2022 was a heartbreaking year for NJPW, as company founder Antonio Inoki would pass away at the age of 79. He has been named Honorary Lifetime Chairman & Wrestle Kingdom 17 has been deemed a memorial event. His impact on professional wrestling is simple. Without him, Japanese professional wrestling would look incredibly different – there is no NJPW without Inoki.
This six man tag team match will feature six veterans who have history with Inoki. On one side we have three former IWGP Heavyweight Champions in Yuji Nagata, Togi Makabe and Satoshi Kojima, and on the other – Minoru Suzuki, Tatsumi Fujinami & Tiger Mask. Fujinami is a first generation NJPW star like Inoki, while Tiger Mask carries on the legacy of Satoru Sayama, a man who was a contemporary of Inoki’s. Finally, we have Suzuki who met Inoki in 1989 to kick off his career. All six men will show the definition of fighting spirit tonight, in honor of Inoki.
Six Legends Hit The Ring In Honor Of Antonio Inoki
Fujinami & Nagata would start this match, grappling in the middle of the ring. Hammerlock would be blocked, and Fujinami hit a Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Suzuki got a tag, and he’d trade shots with Nagata in the middle of the ring – as they’ve done many times in the Tokyo Dome. Tiger Mask got the tag and hit a double axe handle to the head before a kick to the spine.
Fujinami got the tag and traded some blows with Nagata, only to be beaten into a corner. Suzuki took a backdrop driver, before Kojima hit the ring for the Machine Gun Chops. Suzuki was not impressed, and nailed an elbow smash to the jaw. Tiger Mask hit the Tiger Driver before some forearm smashes on the mat – before a Koji Cutter.
Makabe got the tag, hitting some downward punches to the face of Tiger Mask, only for Fujinami to hit some Dragon Screws. A three way submission would follow, with Makabe breaking free and hitting the lariat in the middle of the ring before the King Kong Knee was blocked by Suzuki. He’d fight off The King, and get a cradle pinfall on Tiger for the win.
Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Action Opens The Show
When it comes to the duo of YOH & Lio Rush, winning Super Junior Tag League might have been the easy part. Fans got to see them build their tag team chemistry in real time, and in the end they were able to defeat Chris Bey & Ace Austin to earn a title shot here tonight. TJP & Francesco Akira are a proven tag team in NJPW at this point, having been IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions since June of 2022. TJP is no stranger to the bright lights of the Tokyo Dome, but Akira could get lost in the moment – being the most inexperienced man in this match.
YOH would dive into the champions before the bell, before looking for 3K with Rush in the ring. TJP held his ground, before being sent to the floor. Rush would hit a moonsault to the floor, but was taken up the ramp by Catch 2/2 and hit with the Alley Oop – right into a ramp of LED bulbs. YOH was isolated alone in the ring by the champions as a result, being picked apart by tag team offense while Rush figured out what country he was in.
Akira would send YOH to the floor, before being launched out onto the standing challenger by TJP. The running face wash landed on YOH in the corner, and Rush hit the ring – busted wide open. YOH would nail a big dropkick, and was forced to make the tag to a bloody Rush.
He’d hit the ring with urgency all the same, ducking and dodging both champions and cutting them down with kicks. Catch 2/2 would try a double team, but a double back handspring elbow was followed by some low angle topes to the floor.
TJP Leads Catch 2/2 To Biggest Win Yet
Rush would hit a twisting Killswitch in the ring, getting a two count in the ring on Akira. YOH got the tag, before looking for Rush hour – and being unable to do it due to the blood in his eyes. Akira took Rush down, only to eat a superkick. YOH would look for the Direct Drive from the top, but went for a Falcon Arrow into the DNV, Final Hour Splash landed, getting a two count as TJP broke the pinfall up.
TJP got the blind tag as Akira was hit by the 3K – catching YOH with the Mamba Splash for a two count. Leaning Tower was set, but YOH hit the Poisonrana on TJP. Rush would take Akira out with the Spanish Fly, before the 3K landed – with Akira shoving Rush into the pinfall to save the match.
Direct Drive would be attempted, but TJP would get a snap roll up for the victory – showing those veteran instincts keeping the belts in United Empire with Catch 2/2.
Who will challenge Catch 2/2 next? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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