My oh my, was that ever a long night… but it was sure worth it! Ladies and gentlemen, Wrestle Kingdom 14 is, technically still upon us as we speak as we are now between halves of this pro wrestling extravaganza! Night 1 finished a few hours ago as I type this and frankly I’ve only just now begun to decompress from all that I’ve witnessed. As I said before any of this even started, it’s going to go down as a truly unforgettable weekend in professional wrestling’s storied history.
The second bout on tap for the show is something you’re always likely to see early on the card during major New Japan Pro Wrestling events; a battle between groups of old legends.
Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) def. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Everyone involved in this match has been IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Aside from Nakanishi, all of them held it more than once as well. Nagata in particular was once king around these parts, but Tencozy is the one with an abundance of tag team accolades to their name. So it’s no surprise at all that they ended up getting the win here, just makes sense.
You can see an excerpt of my recap of this match below:
Kojima takes Nakanishi to the corner for his million overhead chops! Whip to the opposite corner, charging elbow and the ensuing chant actually echoes! There’s a legit echo in here that’s incredible. Charging stereo clotheslines, Nakanishi covers for 2. Takes him up for the Torture Rack, Tenzan comes up and he lets him go to chop the both of them. Hits the ropes, runs right into a 3D! Kojima covers, Nagata breaks it up. Kojima hits the ropes, Nakanishi stops the first lariat attempt but the second nails him and Tencozy pick up the win.
Winners: Tencozy
