed his hair blonde yet. Makabe was slowly starting to work his way up the card, and later in the year in his first G1 he would change his name to what we know him by now- Togi Makabe. Wolf is a Mongolian wrestler that had a short career in New Japan. Inoue was on his way up to be one of the bigger stars of the junior division the second half of the decade. Yano and Wolf start. Wolf wins the first exchange and goes into some leg work. Inoue gets the better of Makabe with some slaps. The larger Makabe blocks a slam and hits one of his own. Makabe and Wolf pound each other. Huge open hand strike exchange that gets what there is of a crowd going a bit. Yano tags in, walks into an Inoue spinning heel kick and gets worked over again. Yano's getting nothing in this match, no wonder he was so pissed off at the world after. For years. He tries a stand up strike exchange with Wolf but gets put down again. Inoue suplex on Yano for 2. Boston crab time. Makabe breaks it up. Ugly spear from Yano. Tag to Makabe. Wolf powerslams him for 2. Makabe no sells a Wolf suplex and Saito suplexes him. Tag to Yano. Let's see how this goes. Yano belly to belly on Wolf for 2. Corner lariato/high knee double team on Yano and Inoue flips him over into an armbar. Makabe kicks Inoue out of it after much resistance. Tag. Inoue brain busters Makabe for 2. Makabe spear! A German on Inoue gets the pin. Decentish. I'm not sure the right team won based on who looked good in the match but as I said Makabe was on the rise. Yano did look awful green. **

 

Masayuki Naruse def Tadao Yasuda in 2:30- This is a couple of Inoki's MMA guys going at it, though Naruse transitioned into wrestling smoother than most of the others did. Yasuda was the leader of Makai Club. We've got commentary for this match but it's still the preshow. Yasuda hits some ground knees. He gets Naruse in a front facelock. The ref warns Yasuda for working Naruse over on the ropes. Naruse dodges in the corner and hits a messy .5 German. Chest kicks. He goes for another German but Yasuda low blows him. Another ref warning. Yasuda low blows again! The ref stops the match. After a discussion the match is restarted. Naruse runs into a big boot. He blocks a second and hits a dragon screw. Rear naked choke. Yasuda goes out and it's over. Pretty pointless. 1/2*

That's it for the preshow, the main show starts...........now.

 

Ryuske Taguchi def Akiya Anzawa in 4:53- Another Dome debut, this time the Funky Weapon himself and future organizer of Taguchi Japan. Anzawa was a Young Lion that wouldn't last long in New Japan or wrestling as a whole. Rough young boy lockup. Anzawa double leg lift and takedown and he goes for a quick Boston crab. Taguchi escapes. Basic headlock/headscissors exchange. Taguchi shoulderblock for 2. It's weird seeing him this intense. I love Big Match Gutch when he shows up but he still has some fun. Both guys try for arm submissions. Taguchi gets some ground strikes in. Forearm exchange. Taguchi blocks a slam and it's open hand strike exchange time. Taguchi slam for 2. He stretches out an armbar and Anzawa just gets a foot on the ropes. More stiff open hand slaps with Anzawa getting the edge. Running forearms. Taguchi dropkick and that gets a pin. Another fine training match. These guys were clearly a bit further along than Goto and Tatsu. **

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Gedo and Jado (c) def Tiger Mask and IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Heat in 17:15- Heat was in his third reign with the junior title (the first two were unmasked under his real name Minoru Tanaka). He defeated Jado for that title and would hold it over a year, until the next year's 1/4 show. Heat's mask looks more Liger like than ever. Jado and Heat start. Lockup games and a speed/counter stalemate. Gedo stomps TM down in the corner. TM dodges a corner lariato and lays in kicks. Suplex and kneedrop. TM ducks under an elbow and tope suicidas the big guy cornering the champs on the outside! I honestly don't recognize who that is and nothing online helps. He's no junior, that's for sure. TM dodges a Gedo baseball slide and he kicks his own guy! TM crossbody off the top rope to the floor on both guys! Back in Gedo's knee gets worked on by both challengers. TM kneedrop off the top rope onto the knee. Big eye rake from Gedo on Heat to get momentum back. Jado starts pummeling Heat's back, clearly a weak point because he crumples up pretty quickly. Exposed buckle shot in the heel corner. Gedo eschews the back work for more eye raking. Another hard exposed buckle shot. Jado dodges a Heat dropkick. Heat rolls through, goes again, hits it and tags. TM missile dropkick. Standing moonsault knees for 2. The big guy outside distracts the ref and Gedo runs in with a low blow on TM. Jado dodges TM swings, hits another quick low blow and puts on a crossface. Heat gets free from Gedo and makes the save. Jado and TM have kind of a rough exchange that neither seems sure of what to do. Gedo faceplant for 2. TM flips out of a German and hits a Pele kick. Tag. Gedo dodges a Heat dropkick off the second rope. Heat basement dropkick to the knee on Gedo they were working earlier. Single leg crab. Jado tries to break it up and TM gets him out. Heat lets go anyway. Gedo collapses on a whip attempt. Standing switches and Heat rolls up a kneebar. Gedo gets to the ropes. Lots of blocks and counters ending with Heat landing a kick on Gedo's head. Everyone in the pool! Everyone takes shots and everyone's down. Heat dodges in the corner and rolls Gedo up for 2. Gedo inverted atomic drop/DDT combo for 2. Heat gets his knees up on a frog splash. TM with a tiger suplex. Heat fisherman's suplex for 2. Gedo blocks a kneebar and sits on Heat for a long 2, but on the kickout Heat rolls the kneebar in! The ref stops the big guy from coming in with one of the belts to interfere. After a long fight Gedo makes the ropes. Gedo drop toe hold. Gedo clutch! Heat kicks out! Gedo has the belt and whacks Heat in the head with it! Frog splash! Heat kicks out again! I think that mask is padded. Heat roll up for 2. The big guy holds TM back while Gedo and Jado hit their double team powerbomb. Another frog splash and Heat's not getting up now. Good but not great. ***

In March Gedo and Jado would drop the junior tag titles to the team of American Dragon and Curry Man. American Dragon you should know is Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan, winning the only title he's won in New Japan to date. That needs to change before he's done. Curry Man is not a man made of curry, this isn't a Red Dwarf episode. It's Christopher Daniels under a mask, a ridiculous but fun character he'd later bring back in TNA and, naturally, Chikara.

 

GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Jushin Thunder Liger def Takashi Sugiura (c) in 17:52- Nice to see someone's junior title being defended on a 1/4 show, in this case Pro Wrestling NOAH's, and even better having Liger in the match. This is Liger's first singles match on a 1/4 Dome show since 2000. Even though he was fully into his heel run at this point and would form Control Terrorism Unit (CTU) later in the year, since this is an interpromotional match it's more classic babyface Liger for this one. He's back in his normal red and white gear to hammer that home. Rough lockup. Liger slaps on the corner break. Midring slap exchange. Liger hits a rolling kick. Sugiura no sells it and hits a spear! Shotei from Liger and Sugiura rolls out. Liger baseball slide. Crossbody off the top to the floor. Sugiura attacks as Liger gets back in the ring. Mat leverage fight. Liger hooks on a camel clutch. Sugiura gets on top but the NOAH ref straight stops him from throwing a closed fist punch. He hooks on a kimura instead. Liger counters with a legbar. He works on Sugiura's leg for a bit, with some jawing and slapping. Sugiura puts on almost a straight choke. Liger jerks his whole body like he's being choked for real. After a minute Sugiura lets go and covers for 2. Dropkick from Liger and Sugiura goes to the floor again. Liger tries the baseball slide again. This time Sugiura dodges, lifts Liger up by the waist, carries him all the way up the ramp, and suplexes him! Pretty impressive raw power display. Sugiura mocks a fan in full Liger cosplay that's in front of him. He drags Liger back in and covers for 2. Liger tries to fight back but a huge forearm puts him down again. Sugiura suplex into a chinlock/rear choke. Liger dodges in the corner and gets a roll up for 2. Sunset flip for 2. Back suplex and now it's Liger's turn for a chinlock/choke. Corner shoteis. Liger hits a hurricanrana off the top for 2. Another spear from Sugiura. Corner spear/suplex combo for 2. Sugiura ducks a shotei and hits a German. Another German for 2. Sugirua comes off the top rope, right into a shotei! Liger fisherman buster for 2. Sugiura flips out of a powerbomb, blocks a shotei, and hits an Angle slam! Olympic slam, whatever. I always preferred Angle slam even if it's not from Angle. Sugiura dragon suplex! Liger kicks out! Sugiura sets Liger up top and goes for an avalanche Angle slam. Liger blocks and shoteis him back down to the mat. He goes for a splash but Sugiura gets his knees up. They go out to the ramp again. Sugiura goes for an Angle slam on the ramp but Liger blocks it. LIGER BOMB ON THE RAMP! Sugiura barely beats the 20 count to get back in. Shotei! Cover for 2. Liger brain buster. He goes for another. Sugiura counters into another Angle slam! Slow cover for 2. Liger hits another brain buster! Shotei! He sets Sugiura up top. Avalanche brain buster! That gets the pin and Liger has stolen NOAH junior title! Another good but not great match. It had some dull stretches, especially by Liger's standards. Sugiura wrestled more like a heavyweight which gave the match a bit of a weird vibe. ***1/4

 

IWGP U-30 Openweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) def Yutaka Yoshie in 17:06- The U-30 title was a short lived title intended to give the younger guys a spotlight. U-30 literally means under 30, as in under 30 years old. The title was basically created for Tanahashi, who even with Inokism clouding their judgement the company rightly saw huge things in. Feeling out start. Tanahashi manages to put on a waistlock, no easy feat with Yoshie's, er, girth. Headlock fight. They knucklelock for a test of strength that Yoshie wins easily. He gives Tanahashi some power shots. Tanahashi gets a leg takedown and goes for a Boston crab. Yoshie easily powers out and hits a butt splash. More Yoshie power shots. Powerslam and splash for 2. Now it's his turn to go for a Boston crab. It's been a crabby sort of night so far. Tanahashi tries to power out but can't and settles for a rope break instead. Drop toe hold from Tanahashi and Yoshie hurts his taped up knee on the way down. Tanahashi identifies the target and goes to work. Yoshie's vocally selling the hell out of it, I'll give him that. Tanahashi dropkicks the knee on the ropes and tells Yoshie to get his fat ass up. Hey, I'm just translating here. Forearms and response forearms. A Yoshie slap puts Tanahashi against the ropes. Yoshie lifts him up by the legs and flips him out to the floor! Tanahashi tries to pull Yoshie out with him but Yoshie kicks and Tanahashi falls back and flips backward over the barricade! That was just about on the Mr. Perfect/Dolph Ziggler overselling meter. Back in Yoshie works some more power offense. He squashes Tanahashi in the corner. Tanahashi gets a sunset flip but Yoshie butt splashes him for 2. Corner whip reversal by Tanahashi and he hits a corner dropkick. He manages to slam Yoshie! Shotgun dropkick off the top rope. Suplex from Tanahashi! Not much air time on that but he got Yoshie over. Enzuguri off the second rope. German for 2! Tanahashi goes for a dragon suplex, which I believe was his finisher this early in his career. Yoshie backs him into the corner. Tanahashi makes the mistake of getting on Yoshie's shoulders in an electric chair position. Yoshie drops him. Dragon sleeper from Tanahashi! Yoshie powers out and hits a German. Avalanche. Thesz press for 2. Thesz press from the second rope for 2. Tanahashi dropkicks Yoshie's bad knee again. Dragon screw! He goes for a figure four but Yoshie floors him with a punch. Yoshie goes for the splash off the top rope (HE'S A UNIT, KEVIN) but Tanahashi dodges. Yoshie ducks a Tanahashi enzuguri and hits a back elbow. The knee gives out. A trio of Tanahashi enzuguris put Yoshie down. Dragon suplex! That gets the pin. Tanahashi did the best he could with what he was given. He was too young to be a miracle worker just yet. **1/2

 

Josh Barnett and Takashi Iizuka def Kazunari Murakami and Katsuyori Shibata in 16:04- Shibata and Murakami are also Makai Club, and both are decked out in full MMA gear. As soon as the bell rings Shibata charges Barnett with a high knee. They go into some typical MMA grappling. Shibata's got the ESPN logo on his tights. Wonder what that sponsorship deal was. Barnett hits hammy kicks on Shibata. More grappling. Iizuka continues the attack on Shibata's hammy. Barnett slams Shibata on the floor. Shibata headbutts Iizuka back to the Makai corner and tags. Murakami works Iizuka over. The ref has to physically separate them in the corner. Murakami stays all over Iizuka. Iizuka fights back with ground elbows. Shibata comes in to protest. A pissed off Murakami straight right floors Iizuka. He pushes the ref aside to continue the attack in the ropes. Shibata hits knees and kicks. Cover for 2. The beatings on Iizuka will continue until morale improves. He takes more stiff shots in the corner. Murakami tosses Iizuka into his own corner. Iizuka wakes up enough to trap Murakami in the corner and tags out. Barnett comes in hot and pummels Murakami in the corner. Yet another Boston crab. I haven't seen so many crabs passed around in one night outside a college frat party. Murakami tries to escape so Barnett transitions into an ankle lock. Rope break. Murakami gets beat down in the face corner. He fights back on Iizuka and gets the advantage again. Iizuka puts on a sleeper. Shibata makes the save. They go to the floor and Murakami gets posted while Barnett attacks Shibata. Barnett guillotine on Murakami. He hits ground elbows into an armbar. Another rope break. German from Barnett. He hits an exploder suplex on Murakami and that gets the pin. It was well worked and stiff as hell, and while I love Shibata and respect Barnett, despite the stiffness I've been very clear over these reviews that I just can't get into this pseudo MMA stuff. **1/4

 

Osamu Nishimura def Minoru Suzuki in 9:39- Here's the last of our big debuts, the King of Pro Wrestling Minoru Suzuki. He'd made his name MMA fighting in Pancrase, but had wrestling training before that and knew what he was doing. He's also heel blonde for this match. Nishimura was more an old school wrestler that was mentored by Tatsumi Fujinami. Cautious start. Suzuki shocks everyone by giving Nishimura a clean corner break. Nishimura tries the same on the next exchange but Suzuki slaps him. Suzuki rides Nishimura on the mat. Almost literally. Nishimura grabs a headscissors that Suzuki slowly escapes from. Now Suzuki puts on a headscissors. Nishimura also goes through an elaborate escape routine, but while doing it Suzuki has a look on his face that says he's got an evil plan in mind and Nishimura's falling right into it. Nishimura handstands to get out, and when he does Suzuki grabs his arm into an armbar! Nishimura gets a foot on the ropes and rolls out to recover, physically and mentally. Back in Suzuki grabs the top rope to block a whip so Nishimura uppercuts him. Suzuki dodges a dropkick and hits his own. No clean rope break from Suzuki this time. He lays in kicks on Nishimura's arm, his strategy clear. Nishimura grabs a leg and gives Suzuki a dragon screw. Spinning toe hold. Suzuki counters into another armbar! Again Nishimura just gets a foot on the rope. The Gotch style piledriver hits. Suzuki grabs a Fujiwara armbar and *cranks* on it. Somehow Nishimura doesn't submit. Suzuki lets go and puts a rear naked choke on. Nishimura falls into the ropes to get a break. Cobra twist cradle from Nishimura for 2. Backslide for 2. Suzuki uses that to grab another armbar! Another just barely rope break. Suzuki stays on the arm. Nishimura counters into another backslide and gets the pin! Decent but it never really hit high gear. I'm not sure the right guy won either. Regardless Suzuki came off as a murderous badass, and even this early in his career his facial expressions during a match are second to none. **1/2

 

Manabu Nakanishi def Genichiro Tenryu in 10:20- One of Japan's most famous and consistent freelancers, Tenryu is making another of his occasional New Japan stops and would stick around most of the year. Nakanishi's going with leather pants tonight rather than his usual generic black trunks. Both guys hit chops on rope breaks after the initial lockups. Nakanishi shoulderblock. After that they go into a very long chop off sequence, just pounding each other's chests. Eventually Tenryu falls out of the ring. Nakanishi hits a (very gentle) spear off the apron. More chops all around the ring. Both guys' chests have to be hamburger meat by now. Red Shoes starting a count is the only thing that gets their attention to get back in the ring. Nakanishi picks Tenryu up into an Alabama slam. Backbreaker. The torture tack is on! Tenryu tries to grab a rear choke as a counter, gets out, and hits a bulldog. Enziguri. DDT for 2. Weak Tenryu lariato. He goes for another but Nakanishi grabs him and suplexes him. Powerbomb. Nakanishi goes up top. Tenryu chops him, then Nakanishi very obligingly turns around so Tenryu can powerbomb him off the top rope. Elbow drop and another enzuguri. More chops. Corner lariato and corner chop/punch combo from Tenryu. Another DDT for 2. More lariatos. Nakanishi counters into another rack. Tenryu manages not to submit. Nakanishi suplexes him off the apron back in. A Nakanishi knee off the top rope whiffs but Tenryu sells it anyway for 2. Double lariato, no one goes down. Follow up lariato by Nakanishi. He hits a perfectplex and gets the pin. It started out fun with the crazy chop fest, but after that Tenryu's age was definitely showing, and Nakanishi's ceiling and ability to carry someone was always pretty low. *3/4

 

Yuji Nagata def Kensuke Sasaki in 12:10- This is a powerhouse upper card matchup. Nagata had a year long run with the Heavyweight title in '02-'03 and had established himself as one of the company's top stars. Sasaki was the dominant Heavyweight champion the couple of years before that, but disagreements with management had caused him to go freelance, though he did still have a couple of Heavyweight title reigns in his future. Multiple refs are in the ring to keep them separated for intros. The bell rings and both guys charge in right to an open hand slugfest. Nagata hits kicks and a belly to belly suplex. Sasaki lariato. The crowd is fully into this already, reacting to every move. Sasaki gets an armbar and Nagata gets to the ropes. Sasaki won't let go and they fall to the floor. He runs Nagata into the barricade, then grabs a chair and hits Nagata a couple of times. Nagata kicks the chair into Sasaki's face! Sasaki is busted open. Nagata attacks the cut. Exploder suplex on the floor! Sasaki ducks a kick, whacks Nagata super stiff in the back of the neck with a clubbing blow, and runs his head into the post a few times. Now Nagata is bleeding. Red Shoes gets tossed aside as all they want to do is fight. Both guys get back in the ring and are absolute bloody messes. Headbutts from Sasaki. More back and forth slugging. Stiff slaps. Sasaki lariato. There's blood all over both guys' bodies. No telling whose is whose. While Nagata is laying on the mat blood is literally pooling behind his head. I mean literally. You can see a light reflection in it. Sasaki bites Nagata's cut! And spits blood out of his mouth! Red Shoes' white shirt even has blood on it in several places. Nagata tries to hulk up but keeps going down. Red Shoes checks if he's OK to continue. HUGE Sasaki lariato! Northern lights buster! No cover. Red Shoes gets the other refs to hold Sasaki back while he counts Nagata out. Sasaki breaks the count up. Powerslam. More cut punches. Nagata lands a head kick! Running corner knee! Another head kick! Nagata lock! This goes on for several minutes. Sasaki refuses to submit, but he can't escape either. Sasaki's chest and Nagata's arm are literally covered in blood. Finally Red Shoes says enough is enough and calls the match. That was a brutal, bloody, beautifully violent war. It's seriously one of the bloodiest matches I've seen in my whole life, up there with Magnum TA and Tully Blanchard at Starrcade '85. ****

 

Keiji Mutoh and Bob Sapp def Cho-Ten in 21:00- New Japan legend Mutoh is making his first return to the company after his shocking defection to All Japan in early '02. Sapp is one of Inoki's favorite MMA ringers and a bloody huge guy. He would inexplicably win the IWGP Heavyweight title later in the year in one of the worst examples of Inokism run amok. Tenzan was coming off his short first run with the Heavyweight title and also won the '03 G1 Climax, his first of two straight and three tournament wins in four years. The ring mat is covered with dried or partially dried up blood from the last match. Sapp and Tenzan start. Shoulderblock standoffs. Sapp hits an avalanche. Tenzan responds with headbutts and his signature Mongolian chops. He tries to slam Sapp but naturally it doesn't go well. Sapp slams him instead. Spinning heel kick from Tenzan. Mutoh tags in to a huge pop. He tries some leg work on Tenzan and hits his signature elbow drop. Tenzan Saito suplex. Chono tags in and goes face to face with his forever rival Mutoh once again. Lots of caution from both guys. Chono works a facelock. Mutoh ducks a Yakuza kick and hits a dropkick. He tries to put Chono in his own STF. Chono blocks it, and when they get back up gives Mutoh a dragon screw. Now Chono tries for a figure four but Mutoh is already in the ropes. Sapp tags in and easily overpowers Chono. Chono uses a test of strength to get some shots in. Criss cross. Chono dodges a punch to the delight of the crowd. He manages to get Sapp in a cobra twist. Sapp counters into a sleeper. Tenzan breaks it up. Chono dodges and Sapp crashes into the corner shoulder first. Cho-Ten go to work on the hurt body part. Sapp gets tossed out and Chono runs his shoulder into the post. Back in Tenzan tries to suplex Sapp. No go. Chono comes in and they both try. Sapp suplexes both of them instead! Tag to Mutoh. Dropkick to Tenzan's knee and dragon screw. Shotgun dropkick off the top rope. He hurricanranas Tenzan off the top for 2. Tenzan counters with a suplex and tags. Chono Yakuza kicks hit and Mutoh falls to the floor. Chono tope suicida! While that's going on the ref is explaining the tag rope to Sapp. Remedial wrestling education during a match. Cho-Ten Hart Attack like double team on Mutoh back in. Chono tries Mutoh's own move the shining wizard but Mutoh blocks it! Chono blocks Mutoh's shining wizard! The STF is on! Mutoh gets to the ropes. Dragon screw! Figure four! Tenzan breaks it up with a headbutt off the top rope! Chono hits a shining wizard! So does Mutoh! Both sides tag. Sapp lariato. Tenzan Mongolian chops. Sapp blocks and hits a Mongolian chop! He press slams Tenzan. 3 point stance football tackle. Tenzan ducks a lariato and Chono trips Sapp. Tenzan slams Sapp! Headbutt off the top rope! Tenzan puts on the Anaconda Vice! Mutoh breaks it up. Corner lariato/Yakuza kick combo on Sapp. He shrugs it off. Headbutt on Chono. Mutoh hits Tenzan with a shining wizard. Sapp hits a shining wizard on Chono! Powerbomb and Sapp gets the pin! It tried hard to be good but didn't quite get there. Considering the talent of most of the guys in there it's a bit of a disappointment. **3/4

 

Title vs Title Match: IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shinsuke Nakamura def NWF Heavyweight Champion Yoshihiro Takayama in 13:55- "Super rookie" Nakamura pulled off one of the biggest upsets in company history the previous December, winning the Heavyweight title from Tenzan and becoming the youngest IWGP Heavyweight champion ever. The NWF title was essentially the "hybrid MMA" title, won by Takayama at the previous year's 1/4 show and held by him since. He also held the IWGP Heavyweight title for a good chunk of '03. Nakamura looks like he hasn't slept for a week. They go nose to nose after intros before the bell. Nakmura charges at the bell with a takedown and instantly tries for a legbar. Takayama gets to the ropes and looks surprised. Back and forth grappling. Nakamura goes for the leg again and Takayama tries to turn it into an armbar. Takayama hits clubbing blows, then kicks Nakamura right in the face! That gets a slow motion replay. Nakamura grabs a rear naked choke. Takayama tries to flip him over but Nakamura holds onto it. Another rope break. Nakamura belly to belly suplex. Takayama blocks a German but Nakamura keeps fighting and eventually hits it! He goes for a triangle choke. Takayama lifts and slams him. Legdrop. Measured blows from Takayama. A closed fist gets a Red Shoes warning. Takayama kicks Nakamura 360 over the top to the floor. He drops Nakamura on the guardrail. More knees and kicks to the head. Back in Nakamura tries to fight back with forearms. Another punch puts him back down. More flurry attempts and more punch cutoffs. Takayama hits nasty looking measured elbows right on Nakamura's forehead. Knee to Nakamura's face and a one foot cover for 2. Another knee. The match is all Takayama. It almost looks like he's toying with Nakamura and not even trying to put it away yet. Nakamura reverses a whip into another triangle attempt! Takayama tries the slam counter again, but Nakamura rolls over into an armbar! Takayama stacks him up for 2. Nakamura runs into a HUGE knee. Cover for a long 2. Takayama forearms and knees in the corner. Corner basement dropkick. Nakamura tries to throw some weak forearms and takes another knee in the face. Takayama back suplex. Saito suplex. Nakamura tries to hulk up. Takayama arrogantly kicks him in the face. Running knee. Nakamura kicks out again. Takayama hits a German. Nakamura rolls into a kimura lock! Takayama taps out! Solidly good match but not what you'd expect from a Tokyo Dome main event. Nakamura was still young and learning. Not sure the layout helped much with Nakamura taking a beating most of the match, but the submission win did offset that a little. After this Nakamura almost immediately returned the NWF title to the oblivion from whence it came. ***

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- After putting on possibly the worst Jan. 4 Dome show ever the previous year this is a small rebound, especially if you're feeling generous and excuse the preshow (which I'm inclined to do). Everything on the main show is at least watchable, though most of it not much else, and there's no out and out disasters, but the only must see match is Nagata/Sasaki, and that one is not for the squeemish.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C