The NJPW Golden Series tour had some trouble getting moving – but now they’re off to the races. Kicking off the card is House of Torture members Dick Togo, SHO and Yujiro Takahashi taking CHAOS members Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI and YOH. Next weekend, Goto & YOSHI-HASHI will defend the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Takahashi & EVIL, and CHAOS also has a chance to take the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championships next weekend.
CHAOS Defeats House Of Torture In Opening Match
YOH would rush his former partner of SHO to start this match, getting this one started in fast fashion. Some heavy forearm shots to the jaw would follow, before YOSHI-HASHI got the tag alongside Dick Togo. Togo tried to play nice, but CHAOS saw through the facade and beat him down, with SHO getting beaten down soon after.
YOSHI-HASHI would get taken down by Togo for this signature fist drop, before SHO came in to maintain control. Takahashi would hit some quick strikes on the mat, but YOSHI-HASHI kicked out with ease. Fisherman Buster would be countered, and instead YOSHI-HASHI nailed a vertical suplex. Goto entered the ring and hit the spinning wheel kick in the corner before the running bulldog for a two count.
Reverse DDT got Takahashi an opening, but Goto would meet the lariat with one of his own for a double down. YOH & Togo got tags, and YOH took a punch right to the face. SHO took Goto & YOSHI-HASHI off the apron before a three on one attack got House of Torture a two count.
Togo ran a distraction while SHO swung with a wrench but YOH dodged and took him out. YOH would catch Togo trying to bring the garrote into the ring, and applied StarGazer – but SHO & Takahashi helped break Togo free. Goto would save YOH before the Five Star Clutch got the victory for CHAOS.
Great-O-Khan Continues Path Of Domination Towards The New Japan Cup
Recently, Great-O-Khan tore through the legendary Satoshi Kojima. If O-Khan didn’t pick Kojima up after a stiff forearm shot – it would have been a win in under five minutes. Tonight, he takes aim at another legend in Togi Makabe. O-Khan tends to match the styles of his opponents in the ring, so tonight he will play the role of a brawler.
Makabe rushed right into O-Khan to start this fight, before having his face slammed off the knee of O-Khan. He’d be kicked out to the floor, where O-Khan threw him chest first right into the barricades. Back into the ring, O-Khan looked for a Head & Arm Choke – but Makabe was able to find the ropes with ease to break the hold.
A vertical suplex would find a near fall, before a defiant Makabe asked for O-Khan to give his best. He’d catch the boot of O-Khan and nail a lariat before some downward punches in the corner. The Northern Lights Suplex was blocked, but another lariat would drop O-Khan with ease for a two count. Makabe hit the ropes, but ended up in a toss to the mat – showing the judo background of O-Khan.
Makabe shot back with his signature lariat, before looking for that King Kong Knee Drop. O-Khan would send Makabe down to the mat from the top rope, but Makabe was right back up. The Sheep Killer would be applied to Makabe, before O-Khan shoved him down for a one count. Sleeper Hold would be applied with the claw hold added in, but Makabe failed to fight free before falling to The Eliminator. Another big win for O-Khan, who is looking like a favourite to win the 2022 New Japan Cup.
Los Ingobernables De Japon Bring The Fight To Suzuki-Gun
Suzuki-Gun are a constant force in New Japan Pro Wrestling, and tonight DOUKI, Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru take on three of the best in NJPW with BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi & Shingo Takagi of Los Ingobernables de Japon in a six man tag team clash. Recently, DOUKI & Kanemaru defeated Takahashi & BUSHI, but now with The Dragon on hand – the odds are in their favour.
Taichi would start alongside Shingo, who easily powered him towards the ropes. Shingo would be met with the heavy strikes of Taichi, taking the Axe Bomber before dropping Taichi with a tackle. BUSHI tagged in and nailed the missile dropkick before the world famous BUSHIroni as he got back to his feet. Taichi drove BUSHI to the floor, where Suzuki-Gun rule – and BUSHI was quickly beaten down.
DOUKI would tag in and hit a sliding dropkick for a two count – before BUSHI got a chance for a tag which was shut down by Kanemaru. A lungblower gave BUSHI another chance, and Hiromu tagged in. He’d nail a slick running hurricanrana before dropkicking DOUKI into Kanemaru before a dropkick for the two count.
DOUKI would slip off the ropes looking for a springboard, but was able to move into the DOUKI-CHOKEY, which failed to get the win. Suplex De La Luna would be set, but Hiromu got free. Pop-Up Powerbomb landed, and Shingo tagged in. A lariat would set up Last of the Dragon, but Taichi made the save. BUSHI would enter the ring to take Taichi out, before Kanemaru took him out. Shingo hit the Death Valley Driver, and DOUKI would fall to The Pumping Bomber.
Toru Yano Does Not Fear Minoru Suzuki
On February 20th, Toru Yano has to face Minoru Suzuki to try and get the King of Pro Wrestling 2022. Tonight, he brings Master Wato & Ryusuke Taguchi as Suzuki brings the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado and TAKA Michinoku in a six man tag team clash. Yano brought a dog cage to the ring, wanting that to be the stipulation for his match with Suzuki – while Suzuki wants a handcuff match. There is a running fan vote, with the fans getting the choice in the end.
Suzuki would be attacked before they even reached the ring, with Yano trying to put him in the dog cage. Yano would be smashed off the cage, before this one made it to the ring. He’d expose one of the steel corners, but Suzuki saw this coming. A snapmare into the PK would be followed by Yano being thrown out of the ring, and they’d battle around the english commentary desk to the distaste of Kevin Kelly.
They’d find their way back to the ring, and Suzuki-Gun would stomp Yano out, before just isolating him in the corner. Suzuki set up the Gotch Style Piledriver, but Yano fought free and tagged in Wato. He’d meet Desperado in the ring, and was able to land a heavy thrust kick before Taguchi tagged in.
Taka would get in, and apply the JUST Face Lock, but it was broke up. Taguchi would nail a hip attack for a two count, befoere the Ankle Lock was applied. He’d proceed to lift Taka up, and Wato hit an assisted Dodon for the win. Meanwhile, Suzuki was choking Yano in the dog cage.
Can Yano claim the KOPW 2022 trophy from Suzuki? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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