It’s time for Wrestle Grand Slam in the Tokyo Dome! This is the first time NJPW has run their biggest venue outside of January in well over a decade, and while the card is only 5 matches long, it’s all killer and zero filler. Starting off, we have the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori taking on Ryusuke Taguchi & Rocky Romero, also known as The Mega Coaches. Romero is perhaps the best champion in this belt’s history, and could earn his 9th reign here tonight.
The Mega Couches Get Isolated
After Ishimori & Phantasmo hit the pre match ‘Too Sweet’, this one was ready to go. Ishimori & Taguchi would start, with Taguchi grabbing a headlock before being shoved off. He’d be sent running, but Taguchi would nail a hip attack to drop Ishimori. Phantasmo slipped in but took a low dropkick, before Romero received a tag.
The Mega Coaches would look to expose the loaded boot of Phantasmo, who dropped a Young Lion at ringside with Sudden Death. Back in the ring, Taguchi & Romero were isolated in the corner, before Romero countered a lariat from Phantasmo and hit the hurricanrana. Ishimori dropped him with a lariat before hitting a neck snap.
Romero would get isolated in BULLET CLUB territory where he’d have his back ruthlessly raked by both opponents. Taguchi needed a tag in the worst way, but Phantasmo would catch Romero with two thirds of The Three Amigos before Romero countered and hit a back rake of his own before once again being shut down. Ishimori cut him off and was taken out with the rewind kick.
As Romero got close to the tag, Taguchi would be pulled off the apron. Romero would have to fend off both opponents, managing a double hurricanrana. Taguchi was back up and got the tag, coming in with the big hip attack V-Triggers, before nailing the springboard variant for a two count. Ishimori would block a hip attack into an atomic drop, before being faked out and dropped.
Bullet Club Gets Pushed Into A Corner
Taguchi was fired up big time today and he’d look for the Boma-Ye, only to be rolled up for a two count. Ishimori went for a reverse handspring into a pinfall, but had to battle for control of the pinfall, pulling the tights down as he went. Taguchi kicked out, and would tag in Romero who hit a running variant of Sliced Bread for a two count. Romero would nail a dropkick before Taguchi hit Ishimori with the Gordbuster, but Phantasmo broke the pinfall up.
Ishimori fought back with a handspring kick before tagging in Phantasmo. A big springboard crossbody took Romero down, before he’d nail a springboard swanton & lionsault for a two count. He’d look for the powerbomb but was countered into a pinfall. Phantasmo held on as he kicked out, and nailed Styles Clash for a two count.
A V-Trigger was nailed before he looked for One Winged Angel, which Romero countered into the Diablo Amrbar. Ishimori would look for the save, but Taguchi grabbed an ankle lock, forced to counter by throwing Taguchi into his partner to break that hold. Some heavy blows were fired from Romero & Phantasmo, before Phantasmo hit a low Sudden Death. He stumbled into a tag, before Ishimori tagged in to take on Taguchi.
Is The Boot Of El Phantasmo Actually Loaded?
Ishomori got onto the shoulders of Phantasmo for something, but Romero would counter into a Doomsday Device, which also saw Ishimori hit a poisonrana on his partner, but this only got a two count. Taguchi would call the play, which was a Tornado DDT kicking off his ass, before he’d nail the Boma-Ye. Mega Coaches nailed Black Hole Vacation, the old Apollo-55 finisher. Ishimori got the bottom rope to save the match.
Strong Zero would be countered, and the Mega Coaches were sent to the outside. Ishimori hit a triangle moonsault onto them, before Phantasmo called for his partner to take them over the barricade for a springboard moonsault onto them. He landed awkward on the loaded boot, and could have injured his ankle.
Back in the ring, they’d set up the UFO, with Ishimori nailing a knee drop along the way, but Taguchi was able to kick out. Ishimori nailed Bloody Cross before Phatasmo nailed Thunder Kiss ‘86, only for Romero to save the match. Romero took the Sudden Death superkick, before Taguchi blocked and got a roll up before Blue Thunder Bomb into the ankle lock on the hurt leg.
After dropping the elbow and going after the boot, Phantasmo would get the ropes. The boot was handed to the ref, but Phantasmo hit a low blow and CR-2 for the win. If it was loaded, we might never learn.
A very solid Junior Heavyweight tag team showing, one which really picked up in the last half. These are some of the best in the division, and the story of Phantasmos loaded boot really did add to the match. Ishimori & Phantasmo played the heel role well, and are great champions. Match Rating: 3.5/5 (***)
Is the boot loaded? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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