When Karl Anderson would sign a WWE contract while holding the NEVER Openweight Championship, NJPW was put in a hard position. They were ready to strip Anderson of his championship, but his next challenger Hikule’o would ask them to hold off – only to lose his title shot on December 14th. Following that match, Tama Tonga would hit the ring and fall to a GunStun – before Anderson challenged him to a match there tonight. Having made the semi-finals of the G1 Climax in 2022, Tama is ready to finally prove himself on a big stage as a singles wrestler, and has the chance here tonight as he fights to bring this belt back into the NJPW roster.
Tama Tonga Fights To Bring Gold Back To NJPW Against Karl Anderson
Anderson would hit Tama in the face with the belt before the bell, before handing it over to the referee. Bell would ring, with Tama rolling to the apron and taking the Rocket Kick to the face, before a Fisherman Buster neck first on the barricade. Anderson would hit the Giant Bernard Driver on the stage, paying tribute to his fellow WWE employee and former tag team partner and potentially putting Tama Tonga on the shelf in the process.
Tama would be in the sights of the GunStun, but would be able to counter and shoved Anderson down the ramp with a crash. Now having a chance to recover, Tama would look for the GunStun on the apron on of the ring – but was shoved off before another Rocket Kick to the face once again. Finally both men in the ring, they traded forearm smashes with Tama slipping in some uppercuts.
Anderson was put in the corner, and absorbed the jumping splash. Tama would be dropped by Anderson, who came off the top rope with a diving neckbreaker for a two count. Anderson would be dropped with the Death Valley Bomb, with Tama unable to follow up with Supreme Flow. Tama would have to fight off Anderson, before hitting the crossbody and coming across the ring with Supreme Flow.
GunStun is all that Tama had left, and all that Anderson had as well. Tama would block the move, before springboarding out of the corner with the GunStun. One more would follow, and the NEVER Openweight Championship is back where it belongs – on the NJPW roster, not the WWE roster. Tama is now a two time NEVER Openweight Champion, and his 2023 looks very bright.
The Past Ace, Current Ace, And Future Ace Unite In Tokyo Dome
All great careers will eventually come to an end, and NJPW legend Keiji Muto is retiring next month. He was offered a spot on tonight’s card by Hiroshi Tanahashi, and despite wrestling WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura three days prior – he’d accept. Teaming with Tanahashi & Shota Umino, fans have looked at this team as the past, present and future of NJPW. However, Los Ingobernables De Japon members Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI would love nothing more than to spoil the final match of Muto in NJPW.
SANADA would start with Muto, and would go right after the historically bad knees of Muto with a dropkick. He’d hit the springboard dropkick, before the Muta Moonsault for a two count – Muto looking offended by this. Nailing the Shining Wizard, Muto would look for the moonsault himself – but Tanahashi reminded him it was retired.
Tanahashi would watch Muto hit a Flashing Elbow instead, and hit one of his own. L.I.J would swarm Tanahashi, going after his knees. Really on the Muto, Tanahashi Umino team – there’s two good knees. Naito would hit the Combinación de Cabrón on Tanahashi before the Dragon Screw Leg Whip would follow.
Umino would get the tag, and showed his youthful agility as he cut down L.I.J with a series of speedy strikes. Naito would be locked in the STF by a man who wanted to become a wrestler from watching Naito as the Stardust Genius. Muto would catch SANADA with a figure out, and Tanahashi got BUSHI in the Texas Cloverleaf – but Naito got the bottom rope.
BUSHI would be able to come off the top rope with a missile dropkick on Umino, only to take a wicked neckbreaker. SANADA would make the save, but took Twist & Shout. Tanahahsi hit the Slingblade, and finally BUSHI took the Shining Wizard. Death Rider would follow, and Umino pins for the win in Tokyo Dome.
What does the future hold for Shota Umino in NJPW? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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