NJPW Invasion Attack 2015

[MGFanJay]

The opening tag team match was fun, but nothing must-see beyond Nagata's crazy-eye armbar. Cody Hall got some new gear and shined nicely in the Bullet Club B team tag. He's improving rapidly and will be really interesting to see in a year. RPG Vice vs. the Young Bucks had so many little old school bits in it that were mixed up and modernized. The heel champs tried to leave, but it was a ploy for a superkick party and an attempt to get another kind of cheap escape via a countout. The Bucks also did the old Rock 'N Roll Express bit of Robert tossing Ricky into the corner for a tag that I remember Cornette loving on one of the Wrestling Gold SMW compilations. RPG Vice winning was a surprise, but they got the titles on the new team here and gave them instant credibility.

Anderson and Gallows vs. The Kingdom was less a match and more of a showcase for Maria's ass. The entire psychology of this being about Maria hurt The Kingdom a bit, but Taven still shined as the speester of the team whle Bennett was more of a powerhouse. They really made Maria out to be a star here and she was great on the apron faking out Karl with her facial expressions. The Okada DVD ad was hilarious, so hopefully that goes on NJPW World at some point soon. The Nakamura 6-man tag was very good and full of fun stuff. It was hard to not love Makabe and Ishii finding any excuse to beat the Hell out of each other. Goto getting the win was a surprise, but sets up what should be a great IC title program between Goto and Nakamura.

The Tanahashi tag had some of the best-looking intros of the show thanks to Tanahashi's lighting and Saku's fan with a Saku belt. Saku took a beating, but most of what he did was pure holds and striking only entered the picture at the very end. I loved Shibata lifting the rash guard up to kick him, but Saku being so awesome that he managed to still reverse the figure four with it over his head. It was a silly visual, but it worked. In the end, Saku got a big win with a Kimura and Shibata had to ice it down. The pre-match Okada-Fale video showed the fall of Okada, while the match itself was alla bout his redemption. Okada struggled, but eventually won after the big elbow, a pair of dropkicks, the hardest tombstone to ever execute in the history of wrestling, and then the Rainmaker. Fale's nerve hold at nearly 5 AM EST was a bit much, but other than that, this was a fun match thanks to Okada. Okada came off like a character babyface with his busted-up cheek being almost a Foley-Orton moment where he went from being a pretty boy to a tough guy who happens to be pretty.

The video for Ibushi vs. AJ told you about Ibushi's rise in the past year from DDT to New Japan, while in that same time, AJ has conquered New Japan and even won the title right away against Okada. They didn't linger on Okada, but reminded you of what he did adn that played perfectly into the close of the show. After a classic match set up with AJ as the too-cocky heel challenger that could easily lose due to his arrogance, Okada attacked him and declared that he's going for what was taken from him one year ago. He ended the show with a Rainmaker and a pose while confetti fell from the sky and he had AJ's title draped across his shoulder. The before and after told a find story, as did the match in the middle. Here, Ibushi shined as a main eventer for the future just like he did as a semi-main eventer at Wrestle Kingdom 9.

He lost there, which when combined with AJ being too cocky, set up a perfect scenario where Ibushi can win and Nakamura wants a shot because he's not only IC Champion, but he beat Ibushi at the biggest show of the year. This match didn't have as many German suplexes, but had far sicker ones. Including a straightjacket german by Ibushi, and a flipover German by AJ on the floor. I loved the bit close to the end of the match where Ibushi goes for a kick and AJ slaps him around - but in doing so, he allows Ibushi to jump up with the good leg and knee him right in the face. It was a perfect hope spot. Ibushi's look of despair with just his body language and eventually facial expressions during the Calf Killer were something special.

In the end, he had the title won - but allowed himself to be distracted by Kenny. If he hadn't been, then the Phoenix Splash would've hit. Instead, it was turned into a Phoenix Clash with AJ catching him and nailing the move perfectly for the win. AJ's celebration was short-lived, but set up the latter-half of 2015 with another exciting AJ-Okada feud.

Thumbs way up for this show. It was better than WrestleMania in many ways, and nearly on par with Wrestle Kingdom 9.

http://jayreviewsthings.blogspot.com/2015/04/njpw-invasion-attack-2015.html

 

Screen Highlights Part 1-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Screens part 1 -

http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/1qalp3z2h71jifcgw1u27p312mefxinz

 

Screens part 2 -

http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/kfxxo269gd7s2he17z6iy1net619l2y5

 

Screens part 3-

http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/eyve6kcl5lpppkg8p9v2w76kchxlfcyt

[The Z]

Thumbs way up for this show. It was better than WrestleMania in many ways, and nearly on par with Wrestle Kingdom 9.

 

This! Great great show!

 

 

Anderson and Gallows vs. The Kingdom was less a match and more of a showcase for Maria's ass.

 

They focused on Maria's ass so much, I honestly thught they hired you as a camera man.

[MGFanJay]

They actually do have a camera man who is instructed to just shoot her ass. That man has a fine job.

[Attila The Hut]

They actually do have a camera man who is instructed to just shoot her ass. That man has a fine job.

 

Really?  This man should be paid real well, or he must really enjoy his job.

[Infinit]

I'd do it for free!

[Kevin Wilson]

I just finished my long ass review for the event.  Summary:  It was a really good show but had gaps in it that were not great.  Really didn't like the tag title match.  Main event was excellent.

[The Z]

I don't watch ROH often anymore, are Bennett and Taven's matches there the same?

Not only was the camera man a total pervert, but Anderson and Gallows instantly devolved into neanderthals at the mere sight of Maria.

[lostinube]

Hey, they tried to mix it up a bit by zooming in on her boobs when they first came out so give them a little credit.

 

Anyway, we all know that the real endgame of the Kingdom vs. the Bullet Club is Maria vs. Mao.

[Jiji]

I think this had my favourite Young Bucks match I've seen so far. That was so on point and built up perfectly. Bucks dominated but RPG Vice survived just enough and then hit their home run double team finish.

[Stay Gold]

Just finished this after watching it in spurts over the last several days. Really liked it. Not a bad match on the card, imo. And while I love New Japan, I've been skipping some of the undercard stuff lately. Not for this. 

 

I couldn't figure out how Okada bruised his face. Thinking Fale landed on his face after the German suplex, but I'm not sure.