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TITLE CHANGES, SURPRISES AND MORE: NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022 REPORT

2022 New Japan Pro Wrestling Wrestling Dontaku report from Fukuoka, Japan:

BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Shiro Koshinaka vs. Zack Sabre Jr., TAKA Michinoku and Taichi

Tatsumi Fujinami was supposed to be in this match but he tested positive for COVID. Japanese legend Shiro Koshinaka replaces Fujinami.

Koshinaka and ZSJ begin the match with takedowns and headlocks. Koshinaka takes ZSJ down with a hip attack.   BUSHI tags in. ZSJ goes after the leg of BUSHI with an ankle lock.   Match spills to the floor.  Suzuki-Gun makes quick tags to keep BUSHI in their corner.   BUSHI tags in Takagi.  Takagi beats on TAKA.  Suzuki-Gun triple team Takagi.  Takagi fights them off.   BUSHI and Koshinaka join Takagi in the ring and they triple team Taichi.  Koshinaka hits a hip attack in Taichi’s face.  Takagi hits a Pumping Bomber on Taichi.  Koshinaka comes off the top rope with a hip attack!  Wow!  Koshinaka hits a running hip attack on TAKA off the ring apron.   In the ring, Takagi battles Taichi with lariats and strikes.   Taichi rolls up Takagi with a Gedo Clutch.

Taichi pins Takagi.

Taichi makes the referee continue to count.  The referee counted to 6.   Taichi and Takagi had words after the match, teasing a future match for the KOPW Trophy.

If you have not seen Taichi vs. Shingo Takagi for the KOPW Trophy on April 25, please do so.  You won’t be disappointed.

YOH vs. Hiromu Takahashi 

They begin chopping each other in the chest.   They take down each other with shoulder tackles.  Hiromu hits a Death Valley Driver into the turnbuckle.  Hiromu goes for a Time Bomb, but YOH rolls out.  Hiromu throws YOH out of the ring onto the ring apron.  Hiromu goes for a Sunset Bomb on the floor, but YOH reverses into a Frankensteiner.   YOH hits a tope con hilo on Hiromu.  YOH is selling his left knee.  Both men almost get counted out. They trade dropkicks.  YOH hits a Falcon Arrow, but could not make the cover.  YOH hits a lariat.  Hiromu counters with a Victory Royal.   They trade roll ups.  Hiromu with a release German suplex and a lariat.  YOH kicks out at one.   YOH nails a superkick.   YOH hits a DMV neck breaker.  YOH with a Dragon Suplex.  Two count.   Hiromu with a superkick and throws YOH into the turnbuckle.   Hiromu with a lariat.  Hiromu hits Time Bomb.   Hiromu hits Time Bomb II.

Hiromu pins YOH.

Good match.  This was a nice preview of the upcoming Best of Super Junior Tournament later this month.

Hiromu yells at YOH to get out of the ring.  Hiromu leaves the BOSJ Trophy in the ring.

Tanga Loa, with Jado vs. Yujiro Takahashi, with Pieter

Yujiro attacked Tanga before he could get in the ring.   Tanga absorbed the attacks and fought back using his power.  Yujiro tries to escape up the ramp.  Tanga goes after him and tries to power bomb him on the ramp.  SHO runs out and attacks Tanga.   Yujiro hits a fisherman buster on the ramp.   Yujiro drags Tanga back to the ring.  Yujiro hits another fisherman buster then a big boot to the face.  Yujiro locks in a cross face.   Tanga powers his way to the ropes.   Yujiro tries for another fisherman buster, but Tanga reverses into a Jackhammer.    Tanga hulks up and hits Yujiro with lariats.   He punches SHO off the ring apron.   Tanga hits a T-Bone suplex and a 619.    Yujiro hits a dropkick and a Olympic Slam.   Tanga hits a spear for a two count.    The referee takes a bump when SHO jumps on the ring apron.  SHO hits a release German suplex on Tanga and punches Jado off the apron.  SHO goes outside to get his wrench.  He tries to hit Tanga but he ducks and throws SHO into a lariat by Jado.   Tanga hits a massive power bomb on SHO.  Yujiro from behind, hits Pimp Juice.  Tanga kicks out at two.  Yujiro goes for Big Juice, but Tanga reverses out and hits a spinning uranage.    Tanga picks of Yujiro and hits Apeshit.

Tanga Loa pins Yujiro.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi vs. DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru 

Taguchi comes to the ring, holding his underwear, implying that he is not wearing any under his tights.  DOUKI and Wato start off.    The match quickly spills to the floor.   Suzuki-Gun bounces the tag champs off the guardrails.   Pace picks up.  Kanemaru attacks the left leg of Taguchi.  Kanemaru locks on a figure four.  Taguchi gets a rope break.   Kanemaru goes after Taguchi’s leg.  Wato hits him with an elbow off the top rope.   Kanemaru rolls up Taguchi.  Wato breaks up the pinfall.   Wato and Taguchi whip DOUKI into the ropes who jumps on the second rope and hits them with elbows to the face.   Kanemaru goes for Suntori whiskey bottle.   He takes a mouthful.   He pulls up Taguchi by the tights.  Taguchi is wearing a thong.  Taguchi covers Kanemaru’s mouth.  He spins Kanemaru around and hits a hip attack to his back.  Kanemaru sprays DOUKI in the face.  Taguchi rolls up Kanemaru and sits on his face with his bare butt.

Taguchi pins Kanemaru.

Master Wato and Ryusuke Taguchi retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team titles.

IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship:  Jeff Cobb and Great O-Khan vs. YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto vs. Chase Owens and Bad Luck Fale

According to the rules of the match, this will be a Tonado match, with no tags needed.

Chase Owens pays tribute to Beautiful Bobby Eaton wearing his t-shirt.

Great O-Khan comes out with a new entrance attire.

Fale attacks Cobb during the ring announcements.  This may be too much to recap here.   Fale gets thrown into the guardrails by United Empire.   Bodies are flying around the ring.   Until Cobb and Fale met in the ring face to face.  They hit each other with elbows.   Fale took down Cobb with a shoulder tackle.  Cobb got up and scoop slammed Fale.  The crowd popped for Cobb’s strength.   YOSHI-HASHI dropkicked Cobb out of the ring.  O-Khan jumped him from behind.  Goto and YOSHI-HASHI double teamed O-Khan.  They hit a Shoto on O-Khan.  YOSHI-HASHI goes for a pin and Owens hits him with a C-Trigger.   Goto and Owens trade strikes.   Owens jumps over the top rope and lands on O-Khan and YOSHI-HASHI.   Cobb tries for Tour of the Islands on Goto.  Goto reverses out and hits an ushigaroshi.   Goto goes for a GTR, but Cobb reverses out and elbows Goto in the face.  Goto falls to the mat.   Cobb pulls him up into a Tour of the Islands.   Cobb goes for the pin but Fale breaks it up.  Fale goes for a Hand Grenade.  Cobb hits a dropkick.   Cobb charges at Fale but pulls down the top rope and Cobb lands on the ring apron.  Owens hits a C-Trigger on Cobb and Fale follows with a lariat.  Cobb bumps to the floor.   Fale hits a Hand Grenade on Goto.   Owens goes to the top rope and they hit a Rocket Launcher.

Owens pins Goto.

Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens win the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship.

This is the first title for Chase Owens in New Japan.

United Empire has words with Bullet Club after the match, especially since they were not pinned for the belts.

They played a video announcing the participants in the Best of the Super Jr. 29.

A Block

1.  Hiromu Takahashi 

2.  Ryusuke Taguchi

3.  YOH

4.  Yoshinobu Kanemaru 

5.  Taiji Ishimori 

6.  SHO

7.  Clark Conners

8.  Alex Zayne

9.  Ace Austin

10.  Francesco Akira

B Block

1.  Master Wato

2.  Robbie Eagles

3.  BUSHI

4.  DOUKI 

5.  El Desperado 

6.  El Phantasmo 

7.  Titan

8. TJP

9.  Wheeler Yuta

10.  El Lindaman

NEVER Openweight Championship:  EVIL, with Dick Togo vs. Tama Tonga, with Jado

Tama attacks EVIL on his way to the ring.  They battle all around ringside.   Tama gets thrown into the time keeper table.  EVIL had the advantage until Tama powered up and hit three dropkicks.   Tama punches Dick Togo.   Tama hits a Stinger Splash.   Tama with a Tonga Twist.   EVIL hits a lariat.  Two count on Tama.   Togo tries to interfere but gets knocked to the floor.  Tama hits a Death Valley Driver then a Supreme Flow.  EVIL kicks out at two.   Tama goes for a Scorpion but EVIL rakes his eyes.  Togo hits Tama in the head with a chair.   EVIL hits Darkness Falls.   Kick out at two.   EVIL tried for the Darkness Scorpion but Tama fights him off.   Tama locks EVIL in his own Scorpion Death Lock.   Togo pushes Jado into the guardrails.  Togo grabs the bell hammer and rings the bell.  Tama let go of the hold, thinking he won.   The referee is explaining it to him.  EVIL hits Tama from behind and into the referee, who goes flying out of the ring.  Togo jumps in and chokes out Tama with piano wire.   Tama powers out of the choke.  EVIL hits Tama in the back and they drop Tama with a Magic Killer.  Togo and EVIL tried to hit a super power bomb.   Jado hit EVIL in the back with the kendo stick.  Tama suplexes Togo.   Jado hits EVIL on the head with the kendo stick.  They reverse out of each other’s finishers.  Tama finally connects with the Gun Stun.

Tama Tonga pins EVIL.

Tama Tonga wins the NEVER Openweight Championship!

The crowd pops at the win.   Jado hugs Tama in the ring.   “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows hit the ring, with Bullet Club colors on.  They pound on Tama and Jado.  They hit a Magic Killer on Jado.   They beat down Tama.   Tanga Loa sprints to the the ring for the save.   Gallows plants Tanga with a sit down choke slam.   Anderson hits a Gun Stun on the NEVER Openweight belt.

Anderson looks in the camera and says “Tama Tonga, you are taking too much shit.  Do you realize what you have just gotten yourself involved in?  The Machine Gun is back!”

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship:  El Desperado vs. Taiji Ishimori 

Ishimori goes after the arm of Desperado.  They battle to the outside and Ishimori drops Desperado chest first on the guardrail. Ishimori takes the turnbuckle pad off and rams Desperado‘s left arm into the metal corner.   Ishimori worked over the left arm.   He tied Desperado’s arm up and locked in a triangle, with Ishimori’s legs around the head and neck of Desperado.  Rope break.  Desperado fights back with kick to the left leg of Ishimori and a Dragon Screw.   Desperado applies an Indian Death Lock.   Ishimori runs Desperado’s left arm into the ring post.  Ishimori hits a shoulder breaker but he uses his left knee and drops Desperado entire weight on his knee.  Ishimori and Desperado are in pain.   Ishimori goes for a 450 and missed.  Desperado hits a spear.  Ishimori hits a lung blower.   Ishimori goes for La Mistica, but Desperado blocks it and reverses into Guitarra de Angel.  Two count.   Ishimori connects with a high knee.  Desperado connects with a right punch.   Ishimori hits La Mistica and a Yes Lock.   Desperado screams in pain but reverses out and applies Numero Dos.  Ishimori wiggles out of hold and applies a modified Cobra twist.   Desperado repositions Ishimori on his back and drops to his knee, driving Ishimori’s head to the mat.  Two count.  Desperado hit Pinche Loco.  Desperado held on and went for another Pinche Loco.  Ishimori rolled out and applied the Bone Lock on Desperado’s left arm.    

Desperado taps out.

Taiji Ishimori wins the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship!

Big pop of surprise from the crowd.  

IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship:  Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Will Ospreay was supposed to face Hiroshi Tanahashi, but he tested positive for COVID.   Tomohiro Ishii replaces Ospreay.

As they lock up, Ishii slaps Tanahashi.   Tanahashi slaps him back.  Tanahashi hits a spring board body press and played his electric guitar for the fans.  Ishii kicks him  in the middle of his back, talking trash.    They begin throwing elbows back and forth.  Ishii hits a suplex.  Two count.   They exchange chops.  Tanahashi with a flying forearm.  Tanahashi with a somersault senton.  Two count.   Tanahashi hits a Dragon Screw.    Ishii counters with his own Dragon Screw.   Ishii kicks Tanahashi in the back and he gets angry.   Tanahashi throws elbows to the face Ishii who fights back with elbows.  Both men climb to the top rope.   Tanahashi tries a Sunset Bomb but Ishii avoids it.  Ishii is about to hit a move from the top rope, but Tanahashi grabs his leg and hits a Dragon Screw off the top rope.  Ishii is clutching his leg.  Tanahashi applies the Texas Cloverleaf.  Ishii gets a rope break.   They exchange strikes.   Tanahashi with a Dragon Suplex.  Ishii with a Dragon Suplex.  Tanahashi hits two Slingblades. Two count.

Tanahashi hits a German suplex.  Two count. Tanahashi climbs to the top rope.  Ishii charges and headbutts Tanahashi.   Ishii hits a superplex.  Two count.  Ishii with a Sliding Lariat.  Two count.   Ishii goes for a brainbuster, but Tanahashi reverses into a Twist and Shout.  He hits another Twist and Shout.  Tanahashi hits a Dragon Suplex.  Two count.   Tanahashi hits a High Fly Flow.  Tanahashi goes for another High Fly Flow, but Ishii moves.   Ishii rolls Tanahashi in a La Magistral cradle.   Tanahashi kicks out.  Tanahashi hits two lariats.  Ishii hits lariats of his own.   Ishii hits a brainbuster.   Tanahashi kicks out!!!!!   What????

Tanahashi hits a reverse Slingblade.  They exchanged chops, elbows and headbutts.   Ishii hits his own Slingblade.   They struggle for a position and Tanahashi hits a brainbuster.  Tanahashi hits Sky High.   Tanahashi connects with High Fly Flow.

Tanahashi pins Ishii.

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

Good fun match!   Both men beat the crap out of each other.

After the match, Tanahashi thanks Ishii.  He tells SANADA that he kept his promise to get the U.S. Title back.

Chase Owens comes to the ring.  He said that he beat Tanahashi in the G1 last year, when he was U. S. Champion, but Owens never got a title shot.  Owens said now that he is a Tag Champion, he does not care about that title.  Owens points and says that man might.   A masked man in a Bullet Club vest appears behind Tanahashi.   The man his a left hand to Tanahashi’s face and hits a Pulp Friction.   The mask comes off and it is Juice Robinson.  He lays out Tanahashi and poses with the U.S. Heavyweight title.  

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito 

Okada began the match by attacking Naito’s neck.   The match goes to the floor and Naito throws Okada into the guardrails.  He hits neck breaker on the floor.   Naito is in control and he is attacking Okada’s neck.  Naito hit another wicked neck breaker on the ring apron.   Naito traps Okada in a full Nelson with his legs.  Okada gets a rope break.    Okada stuns Naito with a big boot.  Okada with a flapjack.  Okada with neck breaker of his own.  Two count.   Naito goes to the top rope. Okada with a dropkick and Naito bumps hard to the floor.  Naito is thrown over the guardrail.   Okada leaps over the guardrail with a body press.   

Back in the ring, Okada hits a shotgun dropkick from the top rope.  Okada locks on the Money Clip.   Naito gets to the ropes.   Okada with a top rope elbow and a Rainmaker pose. Okada hit forearms to the back and went for a Rainmaker.  Naito reverses into a Spinebuster.   Naito hits Gloria.  Two count.   Naito traps Okada in a neck submission but Okada gets to the ropes.  Naito puts Okada on the ropes for a Frankensteiner.  Okada drops Naito with sit down powerbomb.   Okada misses a dropkick.  Naito with a Jacknife pin.  Two count.  Naito tries for Destino.  Okada reverses and hits a lariat.  Okada with another lariat.   Okada goes for a Rainmaker but Naito hits an elbow in his face.  Okada with a running shot gun dropkick sends Naito flying into the ropes.   Naito hits another modified neck breaker.   Both men are slow to get up.   Naito begins to throw elbows to Okada’s neck.  Naito hits Esperanza.   Naito goes for Destino but Okada avoids it.  Naito tries again but did not hit it fully.  Two count.  He tries a third time and Okada reverses and hits a jumping spinning tombstone.   Okada hits a lariat and goes for a Rainmaker.  Naito reverses and rolls up Okada in a pin.  Okada kicks out.   Naito hits a Capo kick to Okada’s head.  Okada counters with a dropkick to the chest.

Okada hits a Landslide.    Naito counters with Destino.  Two count.   Naito goes for a Star Dust Press but misses.  Okada misses another Rainmaker.   They exchange hard elbows.   Okada grabs Naito and hits a German suplex.  Naito hold on to the wrist for a Rainmaker, but Naito slaps him in the face.    Okada returns the slap.  They slap each other violently.  Naito goes for Destino again.   Okada  wiggles out and hits a high kick to Naito’s head.   He lifts and hits Naito with a spinning gut wrench Flosion.   Okada hits a big Rainmaker.

Okada pins Naito.

Kazuchika Okada retains the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Okada takes the mic and thanks Naito for the match.  He said the slap that Naito gave him showed his fighting spirit.  He thanked the fans for coming and filling the Fukuoka Dome.   He thanks the fans for following rules and restrictions.  He says he will keep making it rain.

As Okada was celebrating,  Jay White’s music plays and he comes to the ring.

Gedo attacks Okada from behind.   Jay White hits a Bladerunner on Okada.   

Jay White asked if they forgot who he was.   He lists all his accomplishments.   Bullet Club comes to the ring.  Karl Anderson says Happy Birthday Bullet Club.  Anderson proclaims Jay White as the best wrestler in the world and the next IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.  Jay White hits another Bladerunner on Okada.   

Interesting, no House of Torture.

Thanks for reading.

 

James Kurokawa

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