Despite being hated by most NJPW fans, House of Torture will open the in-ring portion 50th Anniversary show. Likely done to ensure that they can’t ruin the show. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi and SHO are here – and Dick Togo is in their corner. YOH, Ryohei Oiwa and Tiger Mask will do their best to overcome the odds, but it’s far from a promising situation.
Legends Pay Tribute To NJPW – Kazuchika Okada Promises To Continue Waving Flag As Company Celebrates 50 Years
Before this match could get underway, we’d have a quick ceremony featuring legends like Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Seiji Sakaguchi, and Wataru Inoue, names who helped build NJPW over the company’s 50th years. Even former referee Tiger Hattori was invited, and Milano Collection A.T. even walked his invisible dog to the ring.
It was amazing to see this group of absolute legends in the ring. Without men like Masohiro Chono and Keiji Muto, NJPW simply wouldn’t be what it is today without these men. The OG Tiger Mask would appear via video – unable to show due to health reasons, but still chiming in to celebrate this massive anniversary.
Kazuchika Okada would stand among legends and share a few words, saying that while he claims to have carried NJPW into it’s 50th year? He knows that without the legends behind him he never would have even had the chance. Okada plans to carry the flag into the future – and as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, that’s his job in 2022.
House Of Torture Claims Victory
Action would kick off fast once all six men hit the ring – as House of Torture starting the mauling quickly after their ring introductions. EVIL took YOH out on the outside, while SHO choked Tiger Mask IV in the ring. Tiger was wearing some throwback gear, and hit a flying cross chop and butterfly suplex in the ring.
YOH tagged in and nailed some dropkicks before letting Oiwa in the ring. SHO would quickly shut him down and tag EVIL into the match. A bodyslam would punish the Young Lions, before he’d catch Takahashi with a dropkick. EVIL & SHO stopped the tag – but YOH & Tiger Mask were fast back to their feet to help set up the Gutwrench Suplex.
Takahashi would fight back with a dropkick, before going for Fisherman Buster. It was blocked into an inside cradle for a near fall – before a lariat landed. Pimp Juice would land, and Takahashi got the win to open this show.
Minoru Tanaka Returns To NJPW
For the first time since 2012, Minoru Tanaka is back in NJPW – as he helps to represent GLEAT. Teaming up with TAKA Michinoku and Taichi tonight – they will team up to take on the team of Bad Luck Fale, El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori. BULLET Club don’t have many chances to shine tonight, which just adds to their recent turmoil. While not a member of Suzuki-Gun – Tanaka did team with Taichi back in the day and is one of the greatest IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champions of all time.
Tanaka would start off with Ishimori, and launch one of his dangerous kicks to the leg. Ishimori would take him down to the mat, but failed to avoid another kick. The dropkick landed to the face, before a standing moonsault got a near fall. Fale pulled him outside and drove him into the barricade, before ELP attacked the chest.
Back in the ring, Tanaka was hung in the tree of woe and a dropkick caught him in the face for the two count. He’d take a trip the Tongan Massage Parlour as Fale stood on his back, before Ishimori tagged in – and was quickly caught with the Minoru Special. ELP made the save, before Tanaka got the tag to Taichi.
Fale would hit a elbow drop before Taichi would strike back with the gamiguri kick. ELP and TAKA got tags, and ELP narrowly avoided the JUST Face Lock. Rising Knee was followed by a running knee – and the Face Lock would be applied again. Ishimori made the save, and ELP would cut TAKA down with kicks. Bloody Cross into Thunder Kiss ‘86 would end this one in style – with BULLET CLUB getting a fine win.
Should NJPW bring Minoru Tanaka back around for Best of Super Juniors later this year? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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