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IWGP U.S. Championship First Round match: Tetsuya Naito vs Tomohiro Ishii
Naito attacked Ishii as he entered the ring, sending him to the floor, then posed on the mat, mocking him. When Ishii got into the ring, Naito tried to work over his back with hard shots, which only served to anger Ishii, who began beating him with punches. Naito fired up with forearms to no effect. Ishii began beating him hard with chops in the corner.
Ishii went for a back suplex but Naito blocked it with shots to the neck. He snapped Ishii down with a neckbreaker. The story was that Naito could got keep the momentum going for short spurts before Ishii just muscled through with his hard shots. Ishii nailed a back suplex for a two count. Ishii mounted a series of chops and hard shots in the corner and followed up with a running clothesline. Naito fired back by cutting off an Irish whip and nailing Ishii with a kick to the gut and a powerslam for a two count.
Naito maneuvered Ishii into the ropes and snapped him down with a neckbreaker. Naito hit a big missile dropkick for a two count. Ishii came back with a running clothesline, snapping Naito down hard on the apron outside. Naito was picked up for a suplex into the ring but reversed it into a DDT. Naito snapped him with a top rope hurancanrana for a near fall.
Naito began disrespecting Ishii by wiping the bottom of his boot on Ishii and then spit blood in his face. Ishii fired back and hit a big powerbomb for a two count. Naito attempted to come off the ropes but as caught with an uppercut. Ishii drilled him and scored a two count. Ishii and Naito each missed enziguri. Naito used a rollup for a two count. Naito attempted a tornado DDT but missed the ropes. He nailed a springboard into the DDT but was too spent to make the cover.
Naito continued working over Ishii and nailed a high forearm. He caught him with a step-up enziguiri and a sliding lariat for a two count. Ishii slapped Naito hard but was nailed with a kick and a Dragon suplex for a two count. Ishii snapped Naito with a left hand, sending him down, then followed up with a big lariat for a two count.
Ishii nailed his brainbuster for the pin and scored the win.
Your winner, advancing, Tomohiri Ishii!
Very good, hard hitting match. You could feel the intensity level of the show was raised with this. Nice surprise to see Ishii win. Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. is set for round two.
IWGP U.S. Championship First Round match: Kenny Omega vs. Michael Elgin
The story early on was that Elgin's power had Omega on the ropes. Elgin pressed and slammed Omega down. Elgin slammed him again and went to the outside for a slingshot splash. They battled to the floor, where Omega gained the advantage smashing him into the barricade and slamming the small of Elgin's back against the corner of the apron. Elgin was almost counted out but made it back into the ring at the last second.
Back in the ring, Omega kept working over Elgin but missed a charge into the corner. Elgin drilled him hard with a chop across the chest. Omega hit a rolling Samoan Drop and came off the ropes with a moonsault but Elgin pulled his knees up. Elgin drilled Omega with an enziguiri and a German suplex. He held up and nailed another. Elgin backdropped Omega over the top to the apron and powerslammed Omega for a two count.
Elgin measure Omega and nailed some big clotheslines but Omega held on and didn't go down. Elgin measured him for a big lariat. Omega went for a leaping rana but Elgin caught him. Omega snapped him and sent Elgin to the floor, then hit a big running flip dive over the top to the floor. Omega dumped him back in the ring and nailed a missile dropkick to the back for another two count.
Omega fired away with chops. Elgin responded in kind. Omega drilled a big knee and hit a neckbreaker over the knee, which popped the crowd big. Omega set up for a move and rebounded off the ropes, only to be WIPED OUT with a clothesline that sent him inside out. Omega and Elgin battled to the outside of the apron. Omega set up for a piledriver but Elgin was able to muscle him up. Omega tried to nail a reverse rana on the apron but Elgin snapped him with a back suplex on the outside.
Elgin brought him back in and placed Omega on the top and hit a sitdown powerbomb into the ring for a two count. Omega snatched a small package for a two count. Omega fired away with forearms but Elgin drilled him with a big clothesline for a close two count. Elgin set up for a lariat but Omega nailed a series of big knee and nailed a third, then a reverse rana but Elgin somehow kicked out.
Omega continued with the knee attacks. Elgin avoided the One-Winged Angel and hit a variation on a package tombstone. He finally nailed the One-Winged Angel and scored the pin.
Your winner, Kenny Omega!
Really great back and forth hard-hitting match.
Coverage concludes on Page 4!
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