Jeff Cobb vs. Shingo Takagi is up for the NEVER Title, and this is one of the best matches on paper for the weekend. Jeff Cobb is in the best shape of his life and Shingo is just THE MAN. We get an epic shot of both men on opposite sides of the ring as the fans clap along. Strong tie-up and foreams start off. Tagaki gets a hiptoss and a big tackle! Squatting BELLY TO BELLY ON THE FLOOR! Clubbing warfare on the apron and he sets up a splash mountain to the floor! Shingo escapes and tackles him before a flip dive!
SPLASH MOUNTAIN HITS FOR 2 FOR COBB! Back and forth lariats! Forearm combo by Shingo before they exchange straight punches. Thrust kick by Cobb leads to a lariat by Shingo, but Shingo eats a German! PUMPING BOMBER! DEADLIFT SUPERPLEX ATTEMPT but Shingo escapes for a walking powerbomb! Fallaway moonsault! PUMPING BOMBER, BUT COBB DOESN'T GO DOWN! PUMPING BOMBER HITS AGAIN AND THE LAST OF THE DRAGON ENDS IT! What a match! This was up there with Ospreay-Okada and exactly as stiff as I expected.
SANADA vs EVIL is up in a battle of ALL CAPS ENGLISH NAMES. EVIL looks so much better with long gear and they're just beating the piss out of each other. Stiff forearms and lariats lead to a big sequence where SANADA gets a bridge for 2. EVIL hits a big lariat for 2.5, but SANADA gets skull end but EVIL escapes and wants a low blow. Giant lariat hits for SANADA. Pop-up TKO hits and a moonsault wins it! This was a massive win for SANADA, who should go right into the double title picture or do so this spring.
Hiromu Takahashi is out to face Taiji Ishimori and Chris talks about how he's left every group he's been with to get more money. Standing switches but Taiji sends him out and runs up top to be thrown down. Moonsault off the sunset bomb attempt and it leads to a pop-up apron bomb! Hiroumu runs up the ramp and wants a dropkick, but eats a...sorta powerbomb/sideslam thing. Taiji lands a series of hard strikes and lands a nasty shoulder/neckbreaker with a hammerlock! PLUNGER HITS FOR 2! TIME BOMB 2 ENDS IT. This was a crazy match, but one of the best Hiromu matches imaginable after a broken neck.
Main event time with Jay White coming out looking like a megastar before facing THE FIRST-TIME EVER IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION Kota Ibushi. His trolling claps are tremendous. White works over Ibushi and Ibushi works defensively to avoid the kiwi crusher. SNAP GERMAN gets 2 for White. DRAGON SCREWS including one on the mat for White. White locks on the TTO, but Ibushi escapes. High kick on the apron gives Ibushi some breathing room and he gets the draping apron German mid-ring! MURDER IBU IS OUT and the last ride hits for 2! REGALPLEX HITS FOR 2 FOR WHITE!
Blade Runner is avoided and turned INTO A KAMIGOYE FOR 2.9! PHOENIX SPLASH GETS 2 THANKS TO GEDO! "GODDAMN YOU GEDO!" Kevin Kelly is tremendous. Gedo sneaks in and EATS THE KAMIGOYE! ANOTHER TTO IS ON. BLOODY SUNDAY hits but a V TRIGGER SAVES IBUSHI FROM A BLADE RUNNER! EXPOSED KNEE KAMIGOYE ENDS IT AND IBUSHI RETAINS! Tremendous!
Chris runs through all of Ibushi's journey and in just New Japan, he's gone from the bottom to the top. SANADA comes out and says he knows it's hard to be champion now in these times, but he wants to be able to face him. Ibushi says he's done a lot and he is the strongest, the best and he holds both belts. He's down for the challenge whenever it can happen and HE HAS BECOME GOD.
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