s I type this, I’m watching Sanada make his way out for his match with Jay White! Jordan Huie of the Overtimer here for some special coverage of NJPW’s New Beginning In Osaka! I’ll be giving the same recap action you’ve come to expect for all the major matches from the show, which took place in the wee hours of the morning for us stateside. Fortunately I’ve avoided spoilers so I’ll be able to call it the same way I would as if it were live!
Jay White vs. Sanada
Solid chant for Sanada before the bell. Jay pleading for jeers and eventually gets them. Bell rings and the Sanada chant resumes, they have really gotten behind him in the past year or so. Jay with the immediate advantage, quick pummel, side headlock. Sanada shoots him off, tries an arm drag, it’s blocked, Jay with a waistlock into a snapmare but Sanada lands on his feet! Dumps Jay to the floor! Charges for the dive, Jay evades but it’s a fake-out, fight goes back into the ring and Jay clips him from behind. Throws him to the outside and distracts the ref. Gedo strangles Sanada with a towel behind the ref’s back.
Jay looks for the count-out win. At 16, Sanada rolls in and is immediately met with stomps. Jay with a single leg boston crab and flexes to show off how much buffer he is these days as he does it. Sanada grabs the bottom rope, Jay holds on until 4. Sanada fights up, back elbow takes Jay down, attempts a standing moonsault but he rolls out of the way! Jay smiling at this. Takes Sanada outside, rams him backfirst into the barrier! Jay throws him into the ring and covers, Sanada with a quick kickout and the chant of his name returns. Headlock wrenched in. Sanada fights his way up but a hair whip takes him to the mat.
Corner charge, Sanada gets the boots up, missile dropkick off the second rope nailed! They both hit the ropes but Sanada wins out with a low dropkick! Jay bails to the ropes to force a break, tries to rush in for the cheap shot as the ref separates but Sanada catches him! Wants a second rope moonsault but Jay avoids it, Sanada lands on his feet – Jay plants him with a mean DDT! Charging back elbow, into a Fireman’s Carry Slam for a nearfall! Jay takes him to the corner for a chop. Whip to the opposite corner, Sanada evades to the apron, escapes a grip of the ankle from Gedo, springs in and ducks a clothesline, running big boot lays him out!
Sanada looking for the Paradise Lock now but Jay kicks him away.
Rana, rolled through, Sanada now has the Paradise Lock cinched in to a big pop! Jay is trapped! Jay screaming as Sanada just watches. Dropkick to the backside breaks it, cover for 2! Leapfrogs, big dropkick from Sanada! Jay bails, but a tope catches him! Sanada throws Jay into the ring, Springboard Dropkick for a nearfall! Hoists him up onto his shoulders, Jay struggling mightily… trying very, very hard to escape but Sanada eventually transitions this into the Cold Skull! But a rake of the eyes breaks that quickly!
Jay with uppercuts! But they’re returned and a big one lands that lays Jay out! Discus clothesline ducked, Flatliner from Jay! Big German Suplex! Rolling Verticals from Jay, and the third turns into a Kiwi Crusher for a nearfall! Jay pounds on Sanada in the ropes and actually shoves the ref away when he tries to intervene! Sanada takes advantage though, Rope-Hung Suplex for a nearfall! Cold Skull is in now, Gedo on the apron forces him to break to deal with him. Turns back to Jay who gets him with an inside cradle for a nearfall! Sanada hoists him up on his shoulders again though, TKO for a nearfall! Sanada with a backbreaker, goes up top for his moonsault but Gedo is on the apron! Sanada grabs him by the beard and slaps him!
Pulls him up onto the top rope to crotch him, kicks the rope! Jay comes up from behind but gets a back elbow, Moonsault Press Into The Cold Skull! Giant Swing, and now it’s in deep! It’s looking like Jay’s about out… no, he stirs! He’s trying to fight his leg to the ropes but it’s not working… fading! Sanada breaks, goes up top, Moonsault but Jay rolls out of the way! They fight up, Sanada with a cradle for a nearfall, flips into the Cold Skull again, Jay reverses for the Blade Runner but Sanada escapes it, jackknife in deep for a very narrow nearfall! Sanada wants the Moonsault Into Cold Skull again but Jay catches him out of the air and seems to drop him right on his head by accident… pulls him up and completes the Reverse Suplex. Leghook Back Suplex for a nearfall! Another Back Suplex, pulls him up for the Blade Runner and nails it! And that is that.
Winner: Jay White
Very good match. Sanada’s intended finishing sequence is one of those spots that really doesn’t feel like it translates well to non-Japanese audiences but I guess New Japan just doesn’t have passout finishes so instead it’s just a setup to the moonsault, which almost always misses anyway. So it’s not even really effective. It can make him come off poorly when his signature hold is treated that way but he seems to have caught on with the fans anyway so hey. Anyhow, Jay White stays strong. Wonder how long until he goes after Moxley…
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