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TANAHASHI VS. JAY WHITE & MORE: 5/3 NJPW WRESTLING DONTAKU 2021 NIGHT ONE REPORT

By James Kurokawa on 2021-05-03 20:16:00

5/3/21 Results for New Japan's Wrestling Dontaku 2021; First quadruple champion in New Japan - From Fukuoka, Japan:

Master Wato, Tiger Mask, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Toru Yano vs. Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL.  Ishimori pins Tiger Mask after a Bloody Cross.

SHO, YOH and Kazuchika Okada vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado and Minoru Suzuki.  YOH attacks Desperado at the start of the match.  Suzuki takes control of the match beating down SHO, then traded shots with Okada.  YOH and Desperado tagged in YOH got the advantage.   Desperado hit a Spinebuster, then immediately locked in Numero Dos.   YOH screamed and scrambled for the ropes.   Kanemaru tagged in and went after YOH's leg.   YOH was able to fight off Kanemaru.  YOH hit a double underhook neckbreaker on Kanemaru and gets the pin, win and momentum into his Title match with El Desperado.  El Desperado and YOH have words after the match.

BUSHI, SANADA, Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi vs. Jeff Cobb, Aaron Henare, Great O-Khan and Will Ospreay.   Ospreay and Takagi start off beating each other in the face.   Ospreay tries to end it early with a bunch of aerial moves and an Oscutter but Takagi is ready for it all.  Ospreay tags out to Cobb.   Takagi goes for the tag, but Ospreay hits an elbow to the back of his head an starts pounding on Takagi.   Cobb takes the advantage and is about to pound Takagi in the corner.  LIJ makes the save and they triple team Cobb, while Takagi holds off the rest of United Empire.   The pace of the match quickens.   O-Khan uses his power to get the upper hand for his team.  All eight men hit their big moves.  Awesome final sequence whichs ends with SANADA avoiding Streets of Rage from Henare.   SANADA rolls up Henare with a pin with a bridge.   Henare is pissed that he got pinned.   Takagi and Ospreay had a stare down.  Ospreay goes for a Storm Breaker.  Takagi escapes and tries for Last of the Dragon.  Ospreay escapes and grabs his belt and runs.  LIJ celebrate in the ring.  

Rights to Challenge the IWGP Tag Team Championship Match:  Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tanga Loa.  No Jado at ringside for Tanga Loa.  ZSJ is a wrestling machine and trying to break down his opponent with strikes and take downs.  Tanga Loa held his own, in powering out of submissions.  Tanga Loa even whipped out Operation Jado Killer on ZSJ forcing him to find the ropes.   zSJ pins Tanga Loa with a crucifix.   Good match.    G.O.D. will have to defend their Tag Titles against Dangerous Tekkers, most likely at Wrestle Grand Slam.

Iron Finger From Hell Ladder Match:    Taichi vs. Tama Tonga.  Jado comes to the ring with Tama Tonga.  DOUKI is there for Taichi.   Both men come out brawling and trying to choke each other on the mat.   They exit the ring to grab ladders.  They start dueling with ladders.  Crazy.   Tama dropkicks the ladder into the face of Taichi.   Tama gets a small ladder and tries to reach for the Iron Finger, but the ladder is too small.  He whips Taichi back first into a ladder.  Tama hits a Stinger Splash onto Taichi in the corner.   Taichi is selling the injury to his back.  The match spills to the floor.   DOUKI and Jado get involved.  Tama gets clotheslined by a ladder.  Taichi brings a tall ladder in the ring and goes for the Iron Finger.   Tama stops him and they fight on the ladder.  Taichi throws Tama off the ladders.  Taichi hits a shoulder tackle off the ladder on Tama.   Tama recovers first and tries to climb the ladder.    DOUKI comes off the top rope to kick Tama off the ladder.   Jado blasts DOUKI in the head with his kendo stick.   Jado kicks Taichi to the floor.    He steals an idea from Toru Yano and tapes Taichi to the guardrail by the wrists.   Tama gloats at Taichi that he will now take the Iron Finger for himself.  As Tama climbs the ladder, ZSJ runs to the ring, ducking under a kendo swing by Jado.   ZSJ pushes the ladder down and Tama goes flying onto the top rope.   ZSJ takes out Tama with a neck twist, then frees Taichi from the tape.   Taichi starts to climb, when Tanga Loa attacks him.  Tanga was about to powerbomb Taichi into a ladder, until ZSJ makes the save.  ZSJ hits multiple elbows in the face of Tanga.   Tanga drops ZSJ with one wicked punch.   Tanga picks up ZSJ and drops him on his head with Apeshit.   Tanga drops Taichi with a lariat.  Tanga picks up Taichi for a powerbomb again, but DOUKI makes the save.  DOUKI tries a hurricanrana on Tanga.   Tanga powers up DOUKI and was about to drop him on the ladder in the corner.  But Tanga drops him on a ladder which was braced on a guardrail and ring mat.   DOUKI split the ladder in half.  Wicked spot.   G.O.D. were about to hit a Magic Killer on a ladder, but Taichi kicks out.   He kicks Tanga in the face and hits a low blow on Tama.   Off goes the pants of Taichi.  Jado hits Taichi in the back with the kendo stick.  Taichi throws Jado onto a ladder back first.  Taichi sets up the ladder to climb.   Tama follows him up the ladder.  Taichi chokeslams Tama off the ladder.   Taichi starts climbing again.   Tama grabs a ladder and starts swinging it at Taichi.   Tama gets a table and sets it up near the ladder.   Tama tries to powerbomb Taichi off the ladder on to the table but Taichi fights him off.  Taichi climbs the ladder again, with Tama now climbing up on the other side of the ladder.   They battle at top of the ladder.   Tama goes for a Gun Stun from the top of the ladder.   Taichi holds on and Tama goes crashing through the table.   Taichi reaches up to grab the Iron Finger.  Taichi is the winner.     Really fun match.  Lots of plunder, which reminded me of the TLC matches with the Dudleys vs. Edge/Christian vs. Hardys.   

ZSJ climbs the ladder to embrace his partner.  All members of Suzuki-Gun embrace each other in the ring.   Taichi takes the mic and acknowledges his mentor Takeshi Iizuka who was the original owner of the Iron Finger.

NEVER Openweight Championship Match:   Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White.   Jay White has been absent from this tour getting some rest and recovery.  Excellent wrestling match.   Both men looked to be at the top of their game.  Both men were exhausted.   White went for a Bladerunner and Tanahashi hit a Slingblade.  He hit another Slingblade, then a High Fly Flow.   Tanahashi went to the top rope and hit a Splash on the knees of White.   Tanahashi locked in the Texas Cloverleaf (now known as the JTO aka Jay Tap Out).   Gedo tried to interfere and Tanahashi took him out with a Dragon Screw.   White with a small package for a two count.  White with a backslide and feet on the ropes.  Two count.  White blocked a Dragon Screw, and tried for Bladerunner.  Tanahashi reversed out into a full nelson.   White reversed out and hit a Bladerunner.  White pins Tanahashi.  Jay White wins the NEVER Openweight Championship.   Awesome match. 

White immediately pulls down his knee pads to ice his knees, selling what Tanahashi did to him.   Awesome touch.     White takes the mic and tells Tanahashi that he should hang up his boots.   He tells the fans that they are witnessing history.   He is first man to hold the IWGP U.S., Intercontinental, Heavyweight and, now, NEVER Openweight Championship.   He is the first quadruple crown champion.     White kept selling the JTO as Gedo got him help to leave ringside.

In the interview area, Jay White spoke of Kota Ibushi.  He called Ibushi a liar for the things he says.   White says that he wanted to tell a story.   When he was young, he wanted to drive diggers, machines that move dirt.  That was his dream.  He said that Tanahashi, that I bet you wish that I kept my dream.  Now that I have become your worst nightmare.  He tells Tanahashi, "You are done".   He said that Tanahashi will never beat him again.   White addressed David Finlay who beat him in the New Japan Cup.  White says he offers the first defense of his NEVER Openweight belt to David Finlay.

Predictions for tomorrow's matches:   

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Match:  YOH vs. El Desperado

Since YOH has returned from injury, he has looked good.  Since his tag partner, SHO, had time to work as a single for almost a year, I think YOH was given an equal chance to do so.   However, to go from being out for a year to challenging for the top two Jr. belts, seems rushed and a reward.   Also, if Hiromu Takahashi was healthy, El Desperado would not have the title.  With all that said, I think El Desperado will retain the Title here.   It makes no sense to have one wrestler hold multiple titles.    

Also, YOH has been dressing differently from his tag partner.   YOH wears black while SHO wears yellow.  I would not be surprised if there was heel turn for YOH if he fails to win the Jr. Title or if Roppongi 3K drop the Jr. Tag Belts in the future.

IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match:   Shingo Takagi vs. Will Ospreay

This match should be a great one.  I believe that Ospreay will retain here.   I believe the main event match that New Japan wants is Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada for Wrestle Grand Slam.   Shingo will continue to cement himself as a top wrestler in New Japan.   Ospreay will move on to face his former mentor for the IWGP World Title.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

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