PWInsider - WWE News, Wrestling News, WWE

9/4 NEW JAPAN WRESTLE GRAND SLAM RESULTS FROM SAITAMA, JAPAN'S METLIFE DOME, A NEW MEMBER OF BULLET CLUB & MORE

From the MetLife Dome, Saitama Japan:

The MetLife Dome is a baseball stadium.   The ring was on the field and chairs were set up on the field surrounding the ring.  Some fans were scattered in the bleachers.   Not a full house due to COVID.

1 - Stardom Special Match:   Lady C and Maika vs. Saya Kamitani and Momo Watanabe

Kamitani pins Lady C after a Phoenix Splash.

Fun match.   All four women worked hard.   Lady C has a wicked choke slam.  Stardom is a different company and has their own shows and events but it was cool to see women’s wrestling on New Japan.

Pyrotechnics explode to start the show. 

2 - Tiger Mask and Robbie Eagles vs. BUSHI and Hiromu Takahashi

Eagles hits a Turbo Backpack on BUSHI and locks on the Ron Miller Special.    BUSHI taps out.

Solid match.   Glad to see BUSHI is fine after his COVID scare.  This was more of a preview of tomorrow’s match for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.   

3 - YOH vs. SHO

When they announced this match last week, I was disappointed.   I had hoped that they would build the drama between these former teammates.

SHO comes out with new music and a new look.   He is dressed in a black and purple leather jacket.  He stares at the camera like a psychopath.

YOH also has new music.   He comes to the ring with purpose.   

YOH attacks SHO before the bell.   The match goes to the floor.   SHO battered YOH on the guardrails.   SHO wrapped YOH’s left arm around the ring post, then around the guardrail.    YOH is almost counted out.   SHO attacks the eyes of YOH and continued to punish the injured arm.    SHO is brawling like a heel.   YOH rallied and stomped on SHO.   This match is a fight and they look like they are trying to hurt each other.

YOH goes for the Stargazer but SHO rakes the eyes.   SHO goes for a Shock Arrow.   YOH reverses and locks in the Stargazer.   SHO gets a break in the ropes.   YOH hits a Dragon Suplex into the turnbuckle.   Both men exchange elbows.    YOH hits a Dragon Suplex with bridge.  Two count.  SHO spears YOH and gets a chair.   YOH super kicks SHO in the face.    YOH takes the chair and SHO begs YOH not to hit him.   YOH hits another super kick and SHO hits a low blow.  SHO smashes the chair on YOH’s head.   

SHO locks a choke submission on YOH.   The referee stopped the match as YOH quickly passed out.    SHO attacked the young lions as they came to help YOH.

This was good match.   It was violent and both men looked like they wanted to hurt each other.   I hope this is not the end.   Both men could have a long feud.

EVIL, Dick Togo and Yujiro Takahashi came to ringside.   They gave him a Bullet Club shirt, which said “House of Torture”.    All four men had the same shirt.

SHO is now a part of Bullet Club.

This seemed to come out of nowhere.   Seeds could have been planted at prior events.

4 - Provisional KOPW 2021/No DQ I Quit Match:  Toru Yano vs. Chase Owens

Yano came to the ring under his old persona when he was a violent heel.   No smiles or comedy from Yano.    Owens came to the ring ready for a fight.    Yano attacked Owens on his way to the ring.   Owens threw powder in the eyes of Yano.    The fought all over ringside.    Yano pulled out all kinds of metal weapons and blasted Owens in the head.     

Owens tied Yano up with a leather strap.   He beat down Yano with a kendo stick telling him to say “I Quit”.    Yano got out of the strap and found a ladder.   He crotched Owens on the ladder.   Owens fought back but Yano hit him in the head with a ladder and Owens fell off the ring through another ladder.   Yano set up tables outside the ring.   Owens got some handcuffs.   Yano attacked him and Owens hit him with a low blow.   Owens hit a Package Piledriver on top of the tables.  Yano was knocked silly and he could respond to the referee.

Owens handcuffed Yano to the guardrail.   He poured water on Yano wake him up and whipped him with the leather strap.   Yano refused to quit.   Owens got a baseball bat and was about to hit Yano.   Yano pulled out a key and unlocked his cuffs.  Yano low blowed Owens and hand cuffed him.    Yano whipped Owens and powerbombed him through a table.   Yano cuffed Owens to the top rope.    Yano pulled a scissors and tried to cut Owens hair.  Owens spit in Yano’s face.     Yano snapped and tried to poke Owens in the eye with the scissors.   The referee tried to stop Yano and Owens was freaking out and he screamed “I Quit”. 

Yano wins the match and the KOPW 2021.

The image of Yano trying to stab Owens was a bit much and quite violent.   I understand what they were trying to do.   I wonder if this was a message to FMW-E.   

They announced that Wrestle Kingdom will take place over three nights.   Two nights in the Tokyo Dome (January 4 and 5) and one night in the Yokohama Arena (January 8).

5 - Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb

Great O-Khan is at ringside in Cobb’s corner. 
Okada was out wrestling and outsmarting Cobb in the early moments.   Until Cobb hit a snap belly-to-belly and threw Okada across the ring.   Cobb used his power to gain the advantage.   Okada took the match to the floor.    Okada thew Cobb over the guardrail.  Okada tried to hit a body press over the guardrail but Cobb caught him and pressed him into a suplex onto the floor.   Brutal.    Okada fights back with a dropkick, a tombstone and the Money Clip.    Cobb gets to the ropes.   Cobb hits a piledriver on Okada.   Both men throwing elbows at each other.  They went back and forth.

Cobb hit Tour of the Islands on Okada.  Cobb pins Okada!   

Wow great match.   Massive win by Jeff Cobb.   My recap does not do this match justice.    Please go to New Japan World and check this match out.

This sets up Cobb for big things to come.   Heading into the G1 Climax, Cobb has momentum and looks unbeatable.   

6 - IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship:  Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kota Ibushi

As both men were introduced to the crowd, Ibushi was crying, realizing the impact of the moment as he was facing an opponent (and friend) who chose him for this match.

The match was fairly even until both men started throwing strikes.    Ibushi got the better of Tanahashi with strikes.    Tanahashi fought back with wrestling hitting a Slingblade and Twist and Shout.   Tanahashi went for a High Fly Flow but Ibushi got his knees up.    Ibushi hit a Kamagoye but could not go for the pin.    Tanahashi avoided another Kamagoye and he hit Aces High.   Tanahashi hit a clean High Fly Flow.

Tanahashi pins Ibushi.

Hiroshi Tanahashi retains the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship.

Both men had words in the ring and you could see their mutual respect.  More tears shed.   

Tanahashi got the mic and thanked Ibushi for the match.    He thanked the fans for coming to the event.   He gave the audience an air guitar show to send them home smiling.

More pyro to close Night One.

Stay tuned for Night Two.

Thanks for reading.

 

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!

• Tweet