NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 9 PPV Results: 1-4-15
Results courtesy of
PWTorch.com (direct link to Caldwell's complete report).
1 -- IWGP Jr. Hvt. tag champions REDRAGON (KYLE O'REILLY & BOBBY FISH) vs. TIME SPLITTERS (ALEX SHELLEY & KUSHIDA) vs. FOREVER HOOLIGANS (ROCKY ROMERO & ALEX KOSLOV) vs. YOUNG BUCKS (NICK & MATT JACKSON) -- four-team match for the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Titles
Kozlov got in his signature spot early on putting on his Russian hat to deliver repeated kicks to Fish's head and face. O'Reilly came to his partner's aid with a hard kick to Kozlov before insulting him with his own Russian dance kick. Young Bucks then got their shine with a double-team, but Kozlov came back with a kick to Nick Jackson. Tag to Romero, who cleaned house on everyone in the ring. That's a lot of humanity. The crowd ate it up.
KUSHIDA cleared Romero to the floor after Rocky ran himself out of energy, then Time Splitters double-teamed Matt Jackson in the ring. On the floor, Shelley stacked up ReDragon, then Romero accidentally took out Shelley with a suicide dive. Kozlov responded with a cannonball splash onto a pile of bodies. Nick Jackson followed with a big dive. KUSHIDA then wiped out everyone with a flying splash.
Back in the ring, Shelley and KUSHIDA combined for a neckbreaker and moonsault on Nick, but the pin was broken up. Another double-team, this time to Matt. A rapid-fire sequence of moves followed, including superkicks from the Bucks. The ref had no control over this. Suddenly, the Bucks busted out a ridiculous number of superkicks. Bucks then combined for a combination Tombstone on Kozlov. It was good for a three count, but the ref slowed down for a pile of bodies to break up the pin.
Fish and O'Reilly re-asserted themselves after the match settled back down. Combination kick/brainbuster Chasing the Dragon to Kozlov, then O'Reilly covered, Fish held off the other teams, and it was good for the pin and the win. ReDragon retains the belts.
WINNERS: ReDragon at 13:03 to retain the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Tag Titles. Good opener. Not quite as clean as past four-team Jr. Hvt. featured tag matches, but all four teams are so good that everyone looked good coming out of the match. (**3/4)
2 -- BULLET CLUB (JEFF JARRETT w/Karen Jarrett and Scott D'Amore & YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & BAD LUCK FALE) vs. TEAM NEW JAPAN (SATOSHI KOJIMA & TENZAN & HONMA) -- six-man tag match
Karen started things off in the ring targeting Honma. Chaos broke out as the bell sounded. Ringside, Jeff held Honma, who took a slap from Karen. Back in the ring, Ten-cozy lit up Takahashi to get the crowd fired up. But, Bullet Club cut off Kojima and started working him over. Hot tag to Honma, who worked over Takahashi while Karen screamed at ringside. Honma went for his trademark running headbutt, but Yujiro moved and Honma ate the mat. Moments later, Honma caught Yujiro bouncing off the ropes with his trademark headbutt.
Jarrett tried to guitar-shot Honma behind the ref's back, but Honma blocked. Yujiro then held Honma for the guitar shot, but Honma ducked and Yujiro took the guitar shot, popping the crowd. The babyface trio took over, then Honma popped the crowd climbing to the top rope to deliver his trademark top-rope headbutt to Yujiro for the pin and the win. Big reaction for Honma getting the win over the heels. Same reaction taking a victory lap on the way out.
WINNERS: Team Honma at 5:35. They kept this short and sweet to the get to the pay-off of New Japan getting a victory over Bullet Club. Meanwhile, Honma is big-time after going through the G1 Climax journey over the summer where he became a sentimental favorite just trying to get a win in the tournament.
3 -- SUZUKI-GUN (SHELTON BENJAMIN & LANCE ARCHER & DAVEY BOY SMITH, JR. & TAKASHI IIZUKA) vs. TORU YANO & TEAM NOAH (NAOMICHI MARUFUJI & MIKEY NICHOLLS & SHANE HASTE) -- eight-man tag match
Plenty of chaos early on with Iizuka and Yano getting into it. Things settled down until Marufuji entered to a strong reaction wrestling in a New Japan ring. Marufuji cleaned house on Iizuka before Shelton tagged in and sent Marufuji flying across the ring. More chaos, then Iizuka tried to choke Marufuji, but he broke free and Team NOAH took out Iizuka with a combination of kicks for the win. Afterward, Yano entered the ring to gloat about his hired guns helping him get the win over Iizuka.
WINNERS: Team Yano & NOAH at 5:08. The focus was more on Marufuji, who is great, than Yano getting revenge, but it worked fine for another short-and-sweet tag match building to the bigger matches.
4 -- SAKURABA vs. MINORU SUZUKI -- Only way to by TKO, KO, or Submission
Sakuraba went for a Sharpshooter early on, drawing oohs from the crowd going for a big submission one minute in. Suzuki, who has aged significantly facially, made his way to the ropes for a break, but they remained tangled in the ropes. A big slap-fest broke out, sending the ringside cameraman scurrying to get a good shot of the exchange. On the outside, the two fighters moved to the long entrance ramp, where they exchanged kicks until Sakuraba dragged Suzuki to the ground to apply a keylock submission. The ref reprimanded Sakuraba for not keeping the fight in the ring, then sent Sakuraba back to the ring as Suzuki recovered on the ramp.
Suzuki eventually limped down to the ring, where Sakuraba lit him up with kick strikes. Suzuki slumped over in the ring, so the ref applied a ten count as the crowd screamed for him to keep fighting. Suzuki reached his feet and tried to fight back with open-hand slaps using his one good arm. Sakuraba shook him off and slapped on a submission. Suzuki tried to reverse, but Sakuraba re-applied the submission. Suzuki reached the ropes for a break, though.
More punishment to Suzuki, who answered the ref's ten count by standing to his feet and no-selling Sakuraba's latest round of kicks. Suzuki tried to hold on before firing off two slaps and a running kick to the face. Suzuki then slapped on a rear-naked choke. Sakuraba initially refused to give up, but the ref stopped the match when Sakuraba faded out in the hold.
Afterward, both men recovered from the battle. Sakuraba then walked across the ring to shake Suzuki's hand. Suzuki, sporting an icebag over his shoulder, thought it over before giving Sakuraba a big handshake and embrace. Suzuki shared a few words with Sakuraba, who then bowed and left the ring. "They don't make them like that anymore," Ross declared on the GFW PPV broadcast.
WINNER: Suzuki via TKO at 9:23. Big win for Suzuki over Sakuraba, who was protected by dominating the match and nearly putting Suzuki away several times. Nice conclusion to the feud ending with a show of respect. (***)
5 -- NEVER champion TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. TOGI MAKABE -- NEVER Openweight Title match
The two big bulls charged and crashed into each other early on, then exchanged powerslams before coming to their feet for a standing battle. Ishii lit up Makabe with consecutive chops to the throat region, drawing concern from the referee. Makabe took a moment to recover, shook off more slaps, and rocked Ishii with his own strikes. Makabe drove Ishii to the corner, but Ishii no-sold, rocked Makabe across the ring, rocked him into the corner, and delivered a top-rope suplex.
Ishii followed with a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. Makabe came back with his own sit-out powerbomb, again for a nearfall. Makabe followed with a German Suplex with a bridge pin for a two count. The battle moved to the top rope, where Makabe managed to get Ishii on his shoulders, then Makabe kind of fell down on top of Ishii for a crash-and-burn Samoan Drop. Another nearfall.
Standing exchange. Makabe delivered a knock-down lariat, but Ishii kicked out just before three. Another big exchange, then Ishii lunged toward Makabe for a headbutt of sorts. Big running lariat, but Makabe kicked out. Ishii tried a suplex, but Makabe escaped. Enziguiri kick, but Makabe kicked out. Another lariat. Ishii tried again, but Makabe ducked and hit a Northern Lights suplex with a bridge for a two count.
Reset at 11:00 as the crowd roared in anticipation of a winner. Another big mid-ring exchange. Ishii rocked Makabe with a headbutt, but Makabe answered with one of his own. Makabe then wound up and delivered two sledgehammers, but Ishii kicked out of the pin at a one count. A lariat followed. Another nearfall. Makabe to the top rope for a diving kick to the head. One, two, three.
WINNER: Makabe at 12:23 to capture the NEVER Openweight Title. Fantastic match taking the Tokyo Dome to the next level. The match just had that feeling of Makabe winning based on how it was laid out with Makabe coming across like the dominant wrestler despite being the challenger. (****)
6 -- IWGP Jr. Hvt. champion RYSUKE TAGUCHI vs. KENNY OMEGA (w/Young Bucks) -- IWGP Jr. Hvt. Title match
Omega acted too-cool-for-school before the bell sounded, so Taguchi mocked his bad attitude and heel mannerisms once the match started. Taguchi went for an anklelock early on, but Omega escaped. Back-elbows to Omega, then Taguchi clotheslined him over the top rope to the floor. On the floor, Omega retrieved an aerosol can and sprayed Taguchi in the face when the Bucks distracted the ref. Omega went on the attack back in the ring as the Young Bucks shouted at the ref from ringside.
Omega turned into a crazyman warming up an imaginary woodchipper or an electric chainsaw, which he used to "saw" Taguchi's hair/forehead. The ref called off the imaginary yardwork, then Taguchi sent Omega crashing into the Bucks at ringside. Taguchi followed with a flip dive to all three men on the floor. Back in the ring, Taguchi delivered a springboard dropkick for a two count.
Taguchi went for the anklelock again, but broke the hold when the Bucks hit ringside again. Taguchi neutralized the Bucks, then dropped Omega for a two count. Taguchi posed, then went for a fireman's carry drop, but Omega elbowed out into a rolling German Suplex. Omega followed with a running kick strike to the head into the electric chair for a one-handed Michinoku Driver. The rapid-fire sequence was good for the pin and the win.
WINNER: Omega at 13:22 to capture the IWGP Jr. Hvt. Title. Omega's character is really out there now, but he's still really good in the ring, so this should be a good title run for Omega. (**3/4)
7 -- IWGP Hvt. tag champions BULLET CLUB ("MACHINE GUN" KARL ANDERSON & DOC GALLOWS w/Tama Tonga and Amber O'Neal) vs. SHIBATA & GOTO -- IWGP World Tag Title match
Gallows dominated Goto early on, then Shibata entered to light up Doc with kicks and strikes. Doc cut him off out of the corner, but Shibata dropkicked him across the ring. Karl Anderson entered and a two-on-two battle broke out in the ring. Goto and Shibata initially got the best of the exchange, but Bullet Club took control after the chaos extended a few more minutes. Anderson tried the Gun Stun twice on Goto, but he blocked both times, combined for a double-team with Shibata, and Doc suddenly blindsided Shibata for a two count.
More two-on-two action. Goto eventually clotheslined Doc into Shibata's arms for a rear-naked choke. Shibata released the hold, they KO'ed Karl, and Goto chucked Doc into the air for Shibata to land a PK Kick. Shibata followed with a second PK Kick to Doc, and it was good for the pin and the win. Afterward, the high school buddies sat down in the middle of the ring to pose with the belts.
WINNERS: Shibata & Goto at 9:00 flat to capture the IWGP Tag Titles. This turned Texas Tornado-style early on, but it worked to build to the moment of long-time friends Goto & Shibata working together to win the Tag Titles for the first time. 2015 should be Shibata's year and this was a good start, even if it was tag versus a spotlight singles match. (**3/4)
8 -- A.J. STYLES vs. TETSUYA NAITO -- special singles match
Styles attacked Naito as the bell sounded, then teased the Styles Clash, but Naito easily blocked. Styles knocked Naito to the floor, then tried his trademark back-flip reverse DDT on the outside, but Naito avoided, bounced onto the ring apron, and kicked Styles across the floor. Back in the ring, Naito sold a left knee injury, which Styles took advantage of.
Naito spent the rest of the match trying to shake feeling into his knee, then shaking off a potential neck injury after taking a flip-over neckbreaker that was not executed cleanly. Naito set up for a top-rope moonsault, but Styles cut him off. Styles tried the Calf Killer on the mat, but Naito held on and flung himself toward the bottom rope for a break. Styles then teased the Clash, but Naito lifted Styles in the air, ran backward to the ropes, and dumped Styles clear down to the floor. Rough landing for Styles, who sold on the floor while Naito sold the knee injury back in the ring.
Styles made it back into the ring at 19 of 20, then took a slingshot kick in the corner. Naito wanted a top-rope huracanrana, but Styles caught his legs in the air, trapped him in the Styles Clash, and delivered a top-rope Super Clash. It was actually safer-looking than his standard Clash from a standing position. Styles rolled over Naito and it was good for the pin and the win.
WINNER: Styles at 14:30. Good singles match, giving Bullet Club another win to keep things even on the night. (***)
Continued in next post...
