We are back for our second straight day of coverage as New Japan Pro Wrestling presents New Year’s Dash from Korakuen Hall coming off Wrestle Kingdom 12.
Please leave your feedback and thoughts in the thread as the show goes on.
YUJI NAGATA, MANABU NAKANISHI, SATOSHI KOJIMA AND HIROYOSHI TENZAN VS TOMOYUKI OKA, REN NARITA, TETSUHIRO YAGI AND SHOTA UMINO
Nagata is beating down Yagi and then Yagi gets a chance to fire up with some chops and slaps momentarily. Oka receives a tag and knocked all of Nagata’s partner off the apron and landed a suplex onto Nagata.
Umino was in with Kojima and applied a Boston crab and later got a bridging German suplex, but Nagata and Kojima broke the cover.
Narita tagged in and ate a cozy lariat from Kojima and took the fall.
WINNERS: SATOSHI KOJIMA (pinned Ren Narita), HIROYOSHI TENZAN, YUJI NAGATA AND MANABU NAKANISHI AT 7:10
The story was that the young lions are showing improvements and each one had a brief chance to shine against one of the legends. The four young lions bowed to their superiors after the match.
EL DESPERADO, YOSHINOBU KANEMARU, TAICHI, TAKASHI IIZUKA AND TAKA MICHINOKU VS JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER, TOGI MAKABE, TIGER MASK, TOA HENARE AND HIRAI KAWATO
The match started with a big brawl all over the ringside area. Iizuka choked Makabe with a cable cord.
Iizuka bit the fingers of Henare, who came back with a flying shoulder tackle and tagged out to Makabe.
Kevin Kelly noted fans started lining up 13 hours before the show to attempt and get tickets to this show.
Kawato came in and they held Desperado in place for Kawato to land a spinning enzuigiri. Kawato followed with a springboard missile dropkick, but then got nailed by Michinoku.
Kanemaru hit the Deep Impact DDT off the ropes and Desperado finished Kawato with the Pinche Loco and won.
WINNERS: EL DESPERADO (pinned Hirai Kawato), YOSHINOBU KANEMARU, TAICHI, TAKASHI IIZUKA AND TAKA MICHINOKU AT 8:49
Iizuka attacked Kawato with the Iron Fingers after the match concluded.
Kawato always displays great fire in his matches and the match built to his involvement and eventual defeat at the hands of Suzuki-gun.
KATSUYA KITAMURA VS JAY WHITE
This is the first match of a seven-match proving series for Kitamura where he will face established stars.
The audience was cheering for White as the match began.
White had a tremendous spot of inviting Kitamura to chop him and as Kitamura wound up, White kicked out his knee and took advantage.
White left Kitamura in the aisle and was willing to take the count out victory, but Kitamura made his way back to the ring.
Kitamura chops and spears White. White applies the Nagata Lock and transitions into a crucifix with downward elbows onto Kitamura.
White hit the Blade Runner and pinned Kitamura.
WINNER: JAY WHITE AT 7:31
White looked very good in this match and more important a higher level of comfort with the Switchblade character. I honestly feel his match with Hiroshi Tanahashi will be looked back as a match that happened too soon and White will do very well in the wake of a Dome match that was largely disappointing to most viewers.
KENNY OMEGA & THE YOUNG BUCKS VS ROPPONGI 3K & CHEESEBURGER
Matt Jackson is limping to the ring and selling his back from Wrestle Kingdom. Omega has a bandage around his head and his ribs are taped up from the Chris Jericho match.
The joke was that Omega and Matt just want Nick to wrestle as he is healthy and they are both banged up. They hopped off the apron as Nick came over for a tag.
Matt and YOH are tagged in and they are comically overselling their backs together, including Matt running the ropes and wincing in pain as he hits the ropes. They give up and tag out.
Matt can’t lift SHO due to the back, Omega helps him and then Nick came off the top with a double foot stomp. It led to more comedy sequences with YOH climbing through the legs of all of The Elite, ducking three straight clotheslines and then tagging out.
Cheeseburger hit a series of Shoteis. They caught Cheeseburger and Omega sent Nick into the air for an Indie Taker and pinned Cheeseburger.
WINNERS: KENNY OMEGA & THE YOUNG BUCKS AT 11:20
Don Callis pushed that Kenny Omega is the “real” champion when he was asked what is next by Kevin Kelly.
CODY, MARTY SCURLL, YUJIRO, LEO TONGA AND CHASE OWENS VS KOTA IBUSHI, RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, JUICE ROBINSON, KUSHIDA, AND DAVID FINLAY
The camera zoomed in on Scurll and he plugged his Pro Wrestling Tees site.
Brandi Rhodes joined Kevin Kelly and Don Callis on commentary.
Kelly is really disturbed over how Brandi and Cody treated Ibushi the night before with Ibushi showing compassion when he knocked down Brandi on the floor.
Scurll attacks the ass of Taguchi. They take turns with atomic drops delivered to Taguchi.
KUSHIDA applies a Muta Lock to Scurll, Scurll escapes by grabbing the fingers and gets back on his feet. KUSHIDA winds up and then Scurll grabs the fingers and snaps them on the second attempt.
Ibushi and Cody were tagged in and that got a reaction.
It was 5-on-1 against Finlay and came down to Cody left with Finlay.
Brandi got onto the apron, it distracted Finlay and Cody capitalized and applied the American Nightmare and Finlay submitted.
WINNERS: CODY (submitted David Finlay), MARTY SCURLL, LEO TONGA, YUJIRO, AND CHASE OWENS AT 13:19
Cody and The Bullet Club attacked Ibushi after the match. Cody got a chair and then Kenny Omega ran in and stopped Cody and the two had an argument with the people reacting big as they shoved each other. Cody leaves the ring with Omega remaining in the ring.
Omega goes to speak but the microphone is dead. He gets one that works and says he is sick of the infighting and The Bullet Club hasn’t been whole for a while, they need unity and to be a team. He has an idea and calls out “Switchblade” Jay White. White comes out and Omega says he reminds him of “The Cleaner Kenny Omega” and presents him with a Bullet Club t-shirt.
White puts the shirt on, goes for a “too sweet” and Omega explains they don’t do that anymore and hug. White then attacks Omega and hits The Blade Runner onto Omega and takes the shirt off. Chase Owens and Yujiro run into the ring to tend to the fallen Omega.
This set up numerous programs for Omega with the first appearing to be Jay White. This was the first major angle on the show.
TOMOHIRO ISHII, BERETTA AND TORU YANO VS BAD LUCK FALE & THE GUERILLAS OF DESTINY FOR THE NEVER SIX-MAN TAG TITLES
Fale took out the ring announcer as they entered the ring.
The got the heat on Yano for a long period of time. It wasn’t particularly great either and dragged.
They got the advantage on Beretta with a series of splashes into the corner. Tonga hit the Veleno onto Beretta for a two-count.
The Guerillas lift Beretta and hit Guerilla Warfare and then Tanga Roa missed a splash off the top.
Beretta and Tonga went through a variety of counters, ending with the gun stun being delivered to Beretta and Tonga pinned him.
WINNERS: BAD LUCK FALE & THE GUERILLAS OF DESTINY AT 14:40 TO WIN THE NEVER SIX-MAN TAG TITLES
History was made with a NEVER six-man tag title change, ending the historic reign of Ishii, Beretta, and Yano. People criticize that there are too many titles in New Japan, but the trade-off is moments like this that you’ll never forget.
MINORU SUZUKI, ZACK SABRE, JR., DAVEY BOY SMITH, JR. AND LANCE ARCHER VS HIROSHI TANAHASHI, WAR MACHINE AND MICHAEL ELGIN
Suzuki revealed his shaved head.
Raymond Rowe is beaten down for a long time until he tags in Elgin.
Suzuki attacks Tanahashi on the floor with a chair to the injured knee.
Suzuki rolls into a kneebar attempt onto Tanahashi and they roll under the bottom rope and to the floor. Suzuki further attacks the knee on the floor.
Sabre, Jr. goes for the same triangle armbar to Rowe, but this time Rowe lifts him in the air and Hanson comes off the rope with a flying clothesline to Sabre, Jr.
Archer choke slammed Rowe, they were left with Hanson and caught him with the Killer Bomb with Smith pinning Hanson to win the match.
WINNERS: MINORU SUZUKI & KILLER ELITE SQUAD AT 11:33
Suzuki rolled Tanahashi back inside the ring, kicking at the knee and then using a chair onto the knee. Suzuki applied the kneebar as Suzuki-gun stopped the young lions from saving Tanahashi.
Suzuki cuts a promo while holding the Intercontinental title and looks to set that match up for a future show, presumably at one of the New Beginning cards.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA, WILL OSPREAY, HIROOKI GOTO, YOSHI-HASHI AND GEDO VS TETSUYA NAITO, HIROMU TAKAHASHI, EVIL, SANADA AND BUSHI
There was a huge response to Naito and he was the clear favorite compared to Okada.
The announcers stated that Ospreay’s neck was bothering him a lot after the four-way match. Right as they are explaining this Will goes completely “Cirque du Ospreay” and does a million flips and rotations while making it look effortless.
Okada has taped up the back of his neck.
Goto catches EVIL with an Ushigoroshi and that leads to Okada and Naito being tagged in.
Naito hit a spine buster and attempted a Destino, which Okada stopped and dropped Naito with a big boot as both go down.
Yoshi-Hashi hits a lariat and sit-out powerbomb to Naito for a two-count.
LIJ hit four simultaneous sit-out dropkicks to Okada.
Naito ended the match by hitting Destino onto Yoshi-Hashi for the pin.
WINNERS: TETSUYA NAITO (pinned Yoshi-Hashi), HIROMU TAKAHASHI, EVIL, SANADA AND BUSHI AT 13:50
Bushi hit the MX onto Gedo after the match and the fight continues with LIJ having the advantage.
Hiromu Takahashi hit the Time Bomb onto Will Ospreay, EVIL attacked Hirooki Goto with Darkness Falls and indicates two title programs right there.
Sanada hit Okada with a TKO and applied Skull End. That’s an unexpected direction if that is where they are going.
LIJ stood tall with all the members of CHAOS laid out.
Naito got on the microphone to address the crowd.
Naito is left alone in the ring and Chris Jericho shows up and attacks Naito from behind. The young boys are attempting to stop Jericho. Naito spits at Jericho and fights back. There were lots of “Y2J” chants during this brawl.
Jericho starts tossing chairs, the ring bell and a table at ringside and was a wild scene. Naito teases launching a chair at Jericho from the ring but instead sits down in it.
