Since KENTA made his NJPW debut, and chose to stap Katsuori Shibata in the back – he’s had an enemy in Hirooki Goto. What has followed is a series of hard hitting matches, and tonight – they meet again in the first round of the NJPW World Television Championship tournament. Add in a strict fifteen minute time limit, and KENTA will have no time for his usual stalling antics – potentially forcing him to wrestle like the KENTA of old. Add in AJPW legend Toshiki Kawada at ringside, and KENTA would have a hard time not walking the Kings Road tonight.
Hirooki Goto’s Early Rush Is Snuffed Out
Starting fast, Goto would run KENTA down with a lariat and follow up with the Ushigoroshi for a two count. KENTA would roll to safety on the floor – with Goto making chase. KENTA would use this to his advantage, driving Goto back first into the steel railing at ringside. He’d look for the countout victory, but Goto was back in the ring well before twenty.
KENTA would expose a corner of the ring, and would use the steel of the ring for more damage on the back of Goto. A few pinfall attempts would get KENTA as far as a two count, before a Russian Leg Sweep. Some mocking kicks to the face would just fire Goto up, with KENTA expertly luring him into a tight DDT.
Goto would finally find some more offence with a lariat, but was unable to make a quick follow up. KENTA would use the corner to rise, and look the spinning wheel kick into bulldog for a two count. Goto would look for another Ushigoroshi, but KENTA slipped free and behind before using Goto to drop the referee.
KENTA Finds His Violent Side As Blood Flows
With the referee down, KENTA would roll out to the floor and grabbed a steel chair from under the ring. Goto would avoid being nailed with the chair, and would instead hit a lariat to the chair – sending it into the face of KENTA. He’d almost risk a DQ, but thought better of it. Throwing the chair to the ground, he’d distract the referee allowing for a low blow into a roll up for a two count – Goto only saved by the referee seeing KENTA’s use of the ropes for added leverage.
This one would turn violent in a hurry, as a bloody KENTA would unload with palm strikes before Goto found a cradle pinfall for two. Lariat was blocked and Goto was sent into the corner. Go To Sleep would land, and KENTA moves forward in this tournament. We got the KENTA of old in the final stretch, and Goto had no chance at that point.
Can KENTA become the first NJPW World Television Champion? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E6mDF_0L1c
