NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 2

 

Night 2 starts off with a dark match between Gedo, Jado, and Fale against Nagata, Honma, and Makabe - BOY are Makabe and Nagata doing heavy lifting here. Jado is largely outside and Makabe runs wild before Honma gets a lariat and can barely fall forward and the rocket and kokeshi hit! Charlton gets off a "from the deadliest rope!" OSW reference with the Bret's rope kokeshi! Wato and Tencozy face off with TAKA, Desperado, and Kanemaru. Lots of nothing until Wato beats Despy with his neck tie submission! Wato getting that Jr push in 2022. Shingo, BUSHI, and Hiromu face Taichi, ZSJ, and DOUKI. ZSJ and Shingo are fantastic together with uppercuts and lariats! Last of the Dragon to DOUKI ends it.

The Mega Coaches face ELP and Ishimori, and Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask. I like Charlton just outright saying they were thrown together to fill out the numbers. THE LOADED BOOT is exposed and the Bullet Club is DQed. Eagles gets the Miller special on Rocky and taps him out. The Flying Tigers are a good use of each talent. STARDOM tag with no music due to copyright and a tribute to Hana. Starlight Kid and Mayu Iwatani face Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani. Iwatani and Nakano just beat the hell out of each other with forearms. Crucifix bomb gets 2.9! Charlton says that STARDOM was behind only NJPW in Japan in attendance. Nakano taken down with a slingblade. 

Charlton puts Tam and Mayu over as the Tana and Nakamura of STARDOM. Mayu gets a fantastic double run-up armdrag on the ropes. Starlight with an Asai moonsault! Rana victory roll by Starlight gets 2.9! TIGER SUPLEX TO MAYU! Star Crusher and the phoenix splash by Kamitani ends it! This was a blast! KOPW 4-Way is up with CIMA out with Strong Hearts and Charlton puts over GLEAT! Suzuki getting a bit Tokyo Dome intro again feels great, and Yano as A YOUTUBER on his tron is hilarious. Also Chase is there.

Everyone beats up Yano and CIMA kicks him on the ass. Meteora to Chase gets 2 for CIMA. Low blow and the schoolboy to Suzuki get 2. CHOKEOUT AND THE GOTCH PILEDRIVER! THE KING OF PANCRASE IS THE KING OF PRO WRESTLING! Suzuki beats the shit out of Yano afterwards and NOW HE CAN MAKE TORTURE STIP MATCHES! YANO HANDCUFFS HIM! This is going to be great. He beats up the young lions who free him, then beat them up more on the floor. 

Goto, YOH, and Yoshi-Hashi face off against SHO, EVIL, and Yujiro for the NEVER titles. Fucking Bullet Club bullshit all throughout this. SHO teases a wrench shot, but Togo chokes out YOH with the garat. Ushigoroshi and a double superkick on the mount hit! Patela brainbuster hits for YOH, but an EVIL low blow leads to a wrench shot from SHO and the win.  Mutoh comes out and gets another Tokyo Dome intro. He hasn't been in the Dome since WK 8 and the whole roster is here. KENOH says that NOAH is out to take the top spot from NJPW. Mutoh takes photos mid-ring and looks like he's having a lot of fun. 

SANADA vs. Great O-Khan is up and these two have fantastic chemistry. Great matwork to start out before they bust out bigger moves throughout. Japanese clutch gets a quick two for SANADA. SANADA goes for a moonsault, but they botch it up a bit and O-Khan locks him in a cravate before turning it into a sheep killer. SKULL END, but Oka flips over. Backlund bridge is avoided another sheep killer is on. SANADA avoids a powerslam and a bridging Tiger suplex gets 2. 

SANADA moonsault meets knees! Kneeling forearm exchanges! Jumping sole butt by SANADA, but he eats a giant right straight for 2. This is a fantastic match here - more fun than Oka vs. Tana last year. SECOND ROPE MOONSAULT BY OKA gets 2, but the eliminator is countered into another rolling clutch and SANADA WINS. This was a blast!

Jeff Cobb vs. Naito is up as Cobb continues his inter-mingling with main eventers. Charlton talks about this being one of the last Naito revenge battles because more of his career is behind him than in front of him and it's important to look at this as one of his final big runs due to injuries. Kelly runs through Naito's record being horrible for 2021 due to his knee injury. Cobb rushes in with forearms and Naito goes for a kneebreaker that Cobb easily avoids. Sidewinder suplex by Cobb! Tour is avoided and Valentia hits! DESTINO HITS! 

Tana is the best face ever. Wow. What a teary-faced entrance. KENTA's out in slick bright white and black trim gear. It's a great, new look for him. Charlton puts over how this would be a dream match a decade ago, but both men have adapted themselves to time. KENTA throws a stick in to Tana. KENTA gives his back and Tana waits until he turns around to attack for a stick fight. Tons of cane shots to the back of KENTA! KENTA belt shot to Tana leads to more cane shots, now to Tana. KENTA throws in some chairs and his smashed 2020 case. KENTA breaks a chair over Tnaa's back.

 KENTA brings a ladder in and sends Tana's back into the corner-cradled ladder. TANA GRABS A GUITAR! AND IT'S A SHOOT GUITAR. Jesus! Trash can shots to the head of KENTA! DRAGON SCREW IN THE ROPE after Tana sets a table up. Cloverleaf attempt by Tana leads to the case on the head! BUSAIKU KNEE WITH THE CASE!  

KENTA sets Tana on the table and they fight up top. A short left sends KENTA down and Charlton puts over how that took Goto out. MORE CHAIRS! Tana wants a German on the stack, but KENTA avoids it. A SLINGBLADE ON THE CHAIRS, but Tana eats them! A roaring Tana MISSES THE HIGH FLY FLOW ON THE CHAIRS! KENTA face wash and the dropkick is set up with chairs. AND IT HITS HARD!

GTS countered into a pair of twist and shouts, with the second on the chairs! The table is set up and KENTA wants a superplex through it mid-ring.  SUPER FALCON ARROW THROUGH THE TABLE BY KENTA! KENTA searches for another and grabs it. MONSTER LADDER introduced by KENTA. This is the most unsafe ladder I've seen in a match - it has no bracing in the middle at all. Okay, so it does and it's cross-beams. It's still so thin! KENTA cannot get this thing set up and wants the ref's help - but in kayfabe, he's only there to render a fall and that's it.

The fans are now clapping for KENTA just setting this thing up. KENTA sets him up on this table before climbing up top and TANA SHAKES IT and Jesus is this not the kind of ladder you want to move at all. KENTA falls off and lands kinda face-first on the trash can. New Japan needs to never ever use a ladder like this again for any reason. KENTA ate shit on that one and is busted up.

KENTA put on the table and Tana climbs! HIGHEST OF HIGH FLY FLOWS THROUGH THE TABLE and that fucker is just covered in blood. Goddamn. KENTA is going to be hurting after this one and Tana took months off his knees with that move. KENTA's face is all smashed up and Tana wins it, thank God! This was one of Tana's most insane matches and a perfect example of a great worker having a fantastic match in a hardcore setting because they make the stip mean more by not just making it a weapons walk and brawl. 

Ospreay vs. Okada is up and Okada is wearing the V5 belt - which just looks odd on him. Ospreay talks shit about his belt being the real one and Okada's being fake and tells them to be gentle with his belt. Matwork and then forearm shivers before we hear the train under the building. CLAPS IN UNISION WITH FOREARM SHOTS! OKADA SLAYS HIM WITH FOREARMS! Rainmaker hits! ANOTHER! A third is avoided! HIDDEN BLADE HITS FOR 2.9! Kawada kicks by Ospreay! Uppercut by Okada, HOOK KICK BY OSPREAY! HIDDEN BLADE MEETS THE DROPKICK! RAINMAKER HITS AND STACKS HIM FOR THE WIN!

Okada says he is THE IWGP World Heavyweight Champion - there is no dispute now.  Okada is the fitting champion for the 50th year of NJPW. NAITO IS HERE! He wants to face him for the title and be the champion. Good stuff - they set the table for the future pretty well, although I'm hoping this all leads to at least one Okada vs. Mutoh match, even non-title in NJPW for the 50th year. Bell-to-bell, night 2 topped night 1 and had far more variety in the card. The filler was more pronounced in quantity, but did pay off with things like the loaded boot and giving the NEVER 6 titles a Tokyo Dome match.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 Night 1

 VA has been pounded by winter storms, so this will be a broader-strokes recap than usual just to ensure that I can at least get it done. Rambo features Henare and Chase before Tenzan's out with the Mongolian chops being revamped as the Big Egg Bombs. BIG EGG BOMBS! GO BEYOND THE LEGACY is a great tron and SUZUKI IS HERE! Kevin brings up the AEW controversy with his theme too. Chase wants him! Fujita goes for a dropkick and a kneebar taps him. Nakashima taps! Another young lion taps to a choke. He goes for Tenzan and Kojima saves. TENKOJI CUTTER to Chase! 

CIMA IS HERE! He takes out TAKA! Honma is here too and god, he just can't do anything. Just walking to the ring is agonizing. DOUKI is out before Nagata takes out Kojima with a dogpile backdrop driver. FUJINAMI IS OUT IN T HIS MATCH IN 2022! Figure four on Makabe and he gets dogpiled to lose! Yano, CIMA, Chase, and Suzuki are in the four way. 

INOKI HYPE VIDEO! He's hoping to be in person at the 50th anniversary show. SHO vs. YOH is up and SHO's emo getup is great. Okay match overall here but hurt greatly by BC-bullshit. YOH gets a reverse cradle on YOH and he sends him into Dogo to win. NEVER Open tag is on the line tomorrow and I would expect SHO to retain. TANA, Rocky, and Tagushi vs. KENTA, ELP, and Ishimori. KENTA eats a butt-butt before tagging Tana in. Flying forearm to KENTA before he dragon screws everyone. KENTA schoolboy results in the ref going down off a kick off into him. DDT gets nothing due to the lack of a ref. Kendo stick shots aplenty! Tana grabs the kendo stick and hits KENTA - so he loses tonight, but gains a bit of an edge for tomorrow's US Title.

Jeff Cobb, Will Ospreay, and Great O-Khan are here to face SANADA, Naito, and BUSHI. TKO for Oka leads to a Skull End instead. Sheep Killer and a pump kick to Bushi. Rana counter by Will to Bushi gets 2 - gorgeous pop-up powerbomb. Hidden Blade KO gets the win. Fun stuff. Oka says that a new era is coming with the United Empire. Shibata's return match is against Ren Narita - a perfect choice! Chris asks what does The Wrestler do when  he can't wrestle? NO ONE IS MORE EPIC THAN CHARLSTON - he's the best at putting things in their place in history. He raps the mic on his head and says it's a REGULAR MATCH!

They work the mat to keep it catch-style and safe. Back and forth headlocks before a trip and figure four by Shibata. CORNER FOREARMS AND THE BASEMENT DROPKICK HIT! Shibata armbar countered by a Narita Special 3 - the scorpion deathlock. Hard kneeling kicks to the chest of Narita! Round kick countered by Narita with elbows! Narita throws kicks but isn't there and Shibata gets a choke>PK combo to win! THIS RULED! 

NJPW comes to AXS again on Thursdays after Impact! NJPW Strong Spirits app launches on 2/28. Ishii vs. EVIL for the NEVER Title is up. Nice Ishii-war until an EVIL belt shot hits. STO hits and that's it. EVIL wins the title and overcomes the curse of losing to Ishii. Goto and Yoshi-Hashi vs. Dangerous Tekkers in an all-action battle. Taichi fires up with gamenguri shots and Black Mephisto is countered into a destroyer and reverse GTR! Full Nelson powerbomb combo ends it and YOSHI-HASHI'S RISE CONTINUES! 

Jr title is up with Hiromu vs. Desperado. TONS of chops to start! Smart move by Hiromu to start working heavyweight style to ease that idea into the head without going overboard with it. Loco countered by Hiromu! Crunchy hits for 2.9! Pinche Loco hits and gets 2! Rollup by Hiromu gets 2! Hiromu eats a big forearm another Pinche Loco back to back ends it WITH A TAKER PIN! This was fantastic.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Title is on the line with Okada coming out with the V4 belt. Charlton says that Okada wants to reign over the world as the King of Sports. Epic intro with the bills for Okada while Shingo gets an extended version of his theme. 

Love the epic intros for both guys and Shingo really benefits from it because he is the less-established main eventer in this one. This feels so much lesser without the crowds cheering though. Nice brawling on the ramp and Shingo eats a DDT on the floor and another off the top. German into the Rainamker BLOCKED BY A BACKFIST! Last of the Dragon into the Landslide, but DRAGON SUPLEX BY SHINGO! OKADA DROPKICK! LANDSLIDE AND THE RAINMAKER GET IT! Okada is now the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion! He has the belt on and...yeah the V4 is so much better overall. 

WWE Day One 2022

This is the first-ever Day 1 and Brock is added to the WWE Title match with Roman testing positive for COVID-19. JBL just stares at Rosenberg like he's an idiot - which may be the best part of the show by the end of the night. Nice hype video to start the show off with it being DAY ONE and the Usos start off Day One-ish! Okay-ish SD mid-card match is called an INSTANT CLASSIC by McAfee. Nothing terrible, but very little exciting. Steveson marks out at 2 off a Demo double stomp. Double Uso dive gets 2.9 with a Woods save! 3D ends it with the Usos winning and it's now the 1D - One and Done.

Big E looks forward to the challenge and Migos are here. We get some horrible comedy before Drew comes out as THE SMACKDOWN WARRIOR - but has no stone at least. Pat complains about trending due to people on his show before Drew chops the shit out of Moss. Moss is just a lump in there and Drew is throwing himself into position for spots. Claymore ends it. KO promo and he says BROCK TOOK OUT HIS SOULMATE SAMI ZAYN! I love that - it adds a bit of importance to events of the shows. 

Raw tag title match is up and Migos are out with RK-Bro and not the Profits - although I guess for weed, that makes sense. MASSIVE leap over the buckle by Ford and a pop-up assisted RKO with Riddle ends it. WHY DO BOTH SETS OF TAG CHAMPS HAVE A MODIFIED 3D FINISH!? Drew chats backstage about Corbin for a match later. Jesus! YAY BRAWLING! Chair to the neck with a big metal thing.

Miz vs. Edge is up and Miz is in Ryder-esque gear thanks to his wedding. Lots of nothing. LEG HOLD. Nothing. Crossbody is caught by Miz! FIGURE FOUR. Mizcardona in full effect here. Figure four is reversed and he goes for a cheap win with the ropes. UT UH! Jessie Carr is annoying. Crossface by Edge and Maryse puts Miz's foot on the rope. Miz went up top for nothing because he never flies before getting hiptossed off the top by Edge. Maryse hits him with a purse and the Finale gets 2 before Beth is out...before her theme to stop Maryse. Spear ends it.

Bert chats with Lashley and MVP about Lashley's chances being reduced by Brock being in. Liv-Becky video makes Liv look so boring without letting her emote during it. Her intro really lets her shine though. Rings of Saturn by Liv. Uppercut and kick combo in the rope leads to the draping legdrop for 2 for Becky. Becky gets kicked into the buckle for 2. Cross armbar by Becky and a disarmher with the ropes. Atomic facebuster gets 2 for Becky. Dropkick off the top from Liv sends Becky to the floor. Liv stomps the arm in the steps ala Raw!  Oblivion countered INTO THE MANHANDLE SLAM FOR THE CLEAN WIN.  Becky was going for the rope, but was too far away. Yeesh.

SUPLEX CITY by Brock, but E lariats him to the floor and Brock bumps hard for it. Spear through the barricade by Lashley to Brock. Suicide dive by Seth to Brock before a KO frog splash. E chokeslam through the announce table. Pop-up powerbomb gets 2 for E. Stomp to E but Brock F5s him! F5 to E and KO! Lashley spear gets 2! God, Lashley vs. Brock is so much more exciting than anything else they're doing. F5 to E ENDS IT! NEW CHAMP! Wow! Super-fun match there! E's reign is thankfully over, and Brock can do whatever and at least feels like THE GUY.