NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2015

It's TIMMEEEEE for the latest NJPW PPV via NJPW World. Not sure if I'm getting English or Japanese here as there's only one link on the NJPW World site. Striker and Kelly get an intro, which the English announcers didn't get on WK 9. Sydal faces Omega for the Jr title, RPG Vice faces reDRagon for the Jr. Tag titles, Anderson faces Nakamura for the IC Title, Naito faces Tanahashi for the WK 10 title shot, and AJ is facing Okada for the IWGP Title! Naito, super-cocky motherfucker rules.

I'm getting it in English - this is neato. Juice Robinson has more charisma here in just his intro than he ever did as CJ Parker. In an amusing visual, he's the only one with more than just black in his gear. Liger gets a replacement theme - the WWE Network song pretty much, and they now say on the show that the music has been changed. The audio mixing is iffy here because the music is much louder than the commentary. The young lions team beats up Liger until he lands the palm strike on Tanaka. Juice runs wild on KUSHIDA, who then eats a big Booker T high kick on KUSHIDA. Jay White tags in and attacks the leg of KUSHIDA. JUICE AND TAGUCHI GO AT IT. HIP ATTACK TO TAGUCHI! But Taguchi hits him with one and Tiger Mask gets a springboard dive. Tiger Mask gets 2 off a crucifix to Juice. Juice gets a senton and standing frog splash for 2. Striker calls a Tiger Driver a double underhook powerbomb IN A MATCH WITH TIGER MASK. Finlay tags in and runs a bit wild before eating a ton of offense for 2. Striker says that fighting spirit is like a fighting game life meter. Please no. Dorada gets a super rana for 2. Everyone gets a wacky submission and Dorada pins Finlay with a Cradle Shock.

YOSHI-HASHI is out to face Tomoaki Honma. Double lariat barrage! HONMA GOES DOWN! 2.9! Hashi gets a flip powerbomb for 2 leading to Striker talking about THE FIGHTING SPIRIT! Honma avoids a big senton. Honma preps the head for a diving...shoulderbutt we'll say for 2.9. Hashi gets a rollup for 2.Diving headbutt hits for the win! HONMA WINS! Honma's taped up back appears to be hurting him as he won't stop pointing to it. Striker says that Honma COULD be going for the NEVER Title at WK 10.

Well, Blogger didn't save - so here's a quick rundown of other stuff. Wacky 8 man tag was fine mid-card fodder.  reDRagon vs. RPG Vice was short, but very good. Ditto Omega vs. Sydal, which was a back-heavy match. Love the One Winged Angel. Nice build for Nakamura vs. Anderson in the Bullet Club vs. Nakamura, Saku, and Yano. Love Yano winning with a DOUBLE LOW BLOW and Tonga taking two bumps off one low blow.

 

Ishii vs. Makabe had their 800th match this year. Neither Striker or Kelly could get Ishii's name right for most of the match. CHAIN OF LARIATS sends Ishii down with a thud - only he falls like a tree onto his own neck. Nasty, vile headbutts too. Dragon suplex! Sliding D gets 2! BRAINBUSTER! 3! Tanahashi vs. Naito is up for Tana's 1/4 case. Super-prick Naito taking eons to disrobe is great. Nice eye rake too. Deliberate pace throughout much of this. BEAUTIFUL low blow - he blocks a kick and BAM right to the balls! Jackknife cradle gets 2! Slingblade hits! Standing High Fly Flow hits and Naito hits on his head, before a regular HFF hits for the win!

AJ's out with the Bullet Club to face Okada for the title. Striker, to his credit, says that this is the rubber match with each man being 2-2 so far. Nice rollthrough into the over the knee neckbreaker for Okada. Forearm exchanges! I like each guy taking a bump for them - very different than normal. German INTO THE RAINMAKER FOR 2! Love Anderson's glee at this kickout. He eats a forearm. OKADA FLIP TO THE BC! Bloody Sunday countered into a rana, into a Pele! FLIPAROUND INTO THE TOMBSTONE! AJ avoids and goes for the Clash, but Okada sends him to the apron. NASTY European uppercut to AJ up top. They tease a Super Clash, but AJ gets nasty chops instead. RUNNING LARIAT BY OKADA! RAINMAKER FOR THE WIN! Tanahashi comes down and reminds him that he's got the case.

Excellent show overall - what needed to be good and/or exciting was, and the mid-card stuff was entertaining. 

Screens -
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/d65hldviwo9iqnaiwqqxbtmdrjkf3dog