Wrestle Kingdom III

Legacy Review

Wrestle Kingdom III

January 4, 2009 from the Tokyo Dome

 

Year three of Wrestle Kingdom as New Japan continues to slowly put the pieces back together and become relevant again. This year's show will take a large page from Tokyo Dome shows past. Rather than having one single interpromotional battle like last year's with TNA, every match on the card is an interpromotional match of one sort or another with a multitude of different companies involved.

 

As usual this is Japanese only commentary, either from the NJPW World archives or elsewhere for the matches that have been scrubbed from there.

 

(Editor's note- Hi, Johnny Legacy the editor here. Same Johnny Legacy, I'm just wearing a different hat. I just so happened to publish this review on the same day that The New Beginning in Osaka 2025 took place, which as it turned out was a pretty big night for one Hirooki Goto. Despite that, all the "Goto always chokes in the big one" jokes will stand because it makes me laugh, but congrats to him for finally getting the monkey off his back at such a late point in his career.)

 

Preshow: Milano Collection AT, Minoru and Taichi Ishikari (RISE) def Mitsuhide Hirasawa, Nobuo Yoshihashi and Kazuchika Okada in 6:24- Three Young Lions getting their first taste of the Tokyo Dome in a preshow match here. Hirasawa would later become famous, or infamous, as the hard luck Captain New Japan. Yoshihashi would stylize his last name in all caps after graduating. Okada needs no introduction. Ishikari, who would later be known by just his first name Taichi, had recently signed with New Japan full time after being trained in All Japan and doing freelance work for a while. Baby Okada is very eager to start the match. Minoru joins him. Unusual white shirts for the refs tonight. Good basic mat exchange to start. It's really weird seeing Okada with his natural black hair. Like Ric Flair, he's going to be dying his hair the rest of his life. Minoru gets a shoulderblock, flips over Okada, and kicks him. Okada responds with a dropkick. Suplex from Okada for 2. Coming off the ropes Okada takes a basement dropkick to the knee. Minoru does some crazy dodging into an ankle lock. Yoshihashi doesn't like that, running in to break it up. He continues the fight and takes a hard kick to the side of the head from Minoru for his trouble. A career summed up. Taichi, wearing some pretty sweet white gear in contrast to his later black, tags in. Okada backs him into his corner and Hirasawa tags in. For some reason he's the only Young Lion allowed to wear his own gear here. Taichi lays some chest kicks in, then a PK to the back for 2. Samoan drop from Hirasawa for 2. Big helluva style kick in the corner from Taichi, then a running kick with so much force Taichi also falls down. Milano tags in with some chops. Spear from Hirasawa! EVERYONE IN THE POOL! The Young Lion team knocks Milano around. Crossbody off the top from Okada, then he hits a nice flipping neckbreaker for 2. Not a usual move from the Young Lion arsenal there. Into a cross armbreaker! Minoru gets free to break it up. The New Japan team tries to reassert control. Okada dropkicks Taichi to the floor, but Taichi dodges the follow up plancha and Okada splats on the floor. Milano Matrix dodges a Yoshihashi lariato attempt and hits an enzuguri. Front enzuguri for 2. Milano and Taichi warm up, hit a meet in the middle double kick, and that gets the pin with Taichi counting along for good measure. Perfectly fine training match. **

 

The main show gets a big in-arena English intro. "FROM THE WORLD FAMOUS TOKYO DOME!". Unusual. All the companies represented in tonight's show get their logo flashed in the opening video, which is cool.

 

Prince Devitt, Ryusuke Taguchi and Mistico def Gedo, Jado and Averno in 9:50- Mistico and Averno are both CMLL representatives for this show. Devitt is part of the Shinsuke Nakamura led faction RISE, while Gedo and Jado are both in Great Bash Heel. Taguchi is now fully in the Funky Weapon gimmick that we know him by today. Averno is one half of the CMLL World tag champs, the belt for which looks a lot like the old NWA World Heavyweight 10 pounds of gold, while Mistico is the CMLL World Welterweight champ. That belt looks very much like the old WWF Intercontinental title. In the '80s and '90s it was common practice for belt makers to use the same bits and bobs in belt molds across different belts for different companies. Mistico and Averno get to start to give us a bit of a CMLL showcase. Quick armdrag from Mistico. Averno gets a hiptoss and rolls over to try for a leverage pin. Mistico does a flippy escape into a headscissors and flips Averno around. Big spinning flying headscissors from Mistico. Springboard dive to the floor! Taguchi and Jado tag in. Taguchi turns a corner whip into a springboard shotgun dropkick. He rolls through a Jado sunset flip attempt into a basement dropkick. After some suplex counters Taguchi slides under and hits an enzuguri. A dropkick sends Jado to the floor. Taguchi teases a dive but rolls back and gives us some Rick Rude hip swivel instead. Another swap and now it's Gedo and Devitt. Lots of dodging and Devitt gets a pele kick. Gedo tries to backdrop him in the corner but Devitt lands on the apron and hits an enzuguri. He tries a springboard, but Gedo punches him right out of the air! Jawbreaker and DDT from Gedo for 2. Devitt tries to slug back on Jado but gets chopped down. Averno hits a sit out powerbomb. Taguchi breaks the pin up. The heel team clear the apron off, but Devitt dodges them, double dropkicks Jado and Averno, hits Gedo with a gutbuster, and tags to Mistico. He comes right in with a crossbody off the top rope. Gedo and Jado get cleared out. Mistico hits a springboard flying headscissors on Averno that sends him to the floor. Tope suicida! Taguchi and Devitt clear Gedo and Jado out to the floor. They load up for stereo dives, but Gedo and Jado were ready, pulling them out to the floor and running them into the barricade. The CMLL guys are in the ring alone again and both pump the crowd up for some more lucha flippydo. Which they deliver. Another Mistico flying headscissors. To the floor again and Mistico hits an asai moonsault. Taguchi gets his own springboard dive to the floor on Gedo in. Devitt tops everyone with a huge flying senton off the top rope onto Jado that goes all the way over the barricade! Back in Averno faceplants Mistico for 2. Averno counters another Mistico springboard into a powerbomb for 2. More crazy lucha counters and Averno gets a magistral cradle for 2. Huge Mistico flying headscissors into a Fujiwara armbar. Averno taps! Fun enough high octane opener, but the CMLL guys, especially Mistico, felt like they were playing the hits on autopilot rather than really digging into the match, and the New Japan guys clearly took a back seat and let them have the spotlight. **3/4

 

A backstage segment on a New Japan show?! Choshu and Chono drive up in a giant Hummer, with Nash and Angle in the back seat. Chono says a few quick words and they walk off.

 

Jushin Thunder Liger and Takuma Sano def Koji Kanemoto and Wataru Inoue in 8:47- This is Liger's 20th anniversary match, and appropriately they've got him going against his ultimate forever rival Kanemoto one more time in the building they've put on multiple classics, including a contender for the best match ever in the Dome to this point in 1999. Sano is currently in Pro Wrestling NOAH, but was Liger's first major rival back at the start of his career so is coming back over for this celebration. He'd also be involved in Liger's retirement match. Inoue is...a field filler. He did win Best of the Super Juniors in '08 while junior champion, but the day after that victory he vacated the title to move up to heavyweight and would never come near that kind of success again. Kanemoto and Inoue jump before the bell. Liger doesn't even have his cape off! The villains. Inoue tears it off for Liger. Liger swings back with chops but runs into a Kanemoto snap belly to belly. Brain buster from Inoue. Kanemoto goes to the floor to slug it out with Sano. Liger corner shotei on Inoue! Tag to Sano. Shotgun dropkick off the top, but he takes Liger out with it! Kanemoto tags in and gives Sano the world famous boot wash. They keep Sano grounded with some leg holds. Sano tries to counter into a cross armbreaker on Inoue but Inoue gets a rope break. Liger tags in and they hit a double shoulderblock on Inoue. Liger tosses Inoue out and hits a baseball slide. Powerbomb back in. Sano and Inoue get in a forearm slugfest, won by Inoue. Kanemoto corner knee and kicks on Sano. He and Sano trade back kicks. Sano corner back kick on Inoue. Double stomp off the second rope for 2. Standing switches. Inoue runs into another back kick. Sano goes up top, but Inoue meets him and superplexes him for 2. Yet more back kicks from Sano and Inoue hits a couple of tackles. Tags on both sides and finally here we go. Shoulderblock standoff. Kanemoto ducks a shotei and hits a back kick. Corner knee. Liger cuts off the boot wash run with a shotei! Running corner shotei! German suplex from Sano as things break down. Sano tope suicida on Inoue! Liger hooks up for the Ligerbomb but Kanemoto rolls over into a sunset flip for 2. Kanemoto maneuvers around and gets the ankle lock on! Liger tries to call Sano in but he's tied up by Inoue. Full grapevine from Kanemoto. Finally Sano slowly saunters his way in and breaks it up before going out to brawl with Inoue again. Setup slam from Kanemoto. Moonsault for 2. Liger and Sano hit some shotei/back kick combos. Brain buster from Sano. Brain buster from Liger! Kanemoto kicks out! Liger puts Kanemoto up top. Avalanche brain buster! That gets the pin. Same finish as the classic '99 match if I remember right. Everyone handshakes and hugs it out after with Liger and Kanemoto playfully shoving each other. Solid enough anniversary match, which usually means no one has to try too hard. **1/4

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: The Motor City Machine Guns def No Limit (c) in 13:21- Future TNA legends MCMG are making their New Japan debut in this match. They had yet to win any tag titles in TNA, but Sabin was already a multi-time X-Division champion and Shelley was just days away from winning his first X-Division title. No Limit is the team of two guys recently graduated from Young Lion status you probably know today. One is Yujiro, who would later regain his last name Takahashi, become a pimp and be a lower end member of Bullet Club and House of Torture. The other is Tetsuya Naito, making his debut in a building that will both elevate and confound his career over the years, and still years away from becoming the El Ingobernable we know and love today. Naito is my #2 favorite Japanese wrestler of all time after Nakamura. Tiger Hattori is in early to ref this match, probably to try to help everyone communicate since he speaks Japanese and English. Sabin and Yujiro start. Both guys do some fancy arm wringer escapes and stalemate. Big shoulderblock from Yujiro. Dropkick from Sabin. Shelley tags in and MCMG roll through some double teams for 2. Yujiro leapfrog and the MCMG collide! Now No Limit hit Shelley with some double teams that are very much in the same style Naito will map out with LIJ later. Sabin comes back with a missile dropkick on Yujiro. Naito gets dropkicked off the apron. MCMG work Naito so Sabin can hit him with a tope suicida. Shelley and Naito trade shots back in the ring. MCMG double boot choke on Naito in their corner. More MCMG double teams. Shelley's bleeding, it looks like from his mouth. Maybe the nose. Took a straight shot in there somewhere. Sabin dropkick to Naito's back for 2. Naito continues in peril in the MCMG corner with the Americans heeling it up for the local audience. Running corner elbow from Shelley. Kneedrop for 2. Shelley gets Naito in a surfboard. Sabin chops him while in it, then bulldogs Naito for 2. More double teams as Naito gets to Ricky Morton levels of face in peril. Sabin wraps Naito up on the mat before Naito gets a rope break. Naito finally starts to come back by backdropping Sabin over the top to the floor in the corner, then hitting Shelley with a springboard crossbody. Dropkick on Shelley. Tag to Yujiro. Powerslam on Sabin. Powerslam on Shelley, then he lifts him up and powerslams him again. Legdrop. Sliding lariato for 2. Shelley counters Yujiro into a couple of cradle attempts, then lays in a bunch of hammy kicks. Yujiro grabs a kick, spins Shelley around, then gives him a belly to belly suplex that almost drops him right on his head. Shelley gets a backslide for 2. Backdropeh suplex! Yujiro lariato. Tags on both sides. Step up enzuguri from Sabin. Naito hits a powerslam. No Limit hit the Poetry in Motion dropkick. Shotgun dropkick off the top from Naito. German suplex with a bridge for 2. Shelley breaks up a double team and gives Naito a neckbreaker. Sabin springboard DDT on Yujiro. Naito flying forearm on Sabin. Setup slam from Naito. He goes up top. Shelley pulls him down into a tree of woe. Sabin fights Yujiro off and dropkicks Naito in the tree. Naito ducks and Shelley lariatos Sabin! No Limit double slam on Sabin. Shelley breaks the pin up. Naito says that's it. Setup slam. The future Stardust Press misses! As it always will in the Tokyo Dome. Sabin cutter on Yujiro. Double superkick on Naito! Naito kicks out! Long setup on Naito. Made in Detroit hits! MCMG get the pin and win the titles! That is not a popular decision in the Tokyo Dome. MCMG would hold onto the titles until July, including defending them in TNA, until losing to the newly formed team of Apollo 55 (Devitt and Taguchi). No Limit would actually go on excursion after this, stopping by TNA for a bit before heading to CMLL. When they came back later in the year they'd move up to the heavyweight division. The match was good, but it was pretty clear MCMG were a fully polished product ready for the big time while Naito and Yujiro were still learning. ***1/4

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Tiger Mask def Low Ki (c) (GBH) in 8:48- Ki was one of the biggest indy darlings of the era, having spent time in ROH and PWG as well as TNA. He had a tryout dark match in WWE in late '08 and would end up signing with them later in '09 as Kaval. He had also been working as a freelancer across Japan. When he came to New Japan he initially joined RISE, but turned on them in September to join GBH. Soon after that he upset TM for the junior title. Unusually it was Ki that laid down the challenge for this match as champion, wanting to defeat TM again. All white with black trim gear for TM tonight. The bell rings and Ki charges in with a shotgun dropkick! The fisherman's driver hits! That's the move he won the title with. TM kicks out! He rolls out for space but Ki follows. Whip on the floor and TM just collapses. Another shotgun dropkick sends him into the guardrail. Ki drags TM to the ramp as ref Marty Asami starts a count. He hooks up for a fisherman's driver on the ramp. TM fights out of it and plants Ki with a tombstone on the ramp! TM staggers into the ring at 15. Ki trips and just barely gets in at 19. TM lays in some kicks in the ring. Ki comes back with a springboard kick to the head for 2. Ki suplex. Now he starts hitting some measured chest kicks and European uppercuts. TM dodges in the corner and hits some rapid fire kicks. Running leg lariat in the corner and Ki falls out to the floor. TM dive off the top to the floor! More TM corner kicks back in. Ki hits a charging TM with an elbow. Handspring corner kick from Ki. TM deadweights an attempted whip so Ki reverse slams him for 2. TM dodges a double stomp off the second rope. Head kick in the corner. TM puts Ki up top. Ki fights out of an underhook and pushes TM off. Double stomp off the top! TM kicks out! Ki puts on a dragon sleeper. TM backs him into the corner. Another fisherman's driver attempt is fought out of. Half and half suplex from TM for 2. TM hooks up for the tiger suplex and hits it! Ki kicks out! TM wraps Ki's arm up in an unusual position under his leg, suplexes with a bridge, and that gets the pin and the title back! Quick respect handshake after the match. OK match for the time they go but still kind of underwhelming. The crowd wasn't really into it either. **1/2

 

Masahiro Chono, Riki Choshu, Kurt Angle and Kevin Nash (Legend/Main Event Mafia) def Giant Bernard, Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii and Karl Anderson (GBH) in 7:09- Nash worked a handful of matches for New Japan across his two WCW runs, but this is his first time ever in the Tokyo Dome. He and Angle were part of the TNA stable the Main Event Mafia, which was a bit like New Japan's Legend group, a stable of top level stars late in their careers (or even later in some cases), except they were more active week to week and leaned a little more heel. Anderson is also making his Dome debut after coming into New Japan in mid-'08. I fully approve of Anderson's fedora. Should have kept that. Iizuka has fully transformed into his late career form, with the beard and Iron Fingers. All the Legend/MEM guys get individual entrances as benefits their status. It will always be crazy how Nash was full gray hair, including his beard, for his TNA run, but then Vince would force him to dye it all when he went back to WWE later on because he hated gray hair on TV so much. Nash volunteers to start and goes chest to chest with Bernard. They trade a few shots then Bernard eye rakes. Shoulderblock standoff. Another one. Nash backs Bernard in the corner and hits the usual Nash corner knees and forearms. He can still stretch enough to do the boot choke. Bernard gets an avalanche in the corner. Nash side suplexes Iizuka then holds him up for a Chono sliding kick. Not quite a shining wizardo, not quite a Yakuza kick. Tackle off the top for Chono for 2. Ishii, who's also slowly morphing into his more well known form, kicks Chono in the back from the apron and Chono gets caught in the GBH corner. Ishii comes in and quickly gets caught in the wrong corner with Choshu stomping on him. Ishii fights Choshu inoto the GBH corner. Anderson hits a couple of shots and plays to the crowd. That gives Choshu an opening for a leg takedown. The Legend duo seems to have a hard time deciding what to do next. Chono comes in and hits an inverted atomic drop and headbutt for 2. Angle tags in for the first time. Double shoulderblock from him and Chono. Suplex from Angle for 2. He stomps Anderson down in a neutral corner. Anderson fights Choshu back to the GBH corner and Bernard lays into him. Vader bomb for 2. GBH clear the apron and it's everyone hit Choshu in the corner time. Choshu gets a boot up on Anderson. Lariato! Bernard breaks the pin up. Nash runs in and they take their fight to the floor. Angle lariatos Bernard as things break down. German on Iizuka! German on Ishii! THE STRAPS ARE DOWN! Anderson waistlocks Angle looking for his own German. Bad move, son. Angle counters into the ankle lock! Full grapevine! Anderson taps! Bernard keeps fighting everyone after the bell and plants Angle with a driver. Angle holds his arm very gingerly his whole exit after. He's either legit hurt or really selling it good. Option 2 is very possible considering it's Angle. There's nothing hugely wrong with it and it's cool seeing a crosssection of American and Japanese legends working together, but it's too many guys and too little time to mean anything or really get anything going other than a spotfest. Choshu and Chono looked lost several times too. *3/4

 

Zero1 World Heavyweight Championship: Yuji Nagata (c) def Masato Tanaka in 11:41- Nagata hadn't been able to get back on top in New Japan over the course of '08, so he swung over to Pro Wrestling Zero1 and nicked their top title instead. Tanaka is a Zero1 regular trying to get it back. He's also the guy Nagata beat for the title in October so he's also out for revenge. That Zero1 belt is pretty freaking huge. Red Shoes checks in early to ref this one, since it's technically a "world" title. The bell rings and we're slugging it out immediately! Nagata absorbs a lariato, hits a knee to the gut and a stiff kick to the back. Chest kick and Tanaka powders. Nagata follows. Tanaka fights off a suplex attempt on the floor and backs Nagata into the apron. Tanaka brain buster on the floor! He gets a chair and breaks the seat off on Nagata's head! Big boos from the crowd for that. Another shot with the back straight into Nagata's head. Post shots for Nagata. Nagata's bleeding a bit. Tanaka sees the cut and starts working on it. Corner flying forearm/brain buster combo for 2. Tanaka tries to literally scrape Nagata's cut open more. Whip attempt and Nagata collapses in a heap. Running forearm against the ropes and lariato from Tanaka for 2. Nagata dodges in the corner and wails away on Tanaka. Red Shoes gets tossed aside, but Nagata also collapses. Now Tanaka is bleeding. Running corner knee from Nagata. Nagata superplex for 2. Standing knees to the head from Nagata. Measured chest kicks. Another huge forearm exchange. They're trying to punch each other out and it's fantastic. Nagata hits a big boot, Tanaka rebounds of the ropes with a lariato and both guys are down. They start headbutting each other like a couple of drunk Klingons on their knees, then start laying in the forearms again. Tanaka wobbles Nagata with a combo. Nagata responds with a knee to the gut and a magic screw. We get a close up of the belt and I'm just now noticing that Zero1 is using the old AWA World title belt. How did they get that? A story for another time. Nagata tries a backdropeh but Tanaka rolls through it and hits a basement dropkick to Nagata's back. Running lariato in the corner from Tanaka. He's getting a decent crimson mask going now. He hops up in the corner and hits a sliced bread #2. Nagata either blocks or flat no sells it. He tries to hit another big boot, but Tanaka blocks it and hits a lariato for 2. Running corner forearm to Nagata's back. Back superplex for a LONG 2! Sliding forearm for 2. Another one. Nagata kicks out into the Nagata Lock! There goes the eyes! Tanaka slowly crawls over and gets a rope break. Enzuguri from Nagata. Backdropeh for 2. Head kick! Tanaka's on his last legs. Another backdropeh. A third with a cradle, and that gets the pin for Nagata to retain. After the bell a very frustrated Shinjiro Otani gets into it with Nagata a bit. Old man Otani would end up being the one to dethrone Nagata and get the title back home in late February. Very good hard hitting, intense match, but let down a bit by Nagata dominating the stretch run. The blood also worked well, but it wasn't anywhere close to Nagata's bloodbath with Kensuke Sasaki in 2004, possibly the bloodiest match I've ever seen. ***3/4

 

Jun Akiyama def Manabu Nakanishi in 10:27- NOAH and All Japan legend Akiyama is making his second 1/4 Dome show appearance as a NOAH representative. Akiyama fires off kicks to the face before the bell that knock Nakanishi out of the ring! Nakanishi comes back in all kinds of fired up. He lays in chops in the corner and forearms Akiyama hard when he gets lippy. Akiyama tries some more high kicks. Nakanishi shrugs them off and hits a swinging double ax handle. He tosses Akiyama out to the floor and tries to follow, but Akiyama's already back in the ring. Akiyama kicks Nakanishi off the apron, then plants Nakanishi with a DDT on the floor! He tries to swing Nakanishi onto the apron but Nakanishi doesn't leap high enough and inadvertantly bounces off the side of the ring. Oof. I could hear some laughs from the crowd after that. After another try at positioning Akiyama hits a kneedrop on the apron. Nakanishi gets up and trips Akiyama on the apron, then lariatos him. NAKANISHI WITH A PLANCHA! It wasn't pretty, but my lord he did it. Big guy's got his working boots on tonight. Now Nakanishi goes up top! Shotgun dropkick! Nakanishi grounds things, hooking on a sleeper. After holding that for a bit he covers for 2. He kicks Akiyama, almost wanting Akiyama to fight back. Big chop exchange. There's some damn stiff ones in there, including one that almost catches Akiyama right across the jaw. Now they trade headbutts. More chops. They start swapping open hand slaps, again really damn stiff. Nakanishi tries a northern lights suplex, but Akiyama blocks it into a guillotine. Nakanishi backs him into the ropes. Standing knees from Akiyama. Northern lights buster for 2. He hooks the guillotine on again. Nakanishi deadlifts him back up and tosses him! Akiyama tries to reverse a whip, but Nakanishi stops that with a goozle followed by a hard lariato. More huge chops. Corner lariato. Suplex toss from Nakanishi. Kneedrop for 2. And here we go with the open hand chop slugfest again. Pop and pop and pop and it's fantastic. Akiyama tries a running knee in the corner but Nakanishi blocks it and tosses him down. German from Nakanishi! Akiyama gets a foot on the rope. Nakanishi goes up top again. Akiyama joins him. Exploder superplex from Akiyama! Both guys charge out of opposite corners and meet in the middle with a double lariato that neither guy budges on. Nakanishi gets Akiyama in the torture rack! Akiyama powers one of Nakanishi's arms off him then gives him a DDT! High knees from Akiyama. Northern lights buster for 2. Another one. Nakanishi kicks at 1! Running knee from Akiyama for another 2. One more northern lights buster. That gets the pin! Damn, that was way better than I was expecting. I've not seen much of Akiyama but I know he was good, but damn Nakanishi brought it in a way I've hardly ever seen from him before. I don't know where the hell that Nakanishi has been hiding, but he needed to come out way more often. ***1/2

 

Hardcore Match for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Team 3D def Most Violent Players (GBH) (c) in 15:34- Straight rematch from WK 2 here, even the stipulation, which was won by the former Dudleyz. The only difference is this time it's for the tag titles. MVP had been champions nearly a year, winning them in February. Ray is in his mohawk haircut phase. Given the participants and the fact we've already seen a few tonight I'm shocked there's not a jump start here. Instead Devon and Yano start with some very basic lockups and corner breaks. Yano gives Devon a nice head rub on the second one. Standing switches into another corner break. Devon musses up Yano's hair and Yano doesn't seem very appreciative. Tackle from Devon for 2. Yano can't get Devon up for a suplex, so Makabe comes in to help him hit it. Hattori lets him stay in the ring and cover with no tag. Hardcore rules I guess. Devon hits Makabe with the diving back elbow. Tag to Ray and 3D hit a double shoulderblock. Makabe and Ray jaw at each other before a bit of a slugfest. German suplex from Ray! Makabe pops right back up with a lariato! Superplex from Ray. Devon tries to follow up with a diving headbutt off the top but comes up FEET short! He scurries up and covers Makabe to cover for 2. Damn that was awful. Yano pops Devon in the back with a kendo stick. Finally, hardcore in the hardcore match. Makabe gives Ray a kendo shot in the head. MVP spike piledriver Devon into Yano's chair on the floor! Makabe goes under the ring and gets a round metal tray. Ray takes some shots from it. Trash can lid shot for Devon. Devon's bleeding. That's already more blood than last year's hardcore match. More lid shots. Devon hits Makabe with a suplex while Yano quietly gets the buckle pad off in his corner. Makabe drop toe holds Devon into Yano's chair. Yano undoes some of his wrist tape and chokes Devon with it. Devon continues in peril. Makabe whips him into the exposed corner. Ray runs in and throws some shots to try to get Devon some space. Devon dodges Yano in the corner and tackles Makabe. Tag to Ray. Jabs for everyone. Backdrops for everyone. He avalanches both MVP guys in the corner and plants Makabe with a uranage for 2. Ray full nelsons Yano for the Bubba Bomb or whatever it was called in TNA. Makabe low blows him to save Yano. MVP bring not one, but two trash cans in the ring. Ray initially blows off shots from them, but more get him wobblelegged. But not enough, as he double lariatos both MVP guys. They double slam Yano for 2. Reverse 3D on Makabe for 2. Makabe ducks a double lariato and tackles Devon. Yano hits Ray with something off camera and covers for 2. Ray gives Makabe a trash can lid shot. Whazzup Drop on Makabe. Devon got there that time. Get the tables time. MVP double flapjack Ray through a table! Makabe covers but Ray kicks out. A second table gets set up in the ring. Makabe lariato on Devon for 2. He sets Devon on the table. Makabe starts to go up top. Ray stops him. He powerbombs Makabe through the table! Big splash follow up! Makabe kicks out! Yano trips Ray from the floor and Makabe powerslams Devon for 2. Makabe wraps his chain around his arm. Yano takes the chain lariato! Devon cradles Makabe for 2. Chain shot to Devon! Devon kicks out! Devon ducks another chain lariato attempt. 3D! Team 3D get the pin for the titles. Foreign teams won both tag titles tonight. Even with the Dudleyz' legendary status the crowd seems less than thrilled with this turn of events. Still, the Dudleyz add to their already considerable trophy case. ECW, WWF/E, WCW (WWF purchased version), TNA and now IWGP. No other team in history will ever be able to say that. The heavyweight tag titles would end up staying in TNA for the entire next year with the Dudleyz holding them most of that time (British Invasion would take them for a few months in the late summer/fall). As for this match, like last year's it was fairly underwhelming with not the best use of the hardcore stip and the Dudleyz looking like very large shells of their former selves. **

 

Shinsuke Nakamura and Hirooki Goto (RISE) def Mitsuharu Misawa and Takashi Sugiura in 15:17- Misawa, one of the most successful wrestlers ever in Japan that never worked for New Japan, and Sugiura are representing NOAH. Nakamura was in a bit of limbo/midcard hell after dropping the Heavyweight title, but a huge turn for him was on the horizon. Goto pulled off the second biggest upset win in G1 Climax history in '08 (second only to Nakanishi in '99), which is all the bigger upset thanks to his career long trend of always coming up short in big matches. Misawa being in a New Japan ring in the Tokyo Dome is rightfully treated like the big effing deal that it is. Nakamura's switched from long tights to trunks, a change he made the previous year. Goto and Sugiura start with some heavy forearm trading. Neither man gives an inch. Running boots, running forearms, nothing. Finally Sugiura tries to flip the script with a snap belly to belly, but Goto pops right back up and puts him down with a forearm. While Sugiura rolls out Goto goes over and gives Misawa a leg lariat! Goto springs to the second rope, can't get his footing right, tries a canonball over the top to the floor anyway, and just barely manages to get it off but also comes up short and whacks his own back on the apron. And that's why Goto doesn't dive. Nakamura tags in. Damn seeing him in trunks is so weird. Misawa also tags in and here we go, a dream match that really should have been a singles match on this show, though both guys are at very different ends of their respective careers. Both are extremely cautious. They do some feeling out grappling and play nice with a clean rope break. Misawa gets a leg takedown and works on Nakamura's leg a bit. Nakamura tries to counter with a sleeper, then goes for an armbreaker. Another rope break. Shoulderblock standoffs. Misawa has enough and lays in some forearms. Nakamura responds with a leg lariat. Forearm exchange that Misawa definitely has the edge on, but Nakamura keeps trying. Misawa eventually puts him down. He tries a sleeper on Nakamura. Rope break and Sugiura tags back in. He and Nakamura trade some forearms until Sugiura turns Nakamura's stomach inside out with a back kick. Now Sugiura goes for a sleeper. Goto breaks it up. Sugiura puts him right down with a serious "fuck off" forearm. Nakamura gets caught in the wrong corner. He absorbs more hard forearms but manages to land a rolling kick. Goto tags in. Sugiura also comes in but Goto fights both NOAH guys off, getting them in opposite corners and hitting a series of corner lariatos. Elbow off the top rope on Misawa for 2. Standing switch exchange. Goto hits a backdropeh. German on Misawa for 2. A discus forearm from Misawa puts Goto back down. Sugiura tags in, kicks Nakamura off the apron, then drops Goto on the top rope. Another kick to Nakamura and apron suplex for Goto for 2. Shoulderblock and another suplex for 2. Big gutwrench suplex from Sugiura. Both guys hit the ropes and Goto tries and tries to hit a short lariato and finally nails it to a big pop. Tag to Nakamura. Reverse exploder on Sugiura for 2. Sugiura ducks a kick, lifts Nakamura up and plants him in the corner. Big splash off the top from Misawa! Sugiura hooks on an ankle lock! Nakamura fights, almost taps, nearly gets to the ropes....but Sugiura pulls him back to the middle and gets the full grapevine on! Nakamura gets one last burst on energy to get to the ropes. German from Sugiura, then he rolls over into a dragon suplex! Nakamura kicks out! Nakamura fights free and pushes Sugiura into Goto, who plants him with a shouten. Misawa powerslams Goto. Nakamura Landslide on Misawa! Back to Nakamura and Sugiura trading forearms. Then open hand slaps. Nakamura goes to a straight closed fist! The ultimate desperation. He tries to hook on a sleeper but Sugiura flips him over. Running knee from Sugiura! That looked a lot like Nakamura's future Bomaye finisher. Sugiura hits the DVD! Nakamura *just* kicks out! Sugiura goes for another one. Nakamura counters out! Nakamura goes for Landslide. Sugiura gets free and hits a German! Nakamura pops right back up and hits a roundhouse kick! Sugirua swings for a lariato, but Nakamura uses that to spin into the cross armbreaker! Sugiura taps out! Nakamura is more fired up for this win than when he won the title last year. Fantastic match. It started a little bit slow with the groundwork laying, but that last 5ish minutes focused pretty much totally on Nakamura and Sugiura was all kinds of awesome. Maybe they should have been the singles match instead. ****

 

Back to that coming turn for Nakamura. On April 5 Nakamura had a singles match with Makabe. During that match, Yano turned on Makabe to help Nakamura win. But it's not a Yano face turn, it was a Nakamura heel turn. Nakamura and Yano revealed after the match that they were leading a full mutiny in GBH and forming a new stable with Nakamura as the leader and almost everyone in GBH joining them, leaving Makabe as a captain without a ship or a crew. The name of the new stable? CHAOS. The same CHAOS still going today. CHAOS would take over as New Japan's top heel stable until the rise of Bullet Club and Suzuki-Gun a couple of years later pushed them face. On the RISE side, they tried to continue without their leader but they were down to just Milano Collection and Goto and wouldn't last far into 2010, especially after Milano's injury forced retirement.

 

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi def Keiji Mutoh (c) in 30:32- Mutoh was a New Japan original and one of the original Three Musketeers, but following his shocking defection to All Japan in 2002 he was now seen as in invading outsider. He defeated Nakamura for the title in April '08 for his fourth career reign, and successfully fought off every New Japan challenger the rest of the year. Nakanishi, Goto (of course) following his G1 win and on Mutoh's home All Japan turf, Makabe and Nakamura again all failed to bring the title home. Now Tanahashi is getting a shot on New Japan's biggest stage, exactly one year after he lost the title to Nakamura and in his first shot since falling to Nakamura again in March. This also has the added emotion of Mutoh not just being an idolized legend, but he was also a direct mentor for Tanahashi before leaving for All Japan. They've had two previous singles matches, both in All Japan, one won by Mutoh and the other a time limit draw. The v4 IWGP Heavyweight title belt, easily an all time top 5 wrestling belt, is making its Dome debut in this match. Very cautious start with lots of literal feeling out, like watching a couple of high schoolers on prom night. Tanahashi springs for a takedown but Mutoh was ready for it, getting the edge on the mat by literally riding Tanahashi. Like a couple of high schoolers on prom night after they've figured things out. Reset and more cautious mat grappling. Mutoh tries to stretch Tanahashi's arm out but is blocked. Tanahashi counters into a headlock. Now Tanahashi does some mounting. I promise to stop the high schoolers having sex comparisons. Mutoh transitions into a leg hold and both guys fight for leg control in a giant pretzel, just like.....nah, not going there. Tanahashi works into a front facelock, then back to the headlock. Mutoh says enough of this and pushes Tanahashi into the ropes. Shoulderblock collision and both guys go down. Tanahashi snap mare into a figure four headscissors. Mutoh takes a rope break and rolls out to think. Tanahashi lets him. Mutoh slides back in and we do some more cautious fondling. Tanahashi grabs a leg and cranks a dragon screw! Now it's ramping up. Stomps from Tanahashi on the leg and he starts working it. Mutoh takes another rope break, then tries to keep Tanahashi away but Tanahashi cranks the leg again. Big splash on the leg. Tanahashi pulls Mutoh up in the corner and hits some European uppercuts. Mutoh fires back with some elbows. Classic snap mare/elbow drop combo. Tanahashi kicks back on the leg to get Mutoh back down. He wraps Mutoh's leg in the ropes and dropkicks it. Post shot for the knee. Mutoh uses Tanahashi picking the leg up again to knee him right in the face! Dragon screw from Mutoh! Tanahashi rolls to the apron. Mutoh sees, slides out, grabs Tanahashi's leg and dragon screws him off the apron to the floor! Another dragon screw on the floor. Shining wizardo to Tanahashi against the guardrail. Dragon screw over the guardrail! Ouch. That's got to hurt more than just the leg. Red Shoes starts a count. Tanahashi limps back in at 15, right into a Mutoh dropkick on his leg. Dragon screw in the ropes. Always nasty looking. Another dragon screw in the middle of the ring. Mutoh hooks on the figure four! Tanahashi fights and tries to reverse but Mutoh blocks it. Tanahashi manages to crawl to the ropes. Another dropkick to the leg. Tanahashi tries to fire back up. Open hand chop exchange with sweat flying everywhere. Both guys trade dropkicks to the other's bad leg. Mutoh grabs a kick and hits another dragon screw. Back to the figure four. After a really long fight Tanahashi manages to both reverse and get to the ropes. Mutoh dropkick off the second rope onto the knee. When Mutoh grabs the leg again Tanahashi gives him an open hand slap to stagger him. Tanahashi goes for a German. Mutoh blocks it, so Tanahashi chop blocks him instead. Body punch combo from Tanahashi. Senton off the second rope for 2. European uppercuts. Mutoh reverses a corner whip and hits a corner shining wizardo. Back to the dragon screw. Full shining wizardo! Another to Tanahashi's back. Tanahashi blocks a third and gives Mutoh a dragon screw on the mat! He hooks up the cloverleaf and slowly tries to get Mutoh over. Mutoh manages to block it. Big elbow drops from Tanahashi. Slingblade! He tries for the dragon suplex. Mutoh blocks it. Tanahashi transitions to a straitjacket German and hits it for 2. He goes up top. HIGH FLY FLOWWWWWWWWWWWW! But his knee gives out on the landing and he can't cover! Mutoh shining wizardo! Tanahashi pops back up with a slingblade! Both guys are down. Tanahashi ducks a shining wizardo. Slingblade. He goes up top again. Mutoh goes up and grabs him. He dragon screws Tanahashi off the top rope! Shining wizardo! Tanahashi kicks out! Now Mutoh goes up top. He tries to springboard off the top rope but slips off. Too old for this shit. He quickly covers with a dropkick to Tanahashi's knee. Another dragon screw and the figure four is back on. Tanahashi grabs Red Shoes' shirt and seems to almost beg him to not stop it. He gets a burst and gets to the ropes. Mutoh hits a magic screw. Tanahashi hurricanrana outta nowhere! That gets a 2 count. After a suplex fight Tanahashi hits a magic screw! German! But Tanahashi's knee gives again and he can't hold the bridge. He slaps his knee trying to get some feeling back. Dragon suplex! Mutoh kicks out! Another slingblade. Tanahashi goes right up top. HIGH FLY FLOW! Up top again. MUTOH DODGES! SHINING WIZARDO! But he doesn't cover. Instead he goes up top. Tanahashi dodges the moonsault! High fly flow to Mutoh's back! One more time. HIGH. FLY. FLOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! That gets Tanahashi the pin and the title back! His third Heavyweight title win, which is already getting him close to the upper echelon of title winners at the time. I really enjoyed the opening groundwork laying, but some of the mid-match leg work didn't come off quite as well as it could have. Older Mutoh was relying on only a few of his biggest moves to carry the mtach too. Despite that the psychology was sound throughout, it built at the right pace to a tremendous final third, and Tanahashi gave the real first of his ultimate babyface performances that made him the biggest star in New Japan history. ****1/4

 

During the postmatch ceremony Okada, who had been one of the ringside attendants during the match, is the one that gets all of Tanahashi's trophies handed off to him after Tanahashi takes them and is the one to snap the belt on Tanahashi's waist. If they had any idea the future they had in store...Tanahashi takes the mic and calls out Nakamura. Unfinished business in his mind I'm sure. Nakamura doesn't show but he would be Tanahashi's first defense.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: These early Wrestle Kingdoms are settling into a consistent "good but not great" pattern. Still miles better than most of the Inoskism era Dome shows though. I understand the appeal of interpromotional matches, but New Japan won't take the next step until they realize they can rely on their own talent and not have to lean on interpromotional stuff so much. That realization is still a few years away however.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B