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NJPW The New Beginning 2014 (CONTAINS SPOILERS)


The Natural

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Eight titles will be defended on two huge shows as “THE NEW BEGINNING” becomes a double header in this, a huge year for New Japan. Okada defends the IWGP Heavyweight Title against Goto in the main event of the Osaka show, while a couple of days before the big rematch between Tanahashi and Nakamura for the IWGP Intercontinental Title headlines.

 

The NWA have dispatched Big Daddy Yum Yum, a huge man, to try and take the NWA World Heavyweight Title back from Kojima in Hiroshima, while Michael Tarver (ex-WWE/Nexus member) joins him and faces Tenzan, before the four meet in a tag match days later.

 

Kota Ibushi makes his V1 defense of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title against the mysterious new masked man El Desperado, while the Young Bucks defend their IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title against the Time Splitters.

 

Goto and Shibata unite as a tag team following their singles series, facing Okada & YOSHI-HASHI, and the Gracies return in Osaka to face Nagata & Saku, hopefully this time with a decisive outcome.

 

NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING IN HIROSHIMA”, 2/9/14 (WPW/PPV/iPPV)

Hiroshima Sun Plaza

1. Kota Ibushi & BUSHI vs. El Desperado & Jushin Thunder Liger

2. Minoru Suzuki vs. Tama Tonga

3. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka

4. Special Singles Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Michael Tarver

5. NWA World Heavyweight Title: Satoshi Kojima © vs. Big Daddy Yum Yum

6. Special Tag Match: Tetsuya Naito & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Yujiro Takahashi

7. Special 8 Man Tag Match: Togi Makabe, Ryusuke Taguchi, KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley vs. Prince Devitt, Bad Luck Fale, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson

8. Special Tag Match: Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata vs. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI

9. IWGP Tag Team Title: Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows © vs. Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr.

10. IWGP Intercontinental Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

 

NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA”, 2/11/14 (WPW/PPV/iPPV)

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson © vs. KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley

2. Katsuyori Shibata vs. YOSHI-HASHI

3. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Tama Tonga

4. Special Tag Match: Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Prince Devitt & Bad Luck Fale

5. NWA World Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Big Daddy Yum Yum & Michael Tarver

6. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Daniel Gracie & Rolles Gracie

7. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Yujiro Takahashi

8. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kota Ibushi © vs. El Desperado

9. NEVER Openweight Title: Tetsuya Naito © vs. Tomohiro Ishii

10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada © vs. Hirooki Goto

 

Credit: puroresufan.com

 

Interesting seeing The New Beginning split into two shows this year. I wouldn't be surprised if Hirooki Goto finally wins the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. I can see Ishii beating Naito for the NEVER Openweight Title as well.

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The Osaka show does look ten times better.  Really looking forward to Goto/Okada as those are my two favorite wrestlers in New Japan and being the main event for the title I am sure they won't be holding anything back.  I will hope for a Goto win but I that wouldn't be the normal New Japan way of doing things so I'd be surprised if it happened.

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Mikami was a little badass house of fire all last year in CMLL as Namajague, I'm looking forward to him getting a decent push as El Desperado. The title match against Ibushi could be one of the better NJ junior matches in years. Ishii might be able to get something good out of Naito unless they try for some kind of shitty epic. New Japan is boring as hell these days but Ishii still rocks and I'd like to see Shibata squash Yoshihashi and give him next to nothing. There's potential for fun stuff here. The main event scene outside of Nakamura is a wasteland though.

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Anything from CMLL that's a must watch from El Desperado? I know nothing about the guy.

I watched his debut New Japan tag and he looked like every other Jr.

Tope con giro? Check.

Weak looking superkick? Check.

Cute powerbomb finish? Check.

I'm stoked for Ishii/Naito. Their interactions from the 1/5 main event were fantastic.

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  • 1 month later...

As a whole the show was average. more like a Raw leading to a ppv with a main event tacked on BUT go out of your way to see Tanahashi/Nakamura MOTY so far. AWESOME.

Of the rest

Liger/Desperado vs Ibushi/BUSHI
Entirely forgettable

Minoru Suzuki vs Tama Tonga
A bunch of nothing for 5 minutes

Toru Yano/Iizuka vs Nagata/Sakuaraba
A few fun comedy spots

Michael Tarver vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan
Fair to say Tarver made an impression, from the accidently spitting his gum shield across the ring whilst trying to look tough (which the crowd chuckled at) to busting Tenzan wide open (not really his fault). he'll be remembered, i'm seriously hoping he's not in the NJC.

Satoshi Kojima vs Big Daddy Yum Yum
Yum yum oh Yum Yum bad has a new name. dire.

Yujiro/Ishii vs Naito/Honma
Tv level match leading to the Naito/Ishii title match tomorrow. Fun when Yujiro's not involved. Naito/Ishii should be good.

Eight Man Tag Match
Taguchi's back and dressing like Eddy Guerrero.....not much else.

Goto/Shibata vs Okada/YOSHI-HASHI
Good. YOSHI-HASHI's way out of his depth but the Goto/Shibata combos and the hate between Shibata and Okada was great too see. Okada/Shibata NJC Final will do for me

Anderson/Gallows vs Archer/Smith
Crowd didn't care, i didn't care...

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I liked the match better, but I liked the finish of the Wrestle Kingdom 8 match better.  I wasn't a fan of the finishing sequence though.  Little too finisherfesty for me, when NJPW's been getting so much better at the less is more for finishers approach.

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Results for the second show, I'll put them in spoilers:

 

NJPW “THE NEW BEGINNING IN OSAKA”, 2/11/14 (WPW/PPV/iPPV)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
6,400 Fans
– Super No Vacancy Full House

1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson © beat KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley (13:05) when Matt pinned Shelley after the More Bang For Your Buck (2nd defense).
2. Katsuyori Shibata beat YOSHI-HASHI (5:21) with a PK.
3. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. beat Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows & Tama Tonga (7:53) when Smith used the Killer bomb on Tonga.
4. Special Tag Match: Togi Makabe & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Prince Devitt & Bad Luck Fale (9:53) when Taguchi pinned Devitt.
5. NWA World Tag Team Title #1 Contender Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima beat Big Daddy Yum Yum & Michael Tarver (12:54) when Tenzan used the Anaconda Vice on Tarver.
6. Special Tag Match: Daniel Gracie & Rolles Gracie beat Yuji Nagata & Kazushi Sakuraba (9:28) when Rolles used a gi choke attack on Sakuraba.
7. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Jushin Thunder Liger beat Shinsuke Nakamura & Yujiro Takahashi (12:43) when Tanahashi used the High Fly Flow on Takahashi.
8. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Kota Ibushi © beat El Desperado (13:34) with a Phoenix splash (1st defense).
9. NEVER Openweight Title: Tomohiro Ishii beat Tetsuya Naito © (23:41) with a brainbuster to become the 3rd champion.
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada © beat Hirooki Goto (22:51) with the Rainmaker (8th defense).

 

* In front of the second packed house in two days, Kazuchika Okada’s dominance of New Japan Pro-Wrestling continued as he made a successful V8 defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Title over the recently returned Hirooki Goto. Goto had failed in SIX previous attempts to win the big one, but some felt this could be the day. Okada, who entered holding a giant Final Fantasy-esque sword and huge Godzilla like dinosaur, had other ideas. After 22 minutes of fierce combat, Okada flattened Goto with the Rainmaker and his reign approaches one year in length (April 7th). Maybe Goto’s eighth attempt will be luckier…

 

Shibata, who easily beat YOSHI-HASHI earlier in the show, was told by Okada that he’d have to win the New Japan Cup if he wants to challenge, while Gedo told Goto that he was again at the back of the line as far as contenders go.

 

* The biggest cult favourite in New Japan, Tomohiro Ishii, delighted fans everywhere by upsetting Tetsuya Naito to win the NEVER Openweight Title in a thrilling semi final. Ishii has spent most of his career in undercard matches, but some outstanding performances in the past year have seen him grab big wins, today’s being among his biggest. In a match of the year contender that many felt outshone a strong main event, Ishii spiked Naito with his brainbuster to become the 3rd NEVER champion. With the IWGP IC Title becoming so prestigious, it was probably best to have Naito drop it to a “lesser” name, and it can now be defended more regularly.

 

Credit: puroresufan.com

 

Surprised in a way Hirooki Goto didn't win the IWGP Heavyweight Title as I thought it might be his time but then I'm not surprised as he's lost before, I just didn't know how many times. Two months away from the one year anniversary of Kazuchika Okada's second IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign. Happy Tomohiro Ishii has won an IWGP singles championship though I find the NEVER Openweight Title pointless with the IWGP Intercontinental Championship around.

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Having been thoroughly nonplussed with Naito's forced push I'm impressed with how rapidly they've transitioned him into the guaranteed hardcore-fan-appeasing role of Losing End of an Undercard Feud with Tomohiro Ishii.

 

Also, Goto for New Japan Cup! I've got to be right some time. He's going to win the NJC and then the title. Then he'll win the G1, face himself at the 2015 dome show and fall back into old habits by losing.

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Osaka card was way better than the Hiroshima card.

 

I really pretty much hate anything Bullet Club related.  Devitt's not even making me interested in them, although Sasuki almost pulled me in, because well, Sasuki rules.  Although I gotta ask when Devitt stole Jericho's jacket?

 

I can buy Shibata winning the NJC and finally dethroning Okada, if the Night 1 tag seemed any indication.  Use that to build Goto finally winning the big one by beating Shibata.  Only for him to turn around and drop it back to Okada.   

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