Wrestle Kingdom 8

Legacy Review

Wrestle Kingdom 8

January 4, 2014 from the Tokyo Dome

 

This is the Wrestle Kingdom where the infamous fan vote took place to determine which of the top two matches would main event the show, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship match between the still pretty young Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito, or the IWGP Intercontinental Championship bout featuring the in their prime legends Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura. The fans went with the more established stars over the top title, with the IC title match coming out the winner. Naito would take that result personally, using it as fuel for his coming major career transformation. This is also the first WK to take place since the formation of Bullet Club, and you'll be seeing their members all over the card tonight.

 

As usual this is from the New Japan World archives so Japanese commentary only. Like WK7, as of this writing no alternate English commentary has been recorded for any matches on this show.

 

Preshow: Captain New Japan, Bushi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Tomoaki Honma def Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi, Super Strong Machine and Yohei Komatsu in 8:11- Your typical multi-man tag with one Young Lion representative preshow match. This time Komatsu is the Young Lion in question. Unlike previous years' Young Lions he's not about to go on excursion, he's still fairly new, only a little over a year removed from his in-ring debut. You know him today as YOH. Capt. NJ looks like he's wearing velour now. Dude's turning into Zapp Brannigan. And about as useful. Komatsu's teammates whip him across the ring at their opponents before the bell! That sets us off. Liger's team clears the ring as Komatsu hits Honma with a dropkick. Isolated Honma takes shots from everyone in the corner, topped off with a Liger shotei. Perfectplex from Komatsu for 2. Four way stomping on Honma as this is starting to look like a bad police beating. Honma fires back with a back elbow and lariato on Komatsu as things settle in. Short Kokeshi! Bushi tags in and goes full lucha dodges mode on Komatsu. Shotgun dropkick off the top rope. Setup slam and Bushi puts Komatsu in Young Lion Submission Hold 1A, the Boston crab. Komatsu's teammates quickly save him. Liger stomps on his own teammate Komatsu to try to get a fire under him! Tough love. Tenzan comes in and hits headbutts and a Mongolian chop for 2. Komatsu tries to chop back but Tenzan shows him how those work. Low spinning heel kick from Tenzan. Liger saves the pin and again yells at Komatsu to get his shit together. Here comes Capt. NJ. He hits a back elbow for 2. Forget Zapp Brannigan, that outfit looks like he's wrestling in full body pajamas. Cap hits a slam and goes up top. Komatsu dodges the big splash. Tag to Nakanishi. Big chops on Cap. Corner lariato. Cap dodges another one, but Nakanishi is too much meat for him to whip. Cap manages to hit a flying tackle and tags out to Tenzan. Mongolian chops on Nakanishi. Nakanishi responds with a very short and pretty ugly spear. He sets up and hits the big lariato but Tenzan kicks out. Nakanishi says that's it. He gets Tenzan in the torture rack! Cap tries to break it up, so Nakanishi tosses Tenzan into him. Honma comes in and back suplexes Nakanishi. Komatsu makes the mistake of coming back in, but manages to dodge around Tenzan and hits a running back elbow for 2. Tenzan tries a suplex but Komatsu counters with a small package for 2, then cradles Tenzan for 2. Tenzan's had enough and hits a massive lariato. DONNYBROOK! Komatsu tries to fight off both Cap and Tenzan. Cap with a goozle, pushing Komatsu down and setting him up for Honma, who's on the top rope. KOKESHI MAKE YOU HAPPY! It hit! Tenzan goes up top, hits the headbutt off the top, but everyone breaks the pin up. The rings clears out again and Tenzan is alone with Komatsu. He puts on a modified Boston crab and the kid has to give it up. Damn, if Honma had gotten the pin off the Kokeshi I would have given this five freaking stars. As it is, it's a fun preshow match and told a good Young Lion in his early days when his guts were way more than his brains or ability story. All part of the learning process in Japan. **1/2

 

As is tradition now here's the show's opening VTR since it's not on the World copy, though this one isn't quite as good as other years in my opinion.

 

 

Four Way Match for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) (Bullet Club) def Time Splitters, Forever Hooligans (CHAOS) and Taka Michinoku & Taichi (Suzuki-Gun) in 10:35- The WK debut of the Bucks is the obvious big headline here. One of these four teams have been the junior tag champs dating back to mid-'12, with the Bucks defeating Taichi & Michinoku at Power Struggle in November for the most recent change and the first of their record seven title wins. Despite having the same last name Forever Hooligans' Alex Kozlov is not related to Vladimir Kozlov from WWE. Before the bell Kozlov channels his inner Nikolai Volkoff and takes the mic to sing the Russian national anthem. Taichi and Michinoku actually put their hands on their hearts! OK, that's funny. The Bucks double superkick Romero from behind. Kozlov sees him down, shouts "What the hell!" and turns around into a double superkick. And we're off. The Bucks get Time Splitters isolated in the ring, hitting double teams on both. Matt then takes a couple of double team shots from Time Splitters. Meanwhile, Taichi and Michinoku have taken up spots in commentary. Can't fault the strategery. Nick saves Matt from a double suplex and they take Time Splitters our again. KUSHIDA hits the handspring back elbow on both Bucks. Time Splitters go for a double dive but get cut off by Hooligans. Hooligans double baseball slide on the Bucks. They get KUSHIDA isolated and Romero hits a flying headscissors. Kozlov hits a springboard flying forearm. Shelley then takes some Hooligans double teams. Romero fires up the forever lariatos on Shelley. With it being a four way match no one is bothering to give lip service to tags and are constantly double teaming. Kozlov puts his furry hat on and hits some, er Russian dance kicks? And a double stomp. The SG team breaks the tag up. Michinoku has the hat and puts it on! Taichi then gives it a try. Kozlov takes some shots in the corner and Taichi hits a Greco Roman Nut Kneedrop. Michinoku had the ref distracted for that, then he gets down and fast counts 3 himself. This isn't WCW, no one's going to count that as a real pin. Michinoku calls for the "BRAIN BUSTER!". Romero comes in, and soon we have ALL EIGHT guys hooked up in a suplex fight! QUADRUPLE SUPLEX! Total mix of teams that took that too, but as usual the Bucks came out on top. Michinoku dodges in the corner and Matt runs into a kick from Nick! Nick low bridges Michinoku out, then hits a springboard faceplant on Taichi. Romero tope suicida on Nick! Kozlov grabs Matt and tries to suplex him over the top rope to the floor, but Matt hangs on and they both tumble over! Michinoku's turn. He milks the moment and hits an asai moonsault onto the group on the floor. Time Splitters then top it off with a double senton plancha onto everyone. Oh no, not everyone. Taichi's still left. But first, THE PANTS ARE OFF! He goes up top, but Matt cuts him off. Nick comes up to help. They superplex Taichi to the floor onto EVERYONE! Even the Young Lion attendants! The ref starts a count since literally everyone's on the floor. At 19 they ALL roll back into the ring! Michinoku gives KUSHIDA the old Roddy Piper two finger eye poke, absorbs a forearm and hits a kick. That goes into the rapid fire "everyone takes a shot" spot. Kozlov gets Nick up and Rocky hits him with a springboard Doomsday Device for 2. Time Splitters come in and hit some combination double teams on Hooligans. Shelly big splash off the top/KUSHIDA standing moonsault combo for 2. Time Splitters outmaneuver the Bucks in the corner and send them to the floor again. Double team neckbreaker/moonsault combo on Romero. Cover, but the ref is distracted by Michinoku trying to bring a chair in. Behind that Taichi gives KUSHIDA a Greco Roman Nut Punt and the SG team hit double team Black Mephisto for 2. The Bucks get back in, take Michinoku out, and set Taichi up. Indietaker! Michinoku just barely breaks the pin up! Double superkick on Michinoku! Taichi is set up again. MORE. BANG. FOR. YOUR. BUCK! And that gets the pin to retain! Fun junior tag spotfest, but kind of a "the whole was less than the sum of the parts" match. The Bucks already look like stars, though it's perfectly understandable their antics rubbed some people the wrong way. ***1/4

 

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows (w/Toma Tonga) (Bullet Club) def Killer Elite Squad (c) (Suzuki-Gun) in 10:27- The future Good Brothers teamed up for the first time in the 2013 World Tag League, and clearly hit it off from the start because they won the tournament. This is the second straight WK that KES have come in as tag champs, but it's not the same reign. Tencozy had another run in the interim. Tama's shirt and the tron remind me, this is during the early time Bullet Club was using its original logo, before the iconic skull and guns logo was created. Gallows & Anderson come out in camo vests and facepaint. Gallows is carrying a super jumbo sized bazooka on his shoulder, the kind you'd probably go up against as a early or mid-game boss fight in a Final Fantasy game. Then he blows up the tron with it. KES ride motorcycles in for their entrance again. Gallows has a skull with two pistols graphic on his top. A precursor to the future BC logo? The big guys Archer and Gallows start. They shove, then big boot each other. Archer hits some forearms, shrugs off a big boot, and lariatos Gallows 360 to the floor. Anderson comes in but takes a DBS powerslam. KES hits a couple of double teams on Anderson, then double flip Tama in when he gets on the apron. They set Tama up for the Killer Bomb but G&A make the save. Gallows gives Archer a receipt 360 lariato, then big boots him off the apron. Anderson pounds on DBS in the ring while Gallows knocks Archer around on the floor. Tama gets a shot in on DBS too. Gallows lays in hard body shots on DBS in the corner, then hits an avalanche. He tosses DBS out to the floor and Tama gives him some more shots. DBS snaps Gallows over the top rope coming back in to try to get some space but Gallows is quickly back on him. Suplex for 2. Anderson gives DBS some ground and pound. DBS reverses and hits some shots, but Anderson cuts him off from making a tag. Tama goes full Buff Bagwell posing for the camera while G&A hit some more double teams. Gallows lariato/Anderson senton combo, then Gallows hits a splash and Anderson covers for 2. Anderson goes for Gun Stun. DBS blocks it and hits a backdropeh suplex! Both sides tag. Archer and Gallows charge into each other midring with lariatos, then start slugging it out. Archer ducks a lariato and hits a crossbody. Big lariato from Archer. Full nelson bomb for 2. He knucklelocks Gallows, goes up and goes for his version of old school. Tama knocks him off, drawing HUGE boos from the Tokyo Dome crowd. Anderson gives Archer some uppercuts. Archer grabs him by the throat and tosses him back. Avalanche from Archer and he sets Anderson up top. Anderson fights off a superplex. Archer big boots him and uses the position to get him up and hit Blackout! Tama pulls the ref out before 3! Yeah, in their early days Bullet Club was doing some of the crap House of Torture does now. Not as excessively though, and HOT has been doing it WAY longer without ever changing. I hate House of Torture matches so much. I won't even watch them anymore, they're an automatic skip. Anyway, Archer literally lifts Tama over the top rope into the ring with a full nelson, and KES succeed in hitting the Killer Bomb on him. KES set Anderson up for the Killer Bomb. Gallows breaks it up. Then Gallows gets set up and Anderson makes the save. DBS belly to belly suplex on Gallows. Anderson hits DBS with a kick but runs into an Archer big boot. Archer calls for a chokeslam and plants Anderson with it. Anderson kicks out! Archer goes for another one. Anderson counters midmove into a Gun Stun! Fantastic. DBS just breaks the pin up. Gallows comes in and drops DBS. Archer fights off a Gun Stun. Gallows pounds him downa and gets him set up. Magic killer! Gallows and Anderson win their first tag titles! Far from their last. They'll have a dominant run too, holding them for exactly one year. That's 2-0 for Bullet Club in the tag title matches tonight too. Solidly good match. ***

 

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Satoshi Kojima (w/Hiroyoshi Tenzan) def Rob Conway (w/Jax Dane) (c) in 8:27- The NWA World title returns to the Tokyo Dome for the first time since the early '90s. It's been on quite the ride since then. Most recently the NWA was aligned with TNA, but after they split in 2007 the NWA title has been barely staying afloat on the indy scene thanks to its history and name recognition. The whole Colt Cabana/Adam Pearce incident didn't help it any either. This is its most high profile spot in a very long time. Conway, who came up in the WWE system through OVW and was a former WWE tag champ in La Resistance, won the title in March '13. The great Harley Race is in the ring after entrances, nice touch having him there. He's having to use a cane now but doesn't look too bad for his age. A guy I assume is Conway's manager gets in Race's face and Race gives him as good a punch as he was capable of anymore. The crowd loves it. Conway's playing the full on arrogant foreigner heel for the crowd. This Jax Dane guy looks almost exactly like Bubba/Bully Ray. The bell rings and the crowd goes bonkers for Kojima. First lockup of the night and we get a rough but clean break. Conway hits a back elbow and gives Kojima some punches on the mat. He hits a couple of elbow drops, then telegraphs a third and Kojima dodges it. Punches and shoulderblock from Kojima and he lets the pecs talk a bit. Back suplex. Conway dodges a 360 lariato attempt and crotches Kojima on the ropes, then dropkicks him down. Kojima hits a DDT on the apron! Hardest part of the ring, even in Japan. Back in Conway recovers to hit forearms and chops in the corner, then does some strutting as if he could get the crowd any more against him. Kojima reverses in the corner. Machine gun chops! For. Ev. Er. A little extra for the Tokyo Dome. On the other side Kojima hits the corner forearm and goes up top for the elbow drop. Dane cuts him off. Kojima punches him back down and goes up again, but Conway knocks him down to the floor. Guardrail shot and lariato on the floor for Kojima. Back in Conway demands Kojima get up. Kojima tries to fight it but Conway hits a sit out uranage for 2. Conway hits some shots around Kojima's chest and a running boot to the face. Running elbow drop for 2. Mongolian chop from Conway! As if he could get the crowd any more against him. Again. Talk about playing with fire with Tenzan right there. It definitely pisses him off but he stays out of it. Kojima hits the Kojicutter! Brain buster! Conway kicks out! The elbow pad is....not off. Dane gets on the apron to distract before it can be torn off. He puts Kojima in a sleeper. Tenzan's had enough, pulling Dane down and giving him some Mongolian chops, then suplexes Dane on the floor. Now the elbow pad is off! Conway ducks the Cozy Lariato and hits a spear! Kojima fights off what looks like a rope assisted magic killer (I'm not familiar with Conway's moveset) and NAILS him with a lariato in the back of the head! COZY LARIATO! Kojima gets the pin to bring the NWA World title back to New Japan for the first time in over 20 years! Perfectly fine match. Conway did a superb job heeling it up for the Japanese audience. **1/2

 

The NWA World title would stay in New Japan's orbit for the next couple of years. Conway would win it back in the US in June, then Kojima's Tencozy partner Tenzan got a turn with it in the first half of '15. After he dropped it in August (to Jax Dane) the NWA ended their short New Japan partnership. By that time much more change was coming for the NWA. In May 2017 all of its assets were purchased by Billy Corgan in an attempt to fully revitalize the company. Like with everything else involving the NWA since around 1990, the results have been mixed at best. 

 

Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba def Daniel & Rolles Gracie by DQ in 9:50- We've got another throwback here, and not a good throwback. A throwback to those "classic" Inokism era work/shoot hybrids that never managed to satisfy anyone. And, as tradition dictates, Nagata's been drug into it. Every damn time. Teaming with him is Sakuraba, a legit MMA legend who came into New Japan a bit over a year ago and had a phenomenal match with Nakamura for the IC title at WK 7 that brilliantly toed the line of being more shoot style but still clearly a proper wrestling match. He's stuck around since and proven himself pretty well versed in the pro wrestling game. I'm not unhappy to see him again. The Gracies are a couple of Brazilian MMAers, part of a large Brazilian MMA family that's almost as sprawling as a Samoan wrestling family. Too sprawling for me to bother to sort out just for this match. Sakuraba and one of the Gracies start. I have no idea which is which and frankly couldn't care less. After some jockeying they get into some grappling. Gracie 1 (beard) puts on some kind of reverse choke hold and Sakuraba takes a rope break. It might be my memory but he looks way smaller than when he wrestled Nakamura last year. Gracie 1 gets a leg takedown and wraps Sakuraba up in a triangle. Sakuraba gets free and swings some kicks while Gracie lays on the mat like a turtle. That gets him an opening for another takedown. Nagata's had enough and comes in to break it up. Wish he'd walk out and walk himself into a proper match somewhere else. Tags on both sides. Gracie 2 (no beard) again gets the first takedown. Nagata is able to reverse position on the mat. Another hookup and Nagata gets a straight takedown and tries for some kind of arm hold. Gracie 2 takes another rope break. Nagata cranks things up a notch with some stiff hammy kicks. He slaps Gracie 2 across the head and (I assume) shouts at him to fucking bring it. They get shoving. Gracie 2 ducks a swing and puts a choke on. Ref Marty Asami gives him a warning for something besides being in the ropes. Gracie 2 tags in and tries some ground and pound with Nagata covered up. Asami forces him off because he's using closed fists in a wrestling ring. Nagata gets trapped in the wrong corner and takes some knees. Nagata and Gracie 2 kind of hug in the middle of the ring and Nagata gets a takedown into an armbar attempt. Gracie 2 reverses and tries for the same. He gets it on, but Sakuraba comes in and rakes his eyes with his feet. Gracie 1 tags in and Nagata puts his ass down with one kick across the chest, then tags out. Sakuraba comes in fists flying and gets a fireman's carry takedown. Gracie 1 lifts tiny Sakuraba up and drags him across the ring to his corner. He takes some knees from Gracie 2 that are clearly worked, they're so soft. Sakuraba gets on top of Gracie 2 and hits some Mongolian style chops. Commentary agrees with me, I can make that much out. Sakuraba and Nagata give Gracie 2 some war drums across the back and pummel him with back and forth chest kicks. Nagata backdropeh suplex! That, somehow, only gets 2. Nagata Lock! The eyes roll back! Gracie 2 barely manages a foot on the rope. Nagata tries another backdropeh but Gracie 2 reverses it into a takedown. He takes his gi, wraps it around Nagata's throat and chokes him with it. Asami gives him a chance to break, then calls for the DQ when he doesn't. Weak ass finish. Were these posers too good to job in a worked wrestling match? It was amusing how Nagata was stiffing the shit out of them every chance he got, I'm curious if that was just him working normally or some kind of deliberate message. Regardless, this kind of shit should have stayed dead and buried with Inokism and had no place on a modern Wrestle Kingdom. DUD

 

The Great Muta & Toru Yano def Minoru Suzuki & Shelton X Benjamin (w/Taka Michinoku and Taichi) (Suzuki-Gun) in 12:04- Yano defeated Suzuki on the last block night of the G1 Climax to cost Suzuki a shot at a block win, and they've been butting heads ever since. Things intensified in World Tag League, when again Yano (and Iizuka) defeated Suzuki & Benjamin to again cost the Suzuki-Gun members a shot at advancing. Keiji Mutoh had been making semi-regular appearances at WK since WK 2, but this would be his last proper New Japan appearance for nearly a decade. He's also bringing the Great Muta back for this match as he fits in better to this craziness. As I mentioned in the WK 7 review Mutoh has left All Japan and is now running his own promotion called WRESTLE-1. Muta and Yano get an absolutely awesome special entrance. Lots of dragons. We're now in the period where Mutoh was using a mask for the Muta character instead of facepaint. I really like this one, there's an almost cyborg element to it. Muta and Suzuki start. A singles match I'd love to see. Muta fires off some green mist to get us going. Cautious leaning in leads to some great rapid fire counters and stalemate. Benjamin tags in for a go. WWE's Shelton Benjamin in the ring with these Japanese legends is so freaking cool. He works Muta down with a waistlock into a chinlock. Muta takes a rope break and goes all the way to the floor. He seems to be looking for something under the ring. It's....scaffolding of some kind. Asami cuts him off and gets him back in the ring before it's out any more. Yano tags in and unloads forearms on Benjamin. Suzuki knees him in the back from the apron, then puts on the draping armbar! Everything goes to the floor, where both Yano and Suzuki love to work. Benjamin and Muta are sort of going at it on the other side too but it's clear where the energy is. Benjamin takes Muta all the way behind the barricade near the ringside seating. Taichi works Yano over with a chair. Benjamin slams Yano on the floor. Back in Benjamin covers but Asami is still cleaning up the SG's seconds' mess and can't count. Double underhook suplex from Benjamin for 2. Suzuki hits a running kick in the corner. Snap mare/PK combo for 2. Benjamin cranks back a hammerlock on Yano. Yano gets in the ropes to escape. Taichi chokes him there while Asami is distracted some more. Muta tries to come in with Yano's red chair, which allows the SG team to torture Yano even more. Running knee on the apron from Benjamin for 2. Yano fires up and tries a suplex, but Benjamin reverses and hits it. Behind Benjamin's back Yano pops right back up and gets a corner pad off. Benjamin dives right into it! Muta tags in and whips Benjamin into the exposed corner. Dragon screw! He tosses Benjamin to the floor and hits him with the red chair, then Suzuki. Classic snap mare/elbow drop combo back in. Benjamin spins around, hits a kick to Muta's head, and tags out. Yano also tags in. Suzuki whips Yano into the corner he exposed. He charges. Yano moves out of the way, thinking Suzuki will run into the corner. But Suzuki hits the brakes, smiles, turns around, and kicks Yano right in the back. Fantastic. And then Yano falls for it a second time! Yano grabs Suzuki by the hair he's got sticking out on the back of his head and pulls him down. Benjamin comes in with a lariato on Yano. Stinger splash. Suzuki charges in, stops, and slaps Yano. Benjamin spinebuster into a Suzuki armbar. Muta comes in and breaks it up. Superkick from Benjamin on Muta. Suzuki does the misdirection slide under and hooks a sleeper on Yano. He tries for the Gotch style piledriver. Yano fights it, and Muta comes in with a shining wizardo! Dragon screw on Benjamin. Michinoku takes a dragon screw. Shining wizardo on Benjamin. Suzuki is trying to take a chair from Taichi but Asami is stopping him. Muta gets behind him. Suzuki ducks and Taichi takes the red mist! Sleeper on Muta! Yano comes behind with the red chair. Suzuki ducks under him and gets a sleeper on. Muta sees and contemplates the situation. Yano hits a classic low blow to get free, then shoves Muta! Yano ducks and Muta green mists Suzuki! Classic Yano cradle, and that gets the pin. It's OK, but kind of sloppy and pretty slow paced. If you can get Muta you get Muta, but a Yano/Suzuki singles match might have been better. Especially if they were allowed to go full on hardcore. **

 

King of Destroyer Match: Togi Makabe def Bad Luck Fale (Bullet Club) in 15:05- Fale's riding the wave of Bullet Club's initial push to what would be his only singles WK match. So what is a King of Destroyer match? Well, I'm honestly not sure, there's never been one before. Obviously commentary won't help me, so I guess we'll figure it out as we go. This is back when Fale was young and svelte and could actually move a bit. As usual with Makabe in the Dome it's chain off and right to it. He and Fale trade forearms. Makabe staggers Fale with shots across the top of his head and Fale tumbles out to the floor. Makabe follows. Fale reverses a whip and Makabe crashes into the guardrail. Poor Honma is out there with Makabe and takes a shot. Fale slams Makabe on the floor, then goes and gets Makabe's chain. He puts it around Makabe's neck and drags him across the floor with it! Back in Fale hits a Samoan (Tongan?) drop. Ref Kenta Santo starts a count, so I'm thinking this is the same as a Last Man Standing match. Big Fale elbow drops to Makabe's back, then Fale stands on him Andre the Giant style. Partial camel clutch from Fale. Santo asks for a submission so I guess those are legal in this match too. Fale gives Makabe some body shots in the corner. Makabe asks for more, and gets it. Makabe dodges a corner avalanche, but takes another body shot. He manages to put Fale down with a lariato. Now it's Makabe's turn to hit shots in the corner. Corner lariatos and mounted punches. Another lariato. Air raid crash from Makabe and he goes up top. Fale dodges the King Kong kneedrop. A Fale kick sends Makabe to the floor again. Fale again takes Makabe's chain, this time wrapping it around his fist. Makabe takes it away, wraps it around his fist and hits Fale with it. Then he wraps it around his arm and lariatos Fale with the chain. Makabe goes and gets one of the tables from the ringside area. He hits Fale with it, then sets it up and sets Fale on it. Makabe goes up top. Fale gets off the table onto the apron and tosses Makabe off the top into the ring. Corner avalanche from Makabe. Big splash. Santo starts a count but Makabe's up easily. Fale pulls the pin and hits the Grenade! Makabe drags himself up at 8. Fale gets Makabe up, literally walks around with him, and hits the Bad Luck Fall! Again Makabe uses the ropes to barely get up in time. Setup slam from Fale and he goes up top. He's getting desperate. He barely balances himself, then Makabe dodges a splash. 360 lariato from Makabe sending Fale to the floor. We still have an unbroken table out there. Fale fights back and puts Makabe on the table. He gets on the apron. Makabe grabs him and powerbombs him through the table! Back in Makabe pummels Fale with lariatos in the corner. Nice flop out from Fale. Makabe goes up top. King Kong kneedrop to the back of Fale's head! One more time. King Kong kneedrop! Fale can't answer the 10 count and it's over. Eh. As much as you'd expect from Fale and Makabe, really. Another match that would have benefited from New Japan getting outside their comfort zone a bit and embracing a little more hardcore. **1/4

 

Hirooki Goto def Katsuyori Shibata in 15:33- Goto is making his return from a broken jaw that he suffered during the G1 and forced him to be pulled from the tournament. There's some serious personal history here, as these two were actually high school classmates. Goto gets a special live performance entrance. The drums are fine on their own, but they keep going during all of Goto's entrance. Perfect highlight of a major modern problem in film/TV music- take an awesome old piece of music, add some percussion lines under it and call it "modernized". Hate it so much. Sorry, another passion of mine bleeding through there. And Goto's music absolutely counts as awesome. Cauious feeling out into a lockup. Shibata chops Goto across the jaw and chest in lieu of breaking clean. On another rope break Goto tries to hit a shot but Shibata beats him to it! Goto ducks a PK swing. More cautious leaning in and Shibata works around into a full nelson, then snap mares Goto and hits a PK to his back. He wraps Goto up in a quick figure four. Perfect example of no frills Shibata, just hook a figure four on out of nowhere. Goto tries to slap free then takes a rope break. Big forearms from Shibata in the corner. He goes to the other side, but Goto chases and hits a heel kick. Shibata is barely fazed, stomping on Goto again when he's down. HUGE PK to Goto's jaw! More corner forearms that fire Goto up. That leads to a full on forearm exchange. A big uppercut puts Goto down again and Shibata lays into him with more forearms. Hard hitting barely does this match justice so far. I'm almost hurting. Shibata hits the leaping corner dropkick. Goto tries to escape to the floor for some space, but Shibata says "fuck that", chasing him and throwing him right back in! Chest kicks from Shibata. Another one across Goto's jaw. I hope it healed fully. Goto does a misdirection rope hit and hits a lariato. Chest kicks on Shibata. Corner lariato. Elbow off the top rope for 2. Another forearm exchange. Lariatos from Goto, big boots from Shibata, and both guys refuse to go down. Goto suckers Shibata in by going to his knees, blocks a kick and hits a discus lariato for 2. Backdropeh from Goto for 2. He tries for a German. Shibata blocks it, standing switch, and Shibata puts on a cobra twist. When Goto gets a rope break Shibata Germans him! Another Goto backdropeh! Shibata backdropeh! Goto pops right back up and hits another backdropeh! So does Shibata! Goto leans back and hits a lariato to the back of Shibata's head. Another German attempt. Shibata fights free and hits a pele kick. Shibata charges into another lariato. Cover for ONE. Big Shibata chest kick. Another barely one count. Shibata lariato and another one. Goto PK for one. Both guys collapse in opposite corners! Absolutely fantastic sequence. Goto gets Shibata up for the ushigiroshi. Shibata slips free and puts on a sleeper. Goto fades down. Shibata gets Goto up and hits an ushigiroshi. Full running PK for 2. Shibata tosses his mouthguard away! Shit's serious now. He tries to lift Goto again but Goto fights it. He gutwrenches Shibata up into a reverse ushigiroshi! Regular ushigiroshi. Neckbreaker for 2. Reverse blue thunder bomb for 2. Goto hooks Shibata up. Shibata reverses and hits his own shoten! Shibata gets up and says he's going to snap something. He gets Goto up for Go2Sleep. Goto fights and fights and finally gets free. Goto headbutt! Shibata response headbutt! Both guys need time after that. When they get to their knees the forearms start flying again. Goto blocks a PK and hits a lariato for another one count. More lariatos wobble Shibata but he refuses to go down. One more lariato gives him no choice, turning him inside out. Goto hits shoten, and gets the pin! What beautiful violence. Strong style is the freaking best, man. Unquestionably my favorite wrestling style. After the bell both guys share a moment, clearly very emotional about what they just did in there in all the best ways. Shibata even goes back for Goto after starting to leave and they walk out arm in arm. ****1/4

 

To set up the next match, the most high profile junior title match ever in the Tokyo Dome to this point: Over the past year Prince Devitt has had the most dominant junior division run since the heyday of Jushin Thunder Liger. He won the title in November '12 and has held it since, now at 419 days, the second longest junior title reign ever. If that wasn't enough, he also tore through the '13 edition of Best of the Super Juniors, winning it as champion with a clean sheet undefeated record. Now I'm sure Bullet Club interference can be thanked for a good portion of that but still, no one has been able to touch him, at least in the junior ranks. His old foe Ibushi is here one more time to try. Ibushi actually signed his first ever contract with New Japan in the fall of '13, which was a joint contract with both New Japan and DDT. Both these guys have also been dabbling with a move up to heavyweight. Both were entrants in the '13 G1 Climax, and both did very well as official juniors (10 points for Devitt and 8 for Ibushi). 

 

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Kota Ibushi def Prince Devitt (c) (Bullet Club) in 16:22- Another awesome special entrance here, as a coffin is carried out to start Devitt's entrance and he comes out of it. In full Demon paint! The Demon is here! This is actually the Demon's debut, first appearance ever, and it really is creepy as hell with his crooked walk and dead eyes stare. A totally different character. All of Bullet Club is out with Devitt for this major match. Cautious lean in and Ibushi swings a kick that's easily dodged. Lockup and Devitt initially breaks clean, but then kicks Ibushi down. Speed run and Ibushi catches Devitt with a kick across the chest. Nick Jackson gets on the ropes and yells at Ibushi, letting Devitt catch him from behind. Ibushi puts him back down with a dropkick and Devitt rolls out. Now Gallows distracts. Devitt tries to take advantage but Ibushi pushes him into Gallows. Another speed run and Gallows trips Ibushi, pulls him out and the BC guys go nuts on him with stomps to huge boos from the crowd. Back in Devitt stays in control. He hits a baseball slide to Ibushi's gut in the corner. He puts Ibushi in the tree of woe, then distracts Red Shoes so the other BC guys can stretch him out. Devitt pulls him down and covers. Red Shoes refuses to count! He's consistent about that, he won't DQ but he won't reward bad behavior with a pin attempt. Devitt puts Ibushi in a cobra twst. Well, it's really a proper abdominal stretch but we're in Japan. Gutbuster from Devitt for 2. Big chop in the corner. Ibushi gets a boot up in the corner and goes to the second rope, but Devitt hits another chop that sends him tumbling to the floor! And again into the waiting boots of the other BC guys. Anderson lifts Ibushi up and drops him on the ring apron. Holy FUCK Ibushi hit horrible, back of the head right on the damn edge. This is why people thought for years as great as he was he was going to kill himself in a match at some point. Setup slam back in from Devitt and he goes up top. Ibushi dodges the double stomp and hits another dropkick that sends Devitt out. He goes for a dive. The Bucks come in to cut it off and Ibushi takes them out. Ibushi top rope asai corkscrew moonsault onto all the other BC guys! Springboard missile dropkick back in for 2. Rapid fire strike combo that puts Devitt down. Standing moonsault/second rope moonsault combo for 2. Devitt ducks a kick swing and hooks up for Bloody Sunday. Ibushi fights that off and rolls Devitt up for 2. The kickout sends Ibushi into the ropes and one of the BC guys throws a chair into his head! Roll up from Devitt for 2. Ibushi hits a spear and freaking deadlifts Devitt into a German with a bridge for 2. Ibushi setup slam and he goes up top. Gallows grabs his foot and Devitt pushes him off all the way down into the barricade. The BC guys lay into him again on the floor, but for some reason it's all off camera, all we see is Devitt laying in the ring. Whatever happened, Red Shoes finally has enough and gets all the other refs out to kick them out! Devitt picks Ibushi's carcass up and drapes him across the barricade. Running dropkick on Ibushi against the barricade! Back in Devitt goes up top and hits a double stomp to the back of Ibushi's head for 2. Ibushi's comeback is cut off with another dropkick. Another corner chop from Devitt. Ibushi runs into a chop. Devitt hops up top but Ibushi hits him with an enzuguri! Ibushi sets up for some crazy springboard move. Devitt grabs him on the top rope! He's set up for an avalanche Bloody Sunday, which is what finished Ibushi off in the three way match last year. Ibushi fights it off. Hurricanrana! Devitt kicks out! Ibushi goes up top again. Devitt dodges the phoenix splash, Ibushi sees and lands on his feet, but Devitt hits him with a lariato. Bloody Sunday! Ibushi just kicks out! Devitt goes up top again. Coupe de Gracie! Even if it wasn't called that yet. Ibushi kicks out again! Devitt sets up for another Bloody Sunday as the crowd is really going nuts for Ibushi now. Ibushi flips free midmove and hits a pele kick. Counters and Ibushi hits a kick to Devitt's head. Snap German! Lariato! Last Ride powerbomb! Devitt just kicks out! Ibushi goes up again. The phoenix splash hits, and Ibushi has done it! Devitt's historic title reign is over. It's Ibushi's third junior title win, and would be his last one. After this reign he'd go back to freelancing for a while, including dipping his toes in WWE/NXT for the Cruiserweight Classic and that year's Dusty Classic tag team tournament, and when he went back to New Japan full time he moved up to heavyweight. After the bell a masked man interrupts Ibushi's celebration and gives him some black flowers. No one knew at the time, but it's El Desperado, coming back from excursion. The match was very good, but before the home stretch not quite up to the usual Ibushi/Devitt level. All the BC interference didn't help, though I understand the long term story being told there. ***1/2

 

The next night at the first ever New Year Dash, Devitt was attacked by a returning from injury Ryuske Taguchi, Devitt's former Apollo 55 partner that he turned on to kick off the formation of Bullet Club. The two finally had their one on one blowoff match at Invasion Attack in April, the one year anniversary of Devitt's turn. Taguchi won the match, then afterward Devitt was attacked by the Young Bucks, kicking him out of Bullet Club. That was done because it was Devitt's last New Japan match. A few months later he would become one of the first major signings by WWE for the NXT brand that was suddenly getting much more prominence thanks to the new WWE Network and was being transformed by showrunner Triple H into a kind of "super-indy" under the WWE umbrella. When arriving in NXT Devitt changed his name to Finn Balor. That same Invasion Attack show also saw the debut of AJ Styles in New Japan following his TNA departure. He quickly assumed the mantle of Bullet Club leader.

 

Tetsuya Naito suffered one of his many career knee injuries during the '12 G1 Climax but, being Naito, he tried to push through it and kept on wrestling, finishing the tournament and keeping up his regular schedule afterward. A couple of months later it was determined he medically couldn't continue, so an injury angle was done during a loss to his former No Limit partner Yujiro Takahashi to write him off. He'd miss the next 8 months after reconstructive knee surgery, including WK 7. When he came back in June '13 he got the full on returning from injury babyface push. First he got his win back from Yujiro, tried to win the NEVER Openweight championship but failed, but then took the win in the '13 G1 Climax for his first of three career G1 wins, which also extended the streak of first time G1 winners to seven straight years, by far the record. As was the new tradition set by Okada the previous year, that got him a shot at the Heavyweight title at the next Wrestle Kingdom. In the interim he continued the other end of the new tradition by successfully defending the title shot briefcase against guys he lost to in the G1. He also succeeded in his goal of winning the NEVER title, taking it from Masato Tanaka in a title vs briefcase match. Unfortunately there was a downside to all this. The fans still weren't sure about Naito in his Stardust Genius persona, and this mega push only caused them to turn against him even more. That's part of the reason this match lost the fan vote and will only be the semi-main tonight instead of the main event. As I said earlier, Naito took it personally and it's one reason big changes will be coming for him before long. As for Okada, after several tries he finally wrested the title back from Tanahashi in April '13 for his second reign. 

 

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) (w/Gedo) (CHAOS) def NEVER Openweight Champion Tetsuya Naito in 30:58- Okada's walking into the Tokyo Dome as champion for the first time, but definitely not for the last. This is also the first of several WK main events, or close to, for these two against each other. They go nose to nose for a moment after Okada makes his entrance and before he hands the belt over. The bell rings and neither guy is in a hurry. Lockup and Naito starts in on some basic arm work. Headlock/headscissors exchange and stalemate. Naito eases into an arm wringer. Okada rolls over and reverses into a hammerlock. Naito takes a rope break and Okada does his clean break tease, but then grabs Naito for a whip. Long speed run and Naito gets a deep armdrag, then a dropkick. Snap mare into a chinlock, then Naito puts on a headscissors. Another snap mare and Naito hits a senton for 2. Neckbreaker and Naito wraps up Okada's arms with his legs in a unique looking hold. Okada fights over for a rope break. Naito goes for his classic sweep kick/springboard dropkick combo in the corner. Okada cuts off the dropkick and dropkicks him out to the floor! He takes Naito up the aisle and stretches him out a bit. Okada goes up the ramp more, gets a head of steam and hits a basement dropkick to Naito's back. Back in Okada hits a hangman's neckbreaker for 2. Naito tries to fire back with chops. Okada gets him back down and hits a slingshot senton. Snap mare and Okada wraps Naito up in his Mr. Salty, that hold he should have bought back later instead of that stupid Money Clip. Naito leans back and gets a foot on the rope. Naito dodges a running elbow in the corner, then hits the corner kick combo. Running forearm from Naito. Hiptoss into a sliding dropkick. He dropkicks Okada into the corner, then pounds him down in the corner, ignoring Red Shoes and drawing some boos. That's the Naito we'll get to know better in a couple of years. They go to the floor. Okada scoops for a tombstone out there! Naito fights free and hits a tornado DDT! Got so much distance he planted Okada past the floor mats on the bottom of the ramp. Back in Naito hits a top rope shotgun dropkick to Okada's back. He rolls Okada around into Pluma Blanca, his submission hold at the time. Okada uses his long legs to get a rope break. Naito hits forearms and Okada demands more, firing up. Wild headbutts from Naito! Looks just like an angry Klingon after too much blood wine. Okada spins Naito around onto the top rope and dropkicks him down! Nice job by Naito dangling himself off before falling. I'm assuming it was intentional. He's holding the leg that caught the turnbuckle on the floor after and Red Shoes checks on him. Naito takes his time so Okada goes out and attacks him. Draping DDT off the apron to the floor from Okada! So that's one floor DDT each in this match. Okada gets back in the ring and lets the count happen. He pulls off his elbow pad and angrily tosses it down onto Naito! He'll take the countout, but he's not done with the fight if Naito's got the testes. Naito slowly rolls back in at 18 but looks done. Setup slam from Okada and he hits the elbow off the top rope. GIVE ME MY WIDE SHOT! Naito back elbows free of a Rainmaker attempt. Okada grabs a kick and lifts Naito up for his neckbreaker, but Naito uses that to hit another DDT! Getting into deep water now as both guys are slow to get up. Naito hits his rolling kick. He tries for a dragon or German suplex with Okada fighting off both. Okada tries his usual dropkick counter but Naito sees it coming, hits the brakes, and rolls Okada around into Pluma Blanca again! Okada heavily teases tapping, then starts to go out, and gets one last burst for a foot on the ropes. Enzuguri from Naito. German suplex for 2. Setup slam and Naito goes up top to finish it. Okada gets up, grabs his leg and drags him down. Flapjack from Okada. DDT and Okada goes for some kind of STF style submission hold. Naito tries to fight it but Okada gets it on. They stay in there a while, then Naito gets a burst for a rope break. Okada goes for the tombstone. Naito refuses to be turned over, fights free and hits another headbutt. Flying forearm from Naito. He puts Okada up top and hits a hurricanrana. Dragon suplex! Okada kicks out! Naito hits Gloria for 2. As soon as Okada kicks out he goes up top. The Stardust Press misses! As it always will in the Tokyo Dome. Okada lifts Naito up in the corner and hits the neckbreaker. Heavy Rain hits for 2. Okada goes for the Rainmaker. Naito ducks it and rolls up a cradle for a LONG 2! Uranage from Naito. On knees forearm exchange that turns into a stand up forearm exchange. Another headbutt from Naito. Uppercuts in response from Okada. Naito tries another flying forearm. Okada ducks that and hooks up for the Rainmaker. Naito ducks again and straight up slaps Okada! Okada hits the dropkick. Another Rainmaker dodges into a cradle for 2. Dropkick to the back of Naito's head! Tombstone! ANOTHER Rainmaker counter! Okada hits another tombstone. RAINMAKER! Naito couldn't dodge that one. Okada gets the pin to retain. Very good match, though nowhere near what they'd do in the future. I loved how Naito kept dodging the Rainmaker, and how it pissed off Okada more and more, but he still stuck to his gameplan. I do have some criticisms. Naito's lack of big match experience showed, and that plus Okada's usual penchant for slow starts meant the first half drug a bit. Then, as good as that closing stretch was, it really felt like the match fully peaked at the 25 minute call (when the Stardust Press missed), but they kept going for 6 more minutes after and it just didn't feel fully necessary. Naito's really missing not having Destino in his arsenal yet too. ***3/4 

 

Okada's reign would end up lasting 391 days. It wouldn't be his last to go over a full year. I mentioned earlier AJ Styles making his New Japan debut at Invasion Attack in April. When he came into the company Okada and the Heavyweight title were his #1 target, and he would be the one to take Okada down in May at Wrestling Dontaku for his first Heavyweight title win and the first foreigner to win the title since Brock Lesnar in 2005, raising Bullet Club's profile even higher.

 

When Tanahashi lost the Heavyweight title to Okada it ended his sixth reign, which had tied the record for most ever held by Tatsumi Fujinami. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before Tanahashi got #7 to set a new record. But in the meantime, when he failed to win the G1 to get another Heavyweight title shot, he turned his attention to his old foe and fellow New Three Musketeer Nakamura and his Intercontinental title. Tanahashi/Okada is the feud that really solidified New Japan's return to being the clear #1 company in Japan and set them up for the coming international explosion, but it was Tanahashi/Nakamura that was the feud that pulled the company out of life support following the failures of the Inokism era and got it back on solid ground again. Their main event at WK 2 can be thanked more than anything else for making sure the tradition of January 4th Tokyo Dome shows survived. This is actually their third main event in the Dome, they also main evented in 2005 under the old Wrestling World name. So far Nakamura is 2-0 in those encounters. This would end up being their final match in the Tokyo Dome. 

 

IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi def Shinsuke Nakamura (c) (CHAOS) in 23:24- Nakamura has some, er, lovely ladies pole dancing during his entrance. I'm not joking. 100% pure Swagske. Somehow it's still only Nakamura's second best WK entrance ever. Stan Hansen is here again for the belt presentation. Very cautious start while someone in the crowd loudly shouts "SHINSUKE!". I promise it wasn't me, though I would be that guy. Lockup and Nakamura gives us a clean break. Some literal feeling out and Nakamura gets a leg takedown, kicking off some mat grappling that Nakamura keeps the edge on and Tanahashi takes a rope break. On that Nakamura does the head waggle, tells Tanahashi to bring it and hits a kick. Tanahashi dodges a kneedrop, Nakamura dodges a basement dropkick, Tanahashi escapes a leg grab and another stalemate. Next lockup Nakamura hits a couple of knees to the gut and puts on a front facelock. Tanahashi escapes with a kneebreaker, then starts targeting Nakamura's knee. It is his most dangerous weapon. Tanahashi tries the springboard reverse crossbody but Nakamura drops him into a gutbuster! Snap mare and the kneedrop hits for 2. Another knee to the gut and Nakamura tosses Tanahashi to the floor. Rock style guardrail drop for Tanahashi. Back in Nakamura draps his leg over Tanhashi's midsection for an arrogant cover. Then he starts kicking at Tanahashi in a "get your shit together and fight back" way. Tanahashi does, and is put back down with another knee to the gut. Tanahashi gets his boots up in the corner but a chest kick puts him down again. Good vibrations! No, Tanahashi blocks it! He grabs a Nakamura kick and hits a dragon screw! Flying forearm. Setup slam and the second rope senton hits for 2. He continues targeting Nakamura's knee. Chop block! Tanahashi goes for the cloverleaf but Nakamura grabs the ropes before it's on. Nakamura tries the misdirection kicks but Tanahashi dodges both of them and kicks the bad knee again. Nakamura tries again and this time catches Tanahashi with a misdirection kick. Quick knee to the gut to put Tanahashi down again. Nakamura puts on a guillotine, then lets go and lays in his classic knees on the mat. Front drop suplex for 2. Hard knee to Tanahashi's gut. Good vibrations pulled off in full this time. Nakamura struts away and charges. Tanahashi dodges, but then Nakamura dodges his charge and Tanahashi ends up draped over the top rope, right in position. Running kneelift! A second! Tanahashi dodges a third. He goes for a dragon screw in the ropes but Nakamura hits a leaping kick to get free. On the floor Tanahashi gets whipped into the guardrail then takes a knee in the back. The running apron knee hits. Tanahashi dodges an apron kneedrop and Nakamura lands knee first on the floor! Tanahashi goes up top. Aces High to the floor! Again, Tanahashi hits that perfectly every damn time. Tanahashi hits the dragon screw in the ropes! That never, ever looks anything but incredibly nasty. But when Tanahashi gets close Nakamura is able to get him in a triangle choke! Tanhashi reverses onto the cloverleaf! Nakamura gets to the ropes. Tanahashi tries for both a dragon suplex and a straitjacket German, with Nakamura fighting out of both. Another go and the straitjacket German hits for 2. Setup slam and Tanahashi goes up top. Nakamura gets up and kicks him down. Tanahashi hangs on and skins the cat! When he lands Nakamura gives him a vertebreaker! Forearm slugfest. Tanahashi kicks the knee and hits an uppercut. Nakamura responds with a strike combo. Tanahashi paintbrushes him across the face! Twice! That sets Nakamura off, kicking Tanahashi into the ropes and laying in stomps like crazy. Short Bomaye to the back of Tanahashi's head! Ushigiroshi from Nakamura. Reverse exploder suplex! Nakamura sets up in the corner to finish it. Tanahashi dodges, but Nakamura gets him up on his shoulders, maybe for Landslide. Tanahashi does a short slingblade to get free. Tanahashi drags himself up top. Nakamura catches him and goes up too. Nakamura looks like he's going for an avalanche landslide, but Tanahashi fights it off. He goes for a sunset bomb. Nakamura blocks that, so Tanahashi pulls him off the ropes into powerbomb position. Nakamura grabs the ropes again and hits a codebreaker! Tanahashi ducks a swing and hits a dragon suplex! That gets a 2 count. Tanahashi quickly goes up top. High Fly Flow! Nakamura just kicks out! Nakamura cuts off a slingblade with a high knee. Second rope Bomaye! Full BOMAYE! Tanahashi kicks out! Nakamura sets up for one more. Tanahashi dropkicks the knee. Back and forth strikes. Tanahashi ducks another Bomaye and hits a mat dragon screw. The cloverleaf is on again! Tanahashi pulls Nakamura back in and cranks back! Nakamura slides under to escape, but Tanahashi gets it back on and slams Nakamura's legs into the mat. Aces High with Nakamura on his knees! Another spring up. HIGH FLY FLOWWWWW! Tanahashi gets the pin to win the title! Great match, but not quite on the level of their WK2 match. One fair criticism of Nakamura is be he could be spotty about limb selling. ****1/4

 

You know, it's a good thing so many people just happend to come to these shows with their air guitars. Hope they don't mind Tanahashi breaking them all though. Maybe they get an autographed towel or something as compensation. 

 

Tanahashi's reign was short as Nakamura would win the title back at Invasion Attack in April, but that wouldn't bother Tanahashi in the slightest. At King of Pro Wrestling in October, he defeated Styles to win his record seventh IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A bit of a comedown after last year's stellar show. After a pretty bumpy undercard the last four matches finally delivered, but still not quite as highly as last year's did. Other than the fan vote controversy this show will pretty quickly be somewhat forgotten and lost in the sea of consistent awesomeness that came after it for many years.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B