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4/25 NJPW GOLDEN FIGHT SERIES REPORT FROM HIROSHIMA, JAPAN

4/25/22 Results from New Japan’s Golden Fight Series From Hiroshima, Japan:

Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe vs. Yuto Nakashima and Tiger Mask

Nakashima tripped coming off the ropes.  Honma body slammed him and hit a Kokeshi from the second rope.

Honma pins Nakashima.

Ryohei Oiwa, Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Zack Sabre Jr., DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru 

Oiwa applied a Boston Crab on ZSJ.  ZSJ reversed out of the hold and applied a leg scissors choke on Oiwa’s neck.

Oiwa taps out.

Suzuki-Gun continued to beat down Wato and Taguchi after the match.  Both teams will face off for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at Wrestling Dontaku 2022.

TAKA Michinoku and El Desperado vs. Gedo and Taiji Ishimori

Ishimori and Gedo worked over Desperado’s neck in the match.

Ishimori pins TAKA after hittting a Bloody Cross.

Desperado continued to sell the neck as he went to the locker room.  

El Desperado will defend the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against Taiji Ishimori at Wrestling Dontaku.

YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens

Both teams were evenly matched.  The referee took a bump.  Fale grabbed one of the Bo staffs that Goto and YOSHI-HASHI bring to the ring.  Goto stopped Fale and they struggled with the staff.  Goto yanked the staff away but hit YOSHI-HASHI in the face.   Goto went to check on him.  Fale and Owens hit a Grenade Launcher on Goto.   They pulled YOSHI-HASHI to the middle of the ring and they hit a Rocket Launcher Elbow from the top rope.

Owens pins YOSHI-HASHI.

Owens and Fale take the Bo staffs with them back to the locker room.

Solid match.  Bullet Club getting the win here makes them look credible as both teams will face United Empire in a 3-way match for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship at Wrestling Dontaku.

YOH, Toru Yano and Kazuchika Okada vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito

Naito pins Yano with a Jackknife roll up pin.

After the match, Okada tries to fist bump Naito and goes for a Rainmaker.   Naito reverses out and hits Destino.  LIJ poses in the ring over Okada.  Tetsuya Naito will challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestling Dontaku.

NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Championship:  Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa, with Jado vs. SHO, Yujiro Takahashi and EVIL, with Dick Togo

House of Torture attacked at the bell.   Match spilled to the floor.  Togo and Jado got involved as well.  Everyone was popping in and out of the ring, fighting each other.   

Tanga Loa went for his Apeshit finisher on Yujiro.  Yujiro slid out and pushed Tanga into the referee who took a bump.   Togo chokes out Tanga.  Jado attacks Togo and throws him out of the ring.  Tanga and Yujiro hit each other with punches and chops.  Tanga goes for Apeshit again.   EVIL hits a low blow on Tanga.   SHO jumps in the ring and hits Tanga with his wrench.    Yujiro hits Big Juice on Tanga.

Yujiro pins Tanga Loa.

House of Torture retains the NEVER Openweight 6 man Tag Team Championship.

KOPW 2022 Trophy:  Shingo Takagi vs. Taichi, with Miho Abe

This is a 30 count match.  Both men must go for pinfalls and the referee will count.  The winner will be whoever reaches a score of 30.  

Within 5 minutes, Taichi was up 9 to 5.  

Takagi with a small package.  9 to 7

Takagi with a Noshigami.  9 to 9.  All tied up.

Taichi with a Jumping high kick.  Taichi takes the lead 11 to 9.

Taichi with another high kick.  Taichi up 13 to 9.

Takagi hits Made in Japan.   13 to 11.

Taichi hits a Dangerous Backdrop.  15 to 11

Takagi with a superplex.   15 to 13.

Taichi with an Axe Bomber.  17 to 13.

Taichi hits Black Mephisto.  Referee counts 6.  Taichi lead 23 to 13.

Takagi goes for a Gedo Clutch. 23 to 15.

Takagi with a cradle roll up.   23 to 18.

Takagi hits Last of the Dragon.   23 to 23.

Both men are wiped out having hitting their biggest moves.  They exchange lariats.   

Taichi with a Gedo Clutch.  28 to 23.

Taichi hits another high kick but cannot follow up.   Both men are exhausted.   

Takagi hits a Pumping Bomber.  28 to 24.

Taichi with an Axe Bomber.  29 to 24.

Both men hammer each other with strikes and punches.

Takagi hits Last of the Dragon.  Referee counts to 6.   29 to 30.

Takagi wins with 30 counts.

Shingo Takagi wins the KOPW Trophy 2022.

Suzuki-Gun came from the locker room to help Taichi to the back.  

This was a surprisingly good match.  Both men beat the hell out each other, and they were on the mat for a long time.   Takagi was bleeding slightly under his left eye.  Both men got the most counts from their primary finishers, but were also able to get quick counts from their wrestling ability.  They had to alter their strategy slightly to think going for pins rather than submissions and the match was kept inside the ring.   This is a great idea and hopefully this stipulation will return.

New Japan returns with Wrestling Dontaku 2022 this Sunday May 1.

Thanks for reading.

 

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