Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
Good morning!
Welcome to my live, ongoing blogging coverage of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom 17 from The Tokyo Dome in - where else? - Tokyo, Japan!
This should prove to be an interesting show. Historically, it will go down as the first-ever show where contracted WWE, AEW and New Japan talents all work the same show. Obviously, here in the States the Sasha Banks stuff will have the lion's share of the interest, but I think they've put together a card worthy of the legacy of the Tokyo Dome and I expect a lot of good to great work up and down the card.
James Kurokawa, who handles the regular NJPW reports for PWInsider will be doing the play by play/results so I'll be blogging thoughts and hopefully won't get more and more delirious as I stay up all night. We are a long way from the trading tapes and renting NJPW and AJPW tapes era of my youth as we stream the show live from Tokyo. Obviously, this is being aimed at the Japanese audience, so it should be interesting to see how many first time viewers who are watching because of Banks take to the product. I'm hoping for an entertaining show.
Here we go!
Preliminary Matches:
Ryohei Oiwa vs. Boltin Oleg.
This was a three minute exhibition match. They grappled back and forth for three minutes until there was a draw. It was mostly Oleg in control, showing an aggressive style. They showed promise. He's a scary looking man.
New Japan Rambo to determine four competitors for KOPW 2023.
Competitors in order of entrance are SHO, Hikuleo, Tomohiro Ishii, Great O-Khan, EVIL, Rocky Romero, Yoshinabu Kanemura, Aaron Henare, Ryskuke Taguchi, Jeff Cobb, Shane Haste, Toru Yano, El Phantasmo, Takahashi, Taichi, SHINGO. It was typical battle royal fare. Phantasmo did a spot where he was knocked off the apron but caught himself on the barricade to save himself. He and SHINGO battled on the apron but ELP was knocked off by SHO. The final four who will battle tomorrow at New Year's Dash are SHO, Toru Yano, Shingo Takagi and The Great O-Khan. This was just OK.
Antonio Inoki Memorial Six-Man Tag Team Match: Togi Makabe & Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Tatsumi Fujinami & Minoru Suzuki & Tiger Mask.
Great to see Tatsumi Fujinami, one of the greatest NJPW stars of all time. I don't know how often we'll see him going forward, so even though we are a long way from those classics with Riki Choshu, it's fun to see him. Nagta and Suzuki beating each other with forearms and boots will never get old. Suzuki's facial expressions as Kojima nailed him with chop after chop in the corner were great. Makabe took control on Tiger Mask. Fujinami was tossing out Dragon Screw legwhips in honor of Inoki but obviously didn't have the old snap in his step. Stil, it was pretty neat to see him executing them at 69 years old. They had a near fall with a triple submission and a lot more near falls than you'd think. Makabe nailed a big lariat on Tiger and went to the top but Suzuki drilled him with headbutts. Tiger Mask went for a forward roll, but well, fell off. Makabe scored the pin. Ooops. They all worked as hard as they could. I thought Tiger Hatori returning to referee this was a nice touch.
Fujinami took the mic and addressed the crowd. He thanked everyone for being part of the Inoki Memorial event and said they will carry on his fighting spirit through the card. He led the crowd in the old Inoki chant. They played Inoki's theme as Team Fujinami went to the back.
Going into this, I figured this was going to end with someone getting slapped by everyone in honor of Inoki, but it was not to be! Still, a nice way to remember one of the most important of all time.
They announced coming out of this a movie would be made about Antonio Inoki.
Wrestle Kingdom 17!
They had a nice video package highlighting all the matches and we are off to the races.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Francesco Akira & TJP vs. Lio Rush & YOH.
Good action early. Lio gets taken out on the ramp so Akira and TJP work over YOH. Nice spot where Akira dives off TJP's shouler to wipe out YOH on the floor. Rush was bleeding when he retjrned to the ring. He made a comeback and nailed some nice kicks on YOH. He nailed some NICE topes. He's a long way from being Lashley's mouthpiece. They really kicked things into high gear with some fun near falls. It continued until TJP used an inside cradle to pin YOH. Good action. Lio was wrestling his a** off and competed like he was trying to prove to the world he belonged and looked great in the process.
IWGP Women’s Champion KAIRI vs. Tam Nakano.
They gave them both big entrances and put over it was the first women's bout in the dome since the 1990s. KAIRI controlled early. Tam escaped a clothesline and used a sunset flip takedown, setting up a big dropkick. Some nice sequences early. They began slugging it out. KAIRI cut off Nakano's momentum with a spear and then a running clothesline into the corner. Tam knocked the champ to the floor and hit a splash to the floor, which looked brutal. Kevin Kelly made references to "rumors" on social media. Yeah, rumors, Kevin. Tam nailed the Steiner Driver but somehow KAIRI kicked out. KAIRI fired back and beat down Tam, hitting the insane elbow off the top for the pin. Not a shocking ending in the least but really good action all the way through.
After the match, the former Sasha Banks got a big entrance. She was announced as THE CEO, Mercedes Mone. She came out with a new red, white and blue Statue of Liberty-inspired look with blue and golden hair. She took the robe off and faced off with KAIRI, who raised the belt between them. They shook hands but Banks laid her out with what was supposed to be a Gori Guerrero Especial into a DDT but it went wonky. She threw the belt down on KAIRI and demanded a mic.
She mocked KAIRI, congratulating her on making history and said she knows a thing or two about making history. She came to New Japan and STARDOM to make history. She said she's the CEO of the women's division. She told KAIRI to enjoy the title while she can, because she's going leave her "bankrupt b**ch" on 2/18 at Battle in the Valley. That's the San Jose, CA event that will air live on FITE.TV. A solid appearance for Mone in her debut but I didn't get the impression this was a MOMENT. I didn't get the feeling it was seen as a MASSIVE deal live at all in Japan, but here in the States, it should garner attention, especially on social media where Mone has a rabid fan base.
IWGP Tag Team Champions FTR vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto.
FTR walked to the ring like they were banged up. Dax and Goto started out, slugging it out with each other. FTR nailed the Powerplex on Goto, who kicked out. Goto was bleeding from the mouth. HASHI tagged and chopped away at everyone, controlling the ring. Lots of good, methodical strikes and moves. Dax nailed a hell of a piledriver on HASHI and then FTR whipped out a spike piledriver but Goto broke up the pinfall. Good timing. The challengers take out Dax and score the pinfall. Super, enjoyable wrestling from bell to bell. They all showed each other respect after the match. With FTR taking yet another loss, you have to wonder whether AEW books them to rebound or are sliding them backwards. Time will tell!
Ren Narita vs. Zack Sabre Jr. to crown the first-ever NJPW World TV Champion.
This will be Narita's biggest opportunity and spotlight to date in New Japan. Sabre was sporting blonde hair. Ren was very aggressive out of the gate but the story was Sabre kept taking him down until they faced off. Narita let loose with some kicks to the back and then offered his back to Sabre so he could return the favor. Well, that was dumb. You think Bruiser Brody would have let someone hit him from behind willingly? Of course not! They got more and more frenzied with their attacks and striking as there was only a 15 minute time limit, which added a nice sense of urgency to the match. Narita whipped out a nice Northern Lights suplex but was caught in a front chancery. They fought over submissions. Narita went for the leg but was snatched in an arm submission and was forced to tap. Narita had a really nice showing here but the right person went over. Sabre has been bulking up.
After the bout, TMDK hit the ring and offered Zack a chance to join them. He took the t-shirt and embraced them.
NEVER Openweight Champion Karl Anderson vs. Tama Tonga.
Here we go with WWE vs. New Japan. No Gallows with Anderson. Anderson attacked before the bell and suplexed Tama across the ring barrier. He pulled Tama to the entrance ramp and nailed the Burner Driver, which looked brutal. Anderson walked away but thought better of it and was going for the Gun Stun on the entrance but was tossed off and took a rough bump on the ramp. Tama followed him back to the ring and attacked him on the apron. Tama went for the Gun Stun but was shoved off and hit with a great running boot. Anderson worked him over but Tama came back with a big lariat out of the corner and exploded with offense. Anderson took him down but Tama kicked out. Tama came back with the SRC and went to the top. They battled over a superplex. Tonga nailed Supreme Flow, his Superfly Splash, for a close two count. Tonga has looked great here. They battled until Tonga nailed the Gun Stun while leaping off the ropes and nailed another for the pin. New Champ. Anderson worked his ass off on the way out and Tonga was there with him. At times it was not pretty, but it felt like a fight.
More thoughts on Page 2!
If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Bang On Casino
