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3/10 New Japan Pro Wrestling from Yamanishi, Japan:
1 - Kosei Fujita and Zack Sabre Jr vs. SHO and Yujiro Takahashi
SHO hits a low blow on Fujita and follows with a cross arm Piledriver.
SHO pins Fujita
2 - EVIL and Dick Togo vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taichi
House of Torture tried their tricks. But Taichi and Kanemaru were ready. EVIL and Togo gets whiskey sprayed in the eyes.
Kanemaru pins Togo with a Victory Roll
3 - El Phantasmo, KENTA, Chase Owens and David Finlay, with Gedo, vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Ren Narita, El Desperado and Minoru Suzuki
Big brawl to start the match. KENTA and Suzuki squared off which was fun to watch. Wild match. Taguchi trapped Finlay in an ankle lock. ELP took his time to make the save but got taken out by Suzuki. Finlay recovers and hits a Trash Panda on Taguchi.
Finlay pins Taguchi
They are teasing dissension between El Phantasmo and David Finlay. Phantasmo endorsed Jay White prior to his Loser Leaves matches. This story will pan out over the next few months. Finlay is still getting comfortable in his new role. Jay White was a great heel and a heat magnet. We shall see if Finlay can fit that role.
4 - Great O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Mark Davis and Will Ospreay vs. Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii and Hirooki Goto
Cobb pins Honma after a Tour of the Islands.
5 - BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito vs. Lio Rush, YOH, Shota Umino and Tama Tonga, with Jado
Umino forces BUSHI to tap out to an STF.
New Japan Cup 2023 Matches:
6 - Round 1: Kyle Fletcher vs. YOSHI-HASHI
Fletcher used wrestling and heel tactics to tire out YOSHI-HASHI. YOSHI-HASHI fought back with strikes and taking the match to the floor. Fletcher bumped hard for YOSHI-HASHI. Fletcher hit a running boot and a brainbuster. Two count. Fletcher with a Michinoku Driver. Two count. The exchange reversals. YOSHI-HASHI with a Destroyer. Two count.
They exchange strikes. YOSHI-HASHI with another Destroyer and a lariat. Two count. They exchange suplexes and lariats. YOSHI-HASHI hits a Kumagaroshi. Two count. Fletcher with a flying leg lariat and hit a jumping tombstone.
Fletcher pins YOSHI-HASHI.
Kyle Fletcher moves on and will face Hirooki Goto in the next round.
Big win for Fletcher. United Empire celebrates his win at ringside. Fletcher pinned an IWGP Tag Champion, which will put Aussie Open in line for a title shot. Kyle Fletcher has the ability to become a single star in the future. His style is similar to Will Ospreay and he could be a top guy in New Japan in the coming years.
7 - Round 1: Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare
Massive pop for Takagi as this is his hometown.
They trade stiff shots. Henare went after the ribs with stiff punches and submissions. Henare tried to cave Takagi’s chest with blocks. Takagi fights back with lariats and a suplex. Takagi with a DDT and a sliding lariat. Takagi hits a superplex. Two count.
Henare with a Bezerker Bomb. Henare follows with a spinning high kick and a senton. Takagi blocks a Rampage and they exchange reversals. Henare goes for Ultima and Takagi blocks. They exchange more viscous strikes. Henare blocks Made in Japan and Last of the Dragon. Takagi hammers Henare with strikes. Henare connects with a punch to the gut, a roundhouse kick and hits a Rampage. Two count.
Takagi selling his ribs. Henare locks in Ultima. Henare tried for Streets of Rage but Takagi reverses out and hits a GTR. Takagi hits Made in Japan. Henare kicks out. Henare with a high knee and a punt kick. Two count. Henare hits a wicked headbutt. Henare hits Streets of Rage.
Henare pins Takagi.
Aaron Henare wins and moves on to face Tama Tonga.
Good match. Big win for Aaron Henare. Six member of United Empire are still alive in the New Japan Cup. Henare looked like he was on another level in this match. Credit to Takagi for getting Henare over, in Takagi’s hometown.
Thank you for reading.
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