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Sumo Hall, Tokyo, Japan:
1 - Hirooki Goto and Tatsuya Matsumoto vs. Shingo Takagi and Daiki Nagai
Takagi pins Matsumoto after hitting a Death Rider.
After the match, a video plays of Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir. Moxley says he is returning to New Japan.
Takagi gets the mic and he was insulted that Moxley did not mention his name. Takagi tells the matchmakers in New Japan to put his name in against Moxley.
2 - Yuya Uemura, Taichi and El Desperado vs. SANADA, Yujiro Takahashi and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Taichi hits Black Mephisto on Takahashi and gets the pin.
3 - Hechicero and Boltin Oleg vs. Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson
Oleg pins Jackson after a huge Kamikaze.
4 - Konosuke Takeshita and Toru Yano vs. Ren Narita and Shun Skywalker
Yano hits two low blows on Skywalker and gets the pin.
This is Skywalker's first pinfall loss in New Japan. Yano is now in line for a NJPW TV Tile shot.
They announce the TANAHASHI JAM 2 on November 19, which will all matches that Tanahashi wants to book.
5 - NEVER Openweight 6-man Tag Championship: Jeff Cobb, OSKAR and Yuto-Ice vs. Great O-Khan, HENARE and Will Ospreay
Jakob Austin Young, Zane Jay, Francesco Akira and Jake Lee are in suits accompanying United Empire. No Callum Newman. Will Ospreay comes out last, wearing the AEW World Title and carrying the NEVER 6-man belt. Massive pop. Ospreay is wearing a PAC arm band.
In the middle of the match, Callum Newman shows up a throws a chair in the ring. Ospreay throws the chair out of the ring. Ospreay hits the Hidden Blade on Yuto. Everyone exchanges their finishers. HENARE hits Rampage on Yuto. OSKAR breaks it up and everyone fights again. HENARE hits a heabutt on O-Khan by mistake. OSKAR and Yuto hit K.O.B. on HENARE. Yuto pins HENARE.
The Knockout Brothers and Jeff Cobb win the NEVER Openweight 6-man Championship.
After the match, Newman attacks OSKAR with his sword, hitting him in the knee. The rest of United Empire attack Cobb. Newman almost beheads Ospreay with the sword. Ospreay tells Newman that this is not what we do. Newman walks out of the ring.
Ospreay challenges Yuto and OSKAR for the IWGP Tag Team Championship. Yuto says they will give him a shot, if they can pick his partner. They pick Callum Newman as his partner.
They are dragging this United Empire storyline out as much as they can. Ospreay vs. Newman does not seem special because Ospreay is not around to build the anticipation. Ospreay does bring money into the company and is a massive draw for New Japan. However, does Ospreay's presence take away something from the Japanese talent that are trying to get over in Japan?
6 - NEVER Openweight Champion: Aaron Wolf vs. Kosei Fujita
Wolf pins Fujita after a Northern Lights Bomb.
Aaron Wolf retains the NEVER Openweight Championship.
7 - IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship: Shota Umino vs. Gabe Kidd
As Gabe Kidd came to the ring, the camera captured for the chair with a towel with PAC's name, representing and remembering his spirit at this event.
Kidd and Umino quickly started the match into the brawl. Good stiff match. Kidd is bleeding from the mouth. Kidd hit a brainbuster on Umino on the ring apron. Ouch. Umino powerbombs Kidd through a table. Kidd's back is bleeding from the table. Umino throws him into metal turnbuckle headfirst. Kidd is bleeding from the head. They trade strikes and suplexes. More stiff shots. They are beating the crap out of each other. Kidd hits a Rebound Lariat, then applies the Rings of Saturn. Umino reverses into an STF. Rope break. They trade more strikes. Kidd hits The Oni (Knee Strike). Two count. More stiff shots. Kidd hits a piledriver. Two count. Kidd hits a Second Chapter on Umino.
Kidd pins Umino.
Gabe Kidd retains the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship.
Kidd cuts a promo and questions the fighting spirit in New Japan. He asks who can take the title from him. No one comes out. He throws the belt down, tells the crowd he will see them at the Tokyo Dome and walks out. Out comes Taichi. Taichi gets in the face of Kidd and says that he does not belong here. Taichi says if no one will step up, then he will.
Kidd accepts the challenge and will face him in November at Power Struggle. Taichi says that he will take that title and Kidd will not show his face in New Japan again.
Fun stiff match. Gabe Kidd is still the best heel in New Japan. He is building up the prestige of the Global Championship. Umino could still be built back up to be a challenger at Wrestle Kingdom. Taichi has been out of the singles title picture for a long time and does not seem like a credible challenger based on his recent match history. However, as New Japan goes into tag team title tournaments, Taichi is not doing anything now. New Japan will need to build the anticipation for this match. New Japan should do what they can to keep Kidd in the company, even if on a parttime basis.
8 - IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: YOH vs. Robbie Eagles
Eagles kept attacking YOH's legs for the Ron Miller Special. YOH kept his attack on Eagle's arm and neck for the Anaconda Vice. Eagles goes for the Ron Miller Special, but YOH reverses into a Five Star Clutch. YOH pins Eagles.
YOH retains the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
9 - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Yota Tsuji vs. Ryohei Oiwa
Oiwa's headlock is the story of this match. The commentators are also referencing MJF and his challenge against Oiwa. Tsuji attacks the ribs of Oiwa. Another good match. Oiwa weakens Tsuji's arms with submissions. Lots of nearfalls. Tsuji hits a Double Stomp off the top rope. Oiwa counters a Gene Blaster with a Doctor Bomb. More nearfall. Tsuji with a Gene Blaster. Two count. Tsuji with a Boston Crab. Oiwa powers out and applies a Headlock Submission. Tsuji tries to escape but Oiwa has it locked in. Tsuji punches his way out. Oiwa hits a Zack Driver. Two count. Tsuji hits a Fire Blaster. Two count. Oiwa hits a lariat. Oiwa hits The Grip. Two count. Tsuji with another Fire Blaster. Two count. Tsuji hits another Fire Blaster.
Tsuji finally pins Oiwa.
Yota Tsuji retains the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
Great match. Both men told a great story in the ring. The problem was MJF who cut the video last week calling out Ryohei Oiwa. MJF is not the top guy in AEW so it telegraphed who would win this match.
Yota Tsuji got the mic and thanked everyone and said that he is the face of New Japan now.
A video plays of Kenny Omega. Omega criticize Yota Tsuji for missing the Forbidden Door, and challenges Tsuji for a match.
Tsuji responds saying that Omega needs to come to Japan to face him.
Out comes Boltin Oleg. He gets face to face with Tsuji after their match in the G1. Kenny Omega hits the ring and plants Oleg with a Dragon Suplex. He hits another Dragon Suplex on Tsuji. Omega hits a V-Trigger to the head of Tsuji. Omega hits a One-Winged Angel on Tsuji. Crowd boos Omega.
Omega calls out Tanahashi to make the match, but until that happens, he bids everyone adieu.
Omega poses with the belt and stands over a fallen Tsuji.
The relationship between AEW and New Japan is going well. After this show, we have the AEW talent of MJF, Jon Moxley, Gabe Kidd, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay all involved with upcoming events in New Japan. Also, Claudio Castagnoli was here last month. It seems AEW is returning the favor in bringing their talent over to New Japan. Gabe Kidd, Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega can speak Japanese which benefits the fans. All this talent coming into New Japan will help sell tickets.
However, does this hurt the home grown New Japan wrestlers? Oiwa won the G1 but now lost to Tsuji and he now has to face MJF over a headlock? O-Khan and HENARE lost both belts and now are afterthoughts under the Will Ospreay and Callum Newman story.
Despite his heel work, Gabe Kidd still respects New Japan and his battle with Umino made elevated Umino even more. However, Umino will have to conquer the demon of Gabe Kidd at Wrestle Kingdom.
Thank you for reading.
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