On the upside, I think both members of GOD are surprisingly effective babyfaces, and in hindsight, their runs in last years G1 Climax (where both guys wrestled cleanly throughout and looked good in the process) was either a rehearsal or foreshadowing, depending on how you want to look at it. This result stunned me, as it hadnt dawned on me yet what the theme of the night was going to be. I think we all kind of knew that once the Japanese border was open again things were really going to improve quickly for New Japan, especially when it came to things like the major tournament lineups, but its still nice to see it actually happen finally. Hes far better, would make it two AEW guys, and hes not really doing anything in AEW for now while his brother is out. The Suzuki-Gun contingent got going after clearing the ring and Taichi was left with Shingo, who had just beaten him for the KOPW trophy the other day. Posted by Voices of Wrestling Staff | May 3, 2022 | NJPW, Reviews. Tama Tonga won the NEVER Openweight title, and Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens of the Bullet Club won the IWGP Tag Team titles. The mystery replacement turned out to be Shiro Koshinaka, another legend. The whole thing went 10:15. It also continued Taiji Ishimoris extremely funny legacy of being the only Bullet Club member who pretty much never needs interference to win his big singles matches. Tama was able to fight off most of the Dick Togo shenanigans, with Blue-Eyed Babyface Jado helping out with the kendo stick, and pinned EVIL clean with the Gun Stun. Really, the only very minor complaint I have with this one is that the leg work from Tana on Ishii kind of went nowhere and could have easily been skipped, but other than that this was almost a perfect professional wrestling match. Four championships changed hands during the event, with Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens winning the IWGP Tag Team Championship in three-way action, Tama Tonga defeating EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Title, Taiji Ishimori besting El Desperado for the IWGP Jr . It was perfectly timed and just looked cool as shit. RESULTS WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022 WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022 SUN. **3/4, Suit Williams: When Taguchi came out with his underwear in his hands, I knew exactly what this was going to be. There are few things I love more than flash pins that can actually win a major main event match, something that I feel like major league US wrestling has almost completely abandoned (except maybe if you wanted to count cheap feet on the ropes/low blow cradle finishes), but of course, since Naito won their New Japan Cup match with a flash cradle it became an incredible nearfall here. The Good, The Bad & The Hungee: Don Callis Has the Body Shape of a Fisher Price Toy. These two went out there and did a completely different type of match than anyone else on this show, as they did some really great chain wrestling and traded submissions back and forth before Ishimori got what has to be considered a bit of an upset, tapping out Desperado with the Bone Lock. Throw in the setup for future shows and this is the most intrigued Ive been in this company in a long time. I likely would if I watched more New Japan. Hiroshi Tanahashi won the vacant IWGP United States title, while Taiji Ishimori won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. [**], IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Six or Nine [c] vs. DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Everything else on this card is a title match. La edicin de este ao volvi a ser realizada en el Centro de convenciones de . All right reserved. ***1/2. [**], Their BOSJ match last year ended in just four minutes (***) but they met again in the finals and had a banger (****). Okada finally busted out some unique 50th Anniversary offense, hitting the Inoki enzugiri and then a cobra twist into an Emerald Flowsion (!) Remember when they got to WWE and everyone said WWE misused them without realizing that they werent really a top-tier team? BUSHI took the heat as expected and Shingo came in with the hot tag though it was more mild than anything else. On the ninth anniversary of Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga joining forces with Prince Devitt & Bad Luck Fale to form the Bullet Club, New Japan used this show to re-establish the groups dominance. The event had an attendance of 8,162 fans. It takes a lot of work to work people in 2022, but Juice really did seem to have pretty much everyone on both sides of the Pacific convinced that his NJPW deal had expired and he was unsure if he was even going to continue in professional wrestling (this great tweet from a friend of mine confirms the Japanese fans had heard the same reports we did). MAY. These were two all-time greats, both on the back-end of their careers, reminding all of us that they are all-time greats even though we as fans need no reminders. I mean, what can I even say here? Results Numbers in parentheses indicate the length of the match. Wato and Taguchi retain as I struggle too hard to fill this part of the review. New Japan Pro Wrestling was at Fukuoka's PayPay Dome today, 1 May 2022, for their annual Wrestling Dontaku event. Both my teams are in the playoffs this year, which I honestly never would have guessed would happen when the season started. I will say that it is funny that Okada felt the need to embody the spirit of two of Japans greatest wrestlers just to put this cabron away. All of that means were one step closer to New Japan feeling whole again. Someone in control only to make a mistake on their own that changes the tide. ****. Hell of an ending to a pretty good match. This Week In ROH: Will Ospreay, Alliance With CMLL & more! Theres nothing particularly bad on the card, several good matches, and a couple of great ones. The main roster guys all performed well. An incredible battle. May 1, 2022 Four titles changed hands during this morning's NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 event. Lawson Tickets (Buying with Loppi) After watching YOH walk to the ring for a featured singles match in the Fukuoka Dome with as much passion as I have when I bring in the trash cans, Im siding with Hiromu. After the match, Chase Owens came out to remind Tanahashi that he beat him in the G1 last year and never got a shot at his US Title. I came into this match believing there was a chance that Naito could win the title. The actual finish of the match was pretty incredible, actually, with EVIL going to toss the referee into Tama (as weve seen him do many times before) but Tama leapfrogging the ref, leaping back up the moment his feet hit the mat and then delivering the Gun Stun out of nowhere for the win. Hes the one actually legitimate businessman who hangs out with the Mafia for some reason. Thank God that day wasnt May 1st. Well have to wait and see how Juice looks as a heel, but its pretty clear he had long since hit his ceiling as a babyface in NJPW and desperately needed this change if he was going to continue there. I dont know if theyll ever be able to top 1/5/20 for me, which is about as close to a perfect wrestling match as Ive ever seen (and the added emotion of it finally being Naitos big win certainly didnt hurt either), but in both their title matches this year they came a LOT closer than I ever would have expected. Best of the Super Juniors is back in its usual time frame, kicking off on May 15th in Nagoya and ending on June 2nd in Budokan Hall. This was a perfectly fine little opener, really nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. Just when everyone was ready to groan, we suddenly got JUICE FRIGGIN ROBINSON in a Bullet Club vest. As much as I obviously wanted Naito to win, it felt like Okada had more than earned that victory by the end. Wrestling Dontaku 2022 will be taking place at Fukuoka's Paypay Dome on May 1. And they still went out there and fucking tore the house down, just like they have a zillion times before this. But I guess you could just say theres a lot of holding people down after 3 counts going around. The Bullet Club team wins to kick off a trend for the night, pinning Goto (who had already taken a Tour of the Islands) with a Rocket Launcher. Thank God that day wasnt May 1st. It wasnt as much ass comedy as I was expecting, but we got enough of it. New Japan Pro-Wrestling Live & On-Demand Service!! Ill admit it, they worked me. NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 was a professional wrestling event promoted by New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). 2-2-2 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka. With a fresh coat of paint and a push in Bullet Club awaiting, well see if Juice can breakthrough. He just needs to find that energy outside of the ring and convey a little star power. Four different title changes occurred atWrestling Dontaku, including a new IWGP United States Champion in Hiroshi Tanahashi. I was into Jado chasing Gedo over the New Japan Cup tour before finally tapping him out on the final night of the tour. It was held on May 1, 2022, in Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome, [1] marking the first time that Wrestling Dontaku was held at the venue since 2000. Suit Williams: There will be a day where these two cant do this anymore. Hiromu hit Time Bomb and then added Time Bomb #2 to win in 9:59. I was into GOD being overjoyed at earning the New Japan Army t-shirts that Tanahashi gave them. He left with the title. This match was too short. is not a complaint people often have about major NJPW matches these days, but I could have watched these two trade holds for even longer than the under-15 minutes we got here. https://eplus.jp/sys/main.jsp?prm=U=14:P1=0402:P2=053101:P5=0001:P6=001 Tama was able to fight off most of the Dick Togo shenanigans, with Blue-Eyed Babyface Jado helping out with the kendo stick, and pinned EVIL clean with the Gun Stun. Tomohiro Ishii is 46. ", 2023 ITR Digital Media Limited. Other than Taguchis ass getting exposed, theres likely nothing in here that Ill even remember in a couple of hours. Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato were the only other titleholders apart from Okada to also retain at the show. It was still an interesting decision here though, with Hiromu saying YOH had no heart and then seemingly proving it. Taichi used the Gedo Clutch to pin Shingo for about an 8-count, which certainly wouldve gotten a nod of approval from Hideki Suzuki. Oh, it's true - Kurt Angle knows talent when he sees it. For better or worse, he looked and sounded like a guy who was burnt out on wrestling. May 1, 2022 FukuokaFukuoka Dome (English Commentary) The one thing that managed to change up a bit was to have them dig deeper into their movesets since they know each other so well. After watching YOH walk to the ring for a featured singles match in the Fukuoka Dome with as much passion as I have when I bring in the trash cans, Im siding with Hiromu. Hiromu survived whatever YOH could throw at him as the two just traded bombs. NJPW Wrestling NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 01-05-22 Six Man Tag Team Match Suzuki-gun (Taichi, TAKA Michinoku & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI & Shingo Takagi) & Shiro Koshinaka Singles Match Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOH Singles Match Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tanga Loa (w/Jado) IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match With this upset win, the Super Junior field looks unpredictable in the best way. For both of these guys to be as great as they have been for as long as they have been is truly special to watch. Instead, he hit a ceiling that hes lived under ever since. He hit the Time Bomb and didnt go for the pin, instead opting to hit Time Bomb 2 before pinning him and finally leaving last years Super Juniors trophy in the ring. After the match, a returning Juice Robinson attacked Tanahashi with the help of Chase Owens and joined Bullet Club. Lots of butt-based action here if thats what youre into. 2022 | DOOR 15:00 | BELL 17:00 . How can you not get into it? The Paypay Dome show will be headlined by an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match, with Kazuchika Okada defending his gold against Tetsuya Naito. I honestly dont have much t say about this match because it was wildly average and bland in every way. This was a case of them moving things pretty slowly in early stages and doing the Okada formula. NJPW will return with Wrestling Dontaku 2022, 18th event in Wrestling Dontaku Series, on May 1, 2022. Hell of an ending to a pretty good match. With the help of Gedo, he was able to lay out Okada with the Blade Runner and lay claim to the next shot at the World Title with all of Bullet Club by his side. He wasnt going to fall for the tricks. NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 (May 1) Results & Review Kazuchika Okada successfully retains his IWGP World Heavyweight Title, BULLET CLUB adds a new member & so much more at Wrestling Dontaku 2022. He hit it, but chose to try another one like he did in his match against Okada in the New Japan Cup. Hopefully, the new influx of foreign juniors that we just talked about for BOSJ lets this division go in a more exciting direction than toward Taguchis posterior. When Ishii kicked out at 1 after that Tanahashi Sling Blade and brainbuster I almost screamed. Dont get me wrong- theres nothing here that you absolutely have to see either, but for a less than ten minute three-way tag sprint, it was pretty enjoyable. They actually had solid back and forth but we got more nonsense from SHO and the others to make this worse. The United Empire team stared them down post-match, and that rematch is set for Dominion. Im looking forward to seeing more of him in this role. The physical toll will be too much for them to bear, and they wont be able to have high-level singles matches anymore. Its inevitable, Father Time is undefeated. Full Match Card for NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022. Back inside, they were spent because of how quickly they were working. Id swap TJP out for almost anyone but I really wish Dante Martin got that slot. The event will also be live in English on NJPW World. 2022 | DOOR 15:00 | BELL 17:00 Fukuoka Fukuoka Dome 2-2-2 Jigyohama, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka Attendance : 8162 1ST MATCH 30 MINUTES LIMIT Shingo Takagi Zack Sabre Jr. BUSHI Taichi Shiro Koshinaka TAKA Michinoku Match time: 10m15s Taichi Style Gedo Clutch HIGHLIGHTS This did not need to be here. Taichi used the Gedo Clutch to pin Shingo for about an 8-count, which certainly wouldve gotten a nod of approval from Hideki Suzuki. I dont know what there is left to say about the interference crap- theres seemingly no true major league promotion on earth that is interested in not having interference featured somewhere on the card, so I just count my lucky stars that there were no run-ins to speak of in the top three matches (which, not coincidentally, were all excellent) and resign myself to having to put up with it on the undercard. I enjoyed the match between Tama Tonga and EVIL later in the night. So it was actually a reference to that. I think I very, very slightly preferred their February title match, but man was this really close. He hit the Time Bomb and didnt go for the pin, instead opting to hit Time Bomb 2 before pinning him and finally leaving last years Super Juniors trophy in the ring. Hes the one actually legitimate businessman who hangs out with the Mafia for some reason. The post-match angle with Juice Robinson joining Bullet Club shocked the hell out of me. Chase & Fale are already set for a straight up 2v2 rematch with Cobb & O-Khan at Dominion next month, and it would not surprise me in the least to see the United Empire team get their belts back that quickly. Fresh names for Super Juniors means were most likely getting fresh names for the G1. Wrestling Dontaku featured eight professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. **, Suit Williams: Ill tell you what, I am into babyface GOD. The match has been building since Wrestling Dontaku on May 3, when Tsuji attacked Sanada after his match with IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi. NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 . The work here was awesome, as both mens selling shone through here. This match wasnt originally set for this show, but came about after Hiromu challenged YOHs passion for wrestling. ***1/4, Suit Williams: Surprisingly quick action here packed into just the right amount of time. On the upside, I think both members of GOD are surprisingly effective babyfaces, and in hindsight, their runs in last years G1 Climax (where both guys wrestled cleanly throughout and looked good in the process) was either a rehearsal or foreshadowing, depending on how you want to look at it. But if the backstage promo that John linked is any indication, hes got a new fire burning under him. They remain the IWGP Junior Tag Team Champions after their win over Yoshinobu Kanemaru and DOUKI. That worked for this match as it let things move quickly and kept someone in the action at all times. NJPW New Beginning USA 2022 (February 5) Results & Review, Orange Cassidy Is Telling The Best Story In Pro Wrestling, Dragongate Rainbow Gate (June 2) Results & Review, Make It Make Sense: Bully Rays Involvement in Impact Wrestling, NJPW Dominion 6.4 in Osaka-jo Hall (June 4) Results & Review. OFFICIAL RESULTS A three way clash for the IWGP Tag Championships! The entrants for this years Best of Super Juniors tournament were also announced during the event. **, John Carroll: Lots of butt-based action here if thats what youre into. Big Japan Pro Wrestling was founded in March 1995 by former AJPW wrestlers Shinya Kojika and Kendo Nagasaki, during the boom period for Deathmatch wrestling in Japan. They didnt do anything bad in this match but it was just really bland and basic. These two guys had to follow an absolutely incredible performance out of Tanahashi & Ishii, and guess what? Tanahashi grounded Ishii and worked the Cloverleaf before firing off some really stiff shots. Elsewhere, Taiji Ishimori won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. In the ring, Yujiro kept on the offensive but Tanga was able to hit things like a Jackhammer to stay alive. Hopefully, the new influx of foreign juniors that we just talked about for BOSJ lets this division go in a more exciting direction than toward Taguchis posterior. The schedule is set for the first half of 2022 in NJPW. But before he could even get his hand raised, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows jumped him and laid out Tama, Jado, and Tanga Loa. Without many lulls, this was entertaining and had someone different in there doing their thing at nearly every moment. We got some of the usual outside interference stuff that bogged this down. It managed to be an epic without ever feeling like two guys were trying to put on an epic. Tickets are available at the FamiPort machine in Family Mart convenience stores in Japan. Jay White, making his first appearance in New Japan since last years Wrestling Dontaku, confronted Okada post-match, attacking him following a distraction from Gedo. Well have to wait and see how Juice looks as a heel, but its pretty clear he had long since hit his ceiling as a babyface in NJPW and desperately needed this change if he was going to continue there. Im not saying it was bad or anything, but I think Ive seen about all of Ryusuke Taguchis ass that I need to see in my lifetime. 2022. The full card is SET for Dontaku in the Fukuoka PayPay. The Bullet Club team wins to kick off a trend for the night, pinning Goto (who had already taken a Tour of the Islands) with a Rocket Launcher. ****3/4. I dont know what there is left to say about the interference crap- theres seemingly no true major league promotion on earth that is interested in not having interference featured somewhere on the card, so I just count my lucky stars that there were no run-ins to speak of in the top three matches (which, not coincidentally, were all excellent) and resign myself to having to put up with it on the undercard. After the bell, Jay White made his return and laid out Okada, posing with the title and Bullet Club. Get instant access to ITR on your home screen. [***], Oh, I am not looking forward to this. Tanga picked up the NEVER 6-Man Title afterward. That match could really surprise some people. Shiro Koshinaka was a fine replacement for Tatsumi Fujinami, moving around well at the age of 63. This was a case of two guys who werent going to be denied in their quest for gold. Following a late replacement of Will Ospreay due to COVID-19, Hiroshi Tanahashi triumphed over Tomohiro Ishii to capture the vacant IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship for the third time. Anyway, this was another Naito/Okada match where they didnt really do anything to wow me. With this upset win, the Super Junior field looks unpredictable in the best way. Just an incredibly well laid out match between two guys I could watch wrestle until the end of time. But the motivation to honor the company as champion has put Okada on another level of skill and greatness right now, which is hard to believe given his career has been almost nothing but skill and greatness. Status quo: mostly maintained. TRENDING: Dragon Gate - Glorious Gate (March 2) Review VOW Secret Santa 2019: Part 6 WWE SummerSlam 2014 Results & Review Contact Forums Amazon The work here was awesome, as both mens selling shone through here. I came in not expecting a title change at all since Ishimori had no real momentum but they had me into this. Click here for our privacy policy. Ishii gave this an instant spark by slapping Tanahashi on a break and the Ace did it right back to him. NJPW will also hold major events on April 9 at Ryogoku Kokugikan . Just crisp, clean junior heavyweight wrestling. It was held on May 1, 2022, in Fukuoka, at the Fukuoka PayPay Dome,[1] marking the first time that Wrestling Dontaku was held at the venue since 2000. That was a fun little tag. I mean, what can I even say here? ***, Suit Williams: Shiro Koshinaka was a fine replacement for Tatsumi Fujinami, moving around well at the age of 63. This was an absolute war. NJPW is in the PayPay Dome, and there are many prizes on the line! ), and Francesco Akira, B Block Master Wato, Robbie Eagles, BUSHI, DOUKI, El Desperado, El Phantasmo, Titan, TJP, Wheeler Yuta (!) I think we all kind of knew that once the Japanese border was open again things were really going to improve quickly for New Japan, especially when it came to things like the major tournament lineups, but its still nice to see it actually happen finally. This hit the perfect sweet spot for me of two guys kind of playing the hits without devolving into self-parody and then slowly but surely working in more and more new spots and new twists on their formula. But the motivation to honor the company as champion has put Okada on another level of skill and greatness right now, which is hard to believe given his career has been almost nothing but skill and greatness. They pulled it off without breaking a sweat. MATCH LINEUP. MAY. You could now easily see Desperado winning his first-ever BOSJ to set up a rematch with Ishimori (whereas before as champion you would have given him very little chance of winning), making him perhaps the co-favorite with the two-time defending BOSJ winner Hiromu. ****, John Carroll: I really dont know how these two even still do it. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito. I think I very, very slightly preferred their February title match, but man was this really close. The tournament showcases the best cruiserweight wrestling from around the world with the winner of the tournament earning a title shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Anderson vs Tama Tonga is a match steeped with history in this company, and all I hope is that they get a chance to do it in front of a lively crowd. However, when Ishimori did a shoulder block, he banged up his own already injured knee. ****3/4. Then Okada hit Naito with an Inoki-style enzuigiri and a Cobra Twist that he somehow transitioned into an Emerald Flowsion, and I realized that Naito never stood a chance. Suit Williams: I came into this match believing there was a chance that Naito could win the title. Im not saying it was bad or anything, but I think Ive seen about all of Ryusuke Taguchis ass that I need to see in my lifetime. But watching this with fresh eyes, I thought it was pretty fun to be quite honest with you. ****1/2. ***1/4. Another amazing small touch was when Naito countered the Rainmaker into the Destino and actually did his pose while pinning Okada like he was winning the match- he had me for a second with that one, but Okada of course still kicked out. Well, I havent done anything for this website since I closed up shop on Wrestling Omakase back in January, so I figured it was time to finally come out of semi-retirement. So it was actually a reference to that. Tanga Loa tried to make the save but was also taken out. https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=11027310 , so the early returns are good at least and Im excited to see where this goes from here. Tanahashi chose to taunt after offense, so Ishii kicked him and that triggered a long forearm strike exchange. They traded big blows and counters before Ishimori used the Bone Lock to make Desperado tap at the 14:40 mark. No admission allowed to customers unable to follow NJPW's COVID-19 event policy. The actual finish of the match was pretty incredible, actually, with EVIL going to toss the referee into Tama (as weve seen him do many times before) but Tama leapfrogging the ref, leaping back up the moment his feet hit the mat and then delivering the Gun Stun out of nowhere for the win. Suit Williams: For years, I wasnt into Tama Tonga. New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) will deliver one of its biggest shows of the year on May 1, 2022, as Wrestling Dontaku will air live from the Fukuoka PayPay Dome. New Japan Pro Wrestling held theirWrestling Dontakuevent earlier today, headlined by an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between defending champ Kazuchika Okada and his challenger, Tetsuya Naito. Hiroshi Tanahashi is 45 years old. [***]. Damn, its my two least favorite Suzuki-Gun members. Please contact ticket agencies for more information about the current situation of ticket sales. The full card is SET for Dontaku in the Fukuoka PayPay Dome May 1! Building the Impact Wrestling Knockouts Tag Division, Stardom Fukuoka Goddess Festival (May 5) Preview & Predictions, Dragon Gate Glorious Gate (March 2) Review, The Giant Legacies of Junior Heavyweights, What to Make of Impact Wrestlings Low Viewership Numbers, RPW Global Wars UK 2017 Night One Results & Review (Keith Lee vs. Ishii). SUN. I do need Jay White to save us from another lame Okada title run though. The big news coming out of the announcement is that NJPW Wrestling Dontaku will take place on May 1 at Fukuoka PayPay Dome. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Whether he brings the IWGP world heavyweight championship with him will be decided on Sunday in a title match against Tetsuya Naito.. After missing months of New Japan and Japanese wrestling in general, these three matches in a row reminded me that its still the absolute best thing going. It's a long-awaited return to the dome for NJPW and they are bringing a card worthy of it. NJPW has announced another dome show, along with the rest of their tentpole events for the first half of 2022. This also happens to have been the first full NJPW show Ive watched since Wrestle Kingdom (I saw some matches here or there, most notably the last Okada/Naito title match from February which was an absolute classic), and it ended up being a great jumping back in point! Naito is one of Okadas greatest rivals, and he pulled out all the stops to beat him including a Stardust Press attempt. He added a sick suplex that Ishii somehow stood up on, only for Tanahashi to do the same back to him. The main focus (besides Shiro Koshinakas hips) was on the Shingo/Taichi KOPW feud, as Taichi pinned Shingo with the Gedo clutch afterward to set up a rematch for the trophy. Whether this is another full steam ahead push for the group, or the final stand before a much-rumored BC Civil War tears the unit apart is yet to be known. A lot of folks are unhappy that Fale & Owens won the tag belts here, which I certainly get, but it was in the theme of it being a big night for Bullet Club on their ninth anniversary, something you kind of have to assume will happen going in (as long as the BC continues to exist, theyre always going to be a big deal at Wrestling Dontaku at the very least). I would put both of the next two matches down as mild pleasant surprises, as I wasnt expecting much out of either but they both delivered some good fun. An incredible battle. It wasnt as much ass comedy as I was expecting, but we got enough of it. Tanga cleaned house and survived Pimp Juice before winning with a move that I dont know the name of. This did not need to be here. Would the Ospreay match with Tanahashi have been this good? Spoiler alert: theyre in the same block of Super Juniors this year, so I expect YOH to either get his win back or at least give Hiromu more of a fight. In the end, Fale launched Owens off the top for a Rocket Launcher Elbow Drop to give us new champions again after 9:42. Better than I expected. Hiromu has been needling YOH for supposedly not showing enough fire or passion lately, so with that setup youd think YOH was going to win this, but uh.he lost in just under ten minutes instead. With the Forbidden Door show with AEW coming up, the politics of having Okada as champion may have been too much to deal with for both sides. Hell, the dude barely even cheats. The main focus (besides Shiro Koshinakas hips) was on the Shingo/Taichi KOPW feud, as Taichi pinned Shingo with the Gedo clutch afterward to set up a rematch for the trophy. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens of the Bullet Club won the IWGP Tag Team titles, and Tama Tonga won the NEVER Openweight title. He hit it, but chose to try another one like he did in his match against Okada in the New Japan Cup. WHAT A LINEUP for Best of the Super Jr. 29! The sound mixing was a lot better than I remember it being in the past on these remote English commentary shows too, with the noise from the show still coming in loud and clear, so just a great job all around. Ill tell you what, I am into babyface GOD. Kendo Nagasaki left in 1999; Shinya Kojika is still president of the company to date. Dont get me wrong- theres nothing here that you absolutely have to see either, but for a less than ten minute three-way tag sprint, it was pretty enjoyable. When Taguchi came out with his underwear in his hands, I knew exactly what this was going to be. Honestly, love the new names being included and guys like Austin and Yuta. I feel like you dont see that enough. Naito notably defeated Okada in the semi-finals of the recent New Japan Cup. Gedo a wild man with no fresh ideas. I immediately got interested as I love some good limb work and Ishimori targeted Desperados arm. That tournament has really good odds to continue the momentum New Japan has had over the last few months. Almost definitely, but that would have been great in a different way. NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Results NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Results Written by Inside The Ropes Published 1st May 2022 Add Inside The Ropes to your Google News feed > New Japan Pro Wrestling have returned to Fukuoka for their annual May holiday event - Wrestling Dontaku! Tama weathered the storm of more antics before winning with Gun Stun in 13:25. Copyright New Japan Pro-Wrestling Co.,Ltd. I dont love/care about Bullet Club much anymore but they were set up mostly nicely here. Hes always been over to both Japanese and American fans, but now hes got the babyface fire to play off of that and get the crowds into his work. ***1/4, John Carroll: This was the only bad match of the night. He just felt like a Bullet Club goon who would eternally be the guy who had a ton of potential. Ill tell you what, this babyface turn has breathed new life into Tama Tonga. and El Lindaman. All customers are required to possess a valid ticket except for children under 6 years old. NEVER Openweight Championship: EVIL [c] vs. Tama Tonga, Like the earlier GOD/House of Torture match, this started in the aisle as Tama met EVIL out there. It was good but yeah, its next to impossible to really get captivated by their matches anymore. He planted Tanahashi with Pulp Friction and revealed himself to be Juice Robinson, now with the Bullet Club. BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Shiro Koshinaka vs. Taichi, TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr.This was supposed to be Fujinami teaming with LIJ but he unfortunately has COVID. WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022 - PayPay / WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022 WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022 202251 () 15:00 17:00 PayPay 810-0065 222 315 5 1,700 2022218 ()12:00 2022224 ()23:59 The crowd and commentary got hyped for Cobb facing off with Fale though it felt more to me like when two random giants do this in WWE. And man, how stacked is that BOSJ lineup this year? Im looking forward to seeing more of him in this role. NJPW made the announcement today during night two of Wrestle Kingdom 16. What is known is that the buzz surrounding this promotion is rising once again. WAIT NEVERMIND PIETER IS HERE. Eleven and a half minutes was just too long for what they were going for here, which was your standard House of Torture three-ring circus. As he held Shingo down well after the 3 count I briefly thought this was some kind of rib on Hideki Suzukis hilarious extended pinfall burial of Katsuhiko Nakajima in NOAH recently, but then I remembered they had done a 30-count match for the KOPW trophy last time. Suzuki-gun (, - ) vs. LIdJ ( ) 1.25 ; NJPW has announced the full card for Wrestling Dontaku 2022, which will air on May 1 on NJPW World. Tanahashi had a post-match promo interrupted by Chase Owens. The full card is SET for Wrestling Dontaku in the Fukuoka PayPay Dome May 1! Combine that with Naitos stated goal of walking into Wrestle Kingdom 17 as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, it would have made sense from multiple standpoints to belt him up here. I assume this story will continue into the actual BOSJ tournament, where Hiromu and YOH are in the same BOSJ block and will meet in the main event of the 5/25 Korakuen show. The event will also be live in English on NJPW World. This match served to set up a Shingo/Taichi rematch for the KOPW trophy, which Shingo won in a 30-count match on April 25th that I personally went 4 stars on. By using this website, you agree to our use of, https://l-tike.com/sports/mevent/?mid=188643, https://t.pia.jp/pia/artist/artists.do?artistsCd=11027310, https://eplus.jp/sys/main.jsp?prm=U=14:P1=0402:P2=053101:P5=0001:P6=001. https://l-tike.com/sports/mevent/?mid=188643 It helped that Tama actually overcame the odds and won the belt at the end, which at least gave this a satisfying finish instead of the usual groan-inducing EVIL victory. They kicked this off with some intensity including trading chops. A Block Hiromu Takahashi (3-time winner), Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taiji Ishimori, SHO, Clark Connors, Alex Zayne, Ace Austin (! [**]. IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Tetsuya Naito, Imagine booking this AGAIN after doing it in February, when it was already too soon to do it again. Theyve both been doing this a long time and after all the punishment theyve both taken their bodies are likely held together by athletic tape and our collective prayers. This was a heavyweight version of those three-way junior tags from years ago, where its guys getting their shit in. The tag titles dont mean that much here, so having Fale and Owens win the belts for the show-closing photo op doesnt bother me that much. It helped that Tama actually overcame the odds and won the belt at the end, which at least gave this a satisfying finish instead of the usual groan-inducing EVIL victory. I was into GOD being overjoyed at earning the New Japan Army t-shirts that Tanahashi gave them. I mean, is anyone REALLY clamoring for Cobb/Fale? Suit Williams: I said it back at the New Japan Cup, but the buzz around New Japan is growing more and more. Thats so important because so many guys fall into that trap these days. Just like Okada though, Ishimori was able to get out of it and lock on the Bone Lock for the submission. Requests to visitors regarding COVID-19 infection prevention His story of making his own path after the WWE run failed strongly resonated with me, and his work through the Dojo and into the G1 and championships continually impressed me. This hit the perfect sweet spot for me of two guys kind of playing the hits without devolving into self-parody and then slowly but surely working in more and more new spots and new twists on their formula. I havent been enthused by New Japan in 2022 but this show looks big on paper and theyve announced the BOSJ blocks so well see how it goes. Booker T believes one up-and-coming WWE star needs to "raise his game. There are few things I love more than flash pins that can actually win a major main event match, something that I feel like major league US wrestling has almost completely abandoned (except maybe if you wanted to count cheap feet on the ropes/low blow cradle finishes), but of course, since Naito won their New Japan Cup match with a flash cradle it became an incredible nearfall here. Eleven and a half minutes was just too long for what they were going for here, which was your standard House of Torture three-ring circus. The main event of the show was Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito. MATCH LINEUP . * Suzuki-gun (Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and Taka Michinoku) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi and Bushi) and Shiro Koshinaka, * Six or Nine (Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato) defeated Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Douki) to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, * Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens) defeated United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Jeff Cobb) and Bishamon (Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi) to win the IWGP Tag Team Championships, * Tama Tonga defeated EVIL to win the NEVER Openweight Championship, * Taiji Ishimori defeated El Desperado to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, * Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Tomohiro Ishii to win the vacant IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, * Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Results (5/1): Four Title Changes, Okada Vs. Naito. Copyright 2023 411mania.com, LLC. Apr 29, 2022 Kazuchika Okada is coming to America. Almost definitely, but that would have been great in a different way. You can see where theyre going with this BC stuff. And they still went out there and fucking tore the house down, just like they have a zillion times before this. Theyve both been doing this a long time and after all the punishment theyve both taken their bodies are likely held together by athletic tape and our collective prayers. Their careers took different paths, but Tanahashi and Ishii are far more alike than different. Pantojas NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Review. It makes a ton of sense to go to Karl vs. Tama one-on-one, since A) we already got the GOD vs. Karl & Gallows tag match in Impact this year & B) Karl vs. Tama in the battle of founding Bullet Club members is kind of where the real issue is anyway. SUN. Six or Nine vs Kanemaru and DOUKI with junior gold at stake! The match went 11:33 and was inoffensive but not anything Id consider good. Spoiler & Details On New Personalities Debuting At ROH TV Taping, Jacy Jayne, Natalya in Bikinis, Indi Hartwell Gym Selfie Top This Weeks WWE Superstar Instagram Photos, Lacey Evans Responds to Criticism From Sgt. Okay then. Lots of stuff that didnt matter early on, done in a way that screamed WERE GOING 30+ MINUTES and it only became interesting in the final 8-10 minutes. Would the Ospreay match with Tanahashi have been this good? Just crisp, clean junior heavyweight wrestling. [***]. Dave Meltzer Star Ratings - NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Hiromu Takahashi vs Yoh Rating: 3.25 WRESTLING DONTAKU 2022. These two met back at Nova #5 in October 2022, with Nino taking the win there. This was a little preview bout ahead of the upcoming Best of the Super Juniors tournament, and in fact, it was a rematch of last years BOSJ finals. So GOD and a partner, whether its Jado or someone else from Hontai, look to be your next challengers there. In the opening match, Shiro Koshinaka replaced Japanese legend Tatsumi Fujinami to join forces with Los Ingobernables de Japon members Shingo Takagi and Bushi in a defeat to Suzuki-gun, after Fujinami tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. Please help us serve you better, fill out our survey. It was an evening of title changes in Fukuoka with Taiji Ishimori submitting El Desperado to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and Tama Tonga overcoming EVIL for his first NEVER Openweight Championship. The Samoan Submission Machine has been the Ring Of Honor World TV Champion for over 400 days now, having won it from New Japan's Minoru Suzuki on AEW Dynamite back in April 2022. Then they both transitioned into their submission moves before Desperado went for the Pinche Loco. Should be a fun ride. This works as a preview for this years tourney. NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 May 1st, 2022 | Fukuoka Dome in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka | Attendance: 8,162 I haven't been enthused by New Japan in 2022 but this show looks big on paper and they've. After the match, Chase Owens came out to remind Tanahashi that he beat him in the G1 last year and never got a shot at his US Title. This also happens to have been the first full NJPW show Ive watched since Wrestle Kingdom (I saw some matches here or there, most notably the last Okada/Naito title match from February which was an absolute classic), and it ended up being a great jumping back in point! Tickets are available at the Loppi machine in Lawson convenience stores in Japan, Ticket Pia Check me out on Twitter. Wrestlers portray villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that build tension and culminate in a wrestling match or series of matches.[2]. This was a perfectly fine little opener, really nothing to write home about but nothing to complain about either. 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