Kevin Kelly: "Hello wrestling fans and welcome to New Beginnings in NJPW! I'm your host, Kevin Kelly, and after a brief stint away in the UK..... I'm proud to say I'm back home where I belong here in New Japan Wrestling! We have a great show for you tonight and we are ready to kick things off with what will be a very entertaining matchup!" Tiger Mask vs Jushin LIGER for the WWF Super J Championship The two familiar foes lock up collar and elbow . Jushin spins out to the left with a go behind gets a waist lock on Tiger . Tiger spins out to the left with a go behind and counters into one of his own . Tiger goes for a German Suplex, but Jushin blocks it , spins out gets off a spinning back fist that dazes Tiger . Jushin with a back leg sweep , rolls and now grapevines the legs . Tiger does half a push up , ducks his head rolls and counters out into a makeshift O’ Connor Roll for two . Both men up on their feet and shake hands and now quickly into a strong fighting stance . Now both men are peddling with Muhammad Ali style foot work . Jushin gets off a step up enzuguri . From there he hits a rolling Kuppo Kick ! Tiger staggers back into the corner . Jushin with a hand spring back elbow and now Tiger falls to the mat !
Jushin works a side Mexican Surf Board , Tiger refuses to quit , so Jushin locks him in a Stump Puller . Tiger refuses to tap . He pulls himself up , does a headstand and grabs Jushin by the head with his feet . Tiger now spins in his head and hurls Jushin across the ring . Jushin staggers up into the corner , Tiger with a flying crossbody slams Jushin into the turnbuckles . From there Tiger hits a Pele Kick as Jushin staggers out of the corner and now Tiger puts on a head scissors sleeper ! Jushin powers up to his feet somehow . Tiger still has the hold on . Jushin with a running Liger Bomb !! 1……….2……..Nooooo !!! Tiger is in the ropes ! Jushin now with a spinning heel kick and then a Shotay Palm Strike !! Tiger is down . Jushin goes up for a Moonsault , Tiger moves and Jushin hits the mat !! Tiger pulls him up , Tombstone Piledriver!!! 1……..2……..3 !!!
Post match , Tiger checks on his friend . While he’s helping him up and out if the ring CM Punk comes down and gets in the ring . There is a belt over his left shoulder he ask for the house mic . He points to the translator . He tells him to make damn sure he repeats what he says word for word .
Punk: "That’s a nice belt Tiger Mask. I know you’ve defended it a lot. Congratulations. However , wearing that belt makes you a fraud ! This! This belt right here is the WWF Cruiserweight Title. This was the belt that I beat Owen Hart . When I made the mistake of going to the UK , the WWF saw fit to punish me by creating a new belt and not recognizing this one. Tiger Mask you are no champion. You’re a fraud and will be one until you wrestle me belt for belt . The ball is your court you poser!"
Punk takes his leave. Tiger shocked , bows to the home crowd and they cheer their hero. He leaves the ring to chants of “ Tiger!"
Kevin Kelly: "Well fans..... it certainly didn't take long for things to get very interesting here tonight! Who woukd have thought we woukd see CM Punk here tonight? And whether you like him or not.... he made some very true statements there! Now the question that remains is will we see Tiger Mask step up to the challenge?" Shingo Takagi vs Zack Sabre Jr Shingo got some quicker stuff in early, but Sabre takes control with a determined cravate. Shingo with a killer DDT and a borderline POUUUUUUNCE! Sabre has to get clever here.
Dragon screw from Takagi, but a sliding lariat is caught and Sabre thrashes the arm. Takagi with a great wheelbarrow suplex, but Made in Japan is countered with a half-and-half suplex. Shingo pops back up with a backdrop suplex and both are down.
Sabre with kicks to both arms, but Shingo drops him with the left arm lariat, and a sliding lariat connects this time. Still, Shingo is grimacing in pain from the kicks. Made in Japan countered with a roll-up this time for two, and Sabre gets the Euro Clutch bridge for two. Kick from Sabre, lariat from Takagi, both lying about some more.
Tornado DDT from Sabre out of the corner, then a spinning headscissors into a submission attempt.
Shingo gets the ropes. Sliding forearm from Shingo and more lying about. Pumping Bomber is blocked, Zack Driver is not and Sabre gets a close two count there.
Sabre driving elbows down over the shoulder and neck, but Shingo comes back with the Death Valley Driver. Sabre’s PK is caught, Made in Japan hits! Two count! Pumping Bomber, but Shingo can’t lay upon Sabre because his arm hurts so much. So he bites and headbutts it to try and get it un-numbed. Last Dragon blocked, but Sabre runs into Shingo headbutt. Last Dragon blocked again and Sabre has a rear naked sleephold. Shingo counters out, but also gives up the arm, and Sabre has him hooked and grounded and all tied up. Shingo rolls out, but right into a triangle sleephold.
Three minutes left in the match. Takagi powering up and trying to lift Zack, but he can’t, and Sabre hyperextends the arm to the point Shingo simply has to tap out.
Kevin Kelly: "Very impressive win for Sabre! I personally am glad to see this kid here in New Japan! I believe we just seen the first of many victories for him here in New Japan!" British Bulldogs vs Hart Foundation (2 out of 3 Falls for the NJPW Tag titles) Match starts with Davey and Bret going back and forth for a bit. Davey catches Bret with a monkey flip and a crucifix but runs into a knee. Neidhart tags and hammers away as the Hart Foundation cheat behind the referee’s back. The Hart Foundation continues to neutralize Davey until he gets his knees up on a charging Bret. Dynamite makes the tag and picks up Bret by the hair. Clothesline gets two. Snap suplex gets two. Neidhart breaks up another pin attempt then the bell rings as the Bulldogs win the first fall by DQ due to double-teaming by the Hart Foundation.
The second fall starts with Dynamite getting destroyed. He mounts a brief comeback and tries to make the tag but Neidhart runs in and stops that. He then puts Dynamite in a front facelock as Davey chases Bret and Davis around the ring. Back to the match as Dynamite is busted open and back to getting his ass kicked. Bret misses a charge and that allows Dynamite to make the tag. Davey runs wild and gets a few nearfalls on Neidhart but ducks his head and gets kicked. Neidhart accidentally knocks Bret to the apron then Davey tags Dynamite and launches him at Neidhart for the pin.
Kevin Kelly: "These two teams have had some of the most exciting matches over the course of the last few months. But tonight the Bulldogs get that convincing victory they have been looking for!" Chris Benoit vs Art Barr for the NJPW Super Junior Title Johnny V leads out his man . Despite Barr losing to Christian Cage last week . He comes out as cocky as ever . Benoit walks down the aisle and he is all business. After the intros the two circle one another . Benoit scores with a single pick up and then a step over toe hold . Barr scoots on his back to the ropes . Off the break , Barr up kicks Benoit right under the chin . Benoit drops ! Barr kips up and then tells the Japanese, he is the Love Machine . Hide your women . Which brings a chorus of boos . Barr kind of kicks at Chris like a kid poking a stick at a opossum. Benoit showing no signs movement . Barr makes a cocky cover 1……..Benoit rolls the cover into a Crucfix and right into the Crippler Crossface !!!! Barr gets to the ropes for the break . He rolls out of the ring and taunts Benoit who goes out after him . Barr dropkicks Benoit as he gets on the ring apron . Benoit falls to the floor .
Barr now ties Benoit’s arm up in the railing and then kicks it . Benoit is in pain . Barr slams Benoit’s shoulder into the railing and decides what the hell , let’s slam it into the into the ringpost as well . Barr gets in the ring and argues with the ref as Johnny V stomps away on Benoit’s shoulder . Johnny V stops right when the ref turns around . Barr goes out and rolls his man in the ring . When Bart gets back in the ring , he is met with a clothesline from Benoit , but it’s all he can do ! He grabs at the shoulder . Barr is up and hits a Kneelift in the shoulder and then into a step over top wrist lock . Benoit is fighting like hell not to tap . Benoit reaches back and finds Barr’s front left leg , he trips Bart up and goes right into an Ankle Lock Submission !!! Benoit lets off the hold because of the shoulder . Bart now with a Hammer Lock DDT !!! He covers 1……..2……..Nooooo !!!! Benoit gets a foot on the ropes .
Barr goes to pull his man up , but Benoit answers with a headbutt that puts Barr on the mat . Now Benoit gets off a leg drop and then a cover for 2 . Benoit headbutts Barr again . Barr is staggered . Benoit pulls Barr to his feet and headbutts him again and again Barr goes down . The offense seems to be working . Benoit now with a spinning toe hold on Barr and then into a Figure Four!!! Barr is yelling at the ref who is distracted . Johnny V reaches in the ring and rakes the eyes of Benoit ! Benoit lets off the hold obviously . Barr with a dropkick and then a Tornado DDT ! From there Barr hits a snap Suplex ! He now goes up for the Frog Splash ……… Benoit moves ! Barr hits the mat hard . Benoit pulls him and gets an O’ Connor Roll for the 3. Benoit retains the NJPW Super J Championship!
Kevin Kelly: "How about that encounter between the #1 and #5 contenders respectively? Benoit has been a wrestling machine in recent months. And soon he has a date with the NWA Super Juniors world champion..... Jay White! I can't wait to see that bout!" Jerry Blackwell & Ken Patera vs Mr. Fuji and Masa Saito for the NWA World tag team title In the really going Fuji and Saito are having there way with both Patera and Blackwell with a series of strikes and Saito is able to hit Suplexes on both men . Problem was lifting Jerry . He hurts his back . Now the team of Patera and Blackwell go to work in his back . They pound away at it . Blackwell hits a leg drop across it and then a big splash from the second rope . Fuji comes in only to be turned inside out by a Patera Clothesline . Blackwell covers and gets the 3 . The champions retain and receive boos from the home country crowd .
Post match they are on the mic , cutting down the crowd saying they can beat any team NJPW can throw at them especially little Japanese runts because they are all small . This brings out Inoki and Baba .
The crowd roars to life . There is a stare down and security comes out and separates the teams.
Kevin Kelly: "I'm with these Japanese fans..... let them fight! Pateta and Blackwell may have very well bit off more than they can chew in Inoki and Baba!" Minoru Suzuki vs Kevin Sullivan for the NJPW Heavyweight title After beating the shit out of each other to start, Suzuki attacks Sullivan’s left arm. Sullivan can’t help himself but to continue using that arm to throw strikes and even powerslam Suzuki, and it’s clear that the pain made it difficult for him to follow up and sustain his offense. As Suzuki threw forearms at him, Sullivan would use his head to push Suzuki back to the corner where he dropped him with a forearm shot. Not to be denied, three dense sounding forearms from Suzuki left Sullivan a lifeless heap. Sullivan awakens from a PK, and he and Suzuki knock each other to opposing corners from a forearm strike battle. Sullivan fought out of a GSP attempt and blasted Suzuki with a headbutt to the jaw to buy some rest time. Suzui kicked out of a sliding lariat. Suzuki blasted him with multiple headbutts and a lariat before dropping him with a brainbuster for the pin.
Kota Ibushi vs Switchblade Jay White for the NWA Super Juniors title White was stalling and then got control of Ibushi in the early minutes. Juice Robinson grabbed Ibushi and Ibushi hit him with an elbow strike. White dropped Ibushi with a high-angle suplex onto the edge of the apron affecting his neck. White attacked the ribs and wore him down inside the ring while mocking Ibushi and riling up the crowd.
After a long period of selling, Ibushi started to fight back. The game was Ibushi breaking free to showcase his aerial ability and White constantly grounding him and weakening the previously injured areas. Ibushi ate strikes and then executed a huracanrana while lifting the crowd up before he attempted a springboard and was knocked to the floor by White.
Ibushi rolled through and landed the Bastard Driver.
White hit a uranage, Kiwi Krusher, but the Blade Runner was stopped as Ibushi hit a Bom a Ye for a two-count. White used a backslide with his feet on the ropes and was caught by Red Shoes. Ibushi grabbed the wrists for the Kamigoye but White put his head down, Ibushi struck him and climbed the turnbuckle where Gedo distracted, and White attacked. Ibushi stopped the Sleeper Suplex from the top, White attacked the knees with inverted dragon screws and applied the TTO and Ibushi reached the rope.
White’s strikes stopped having an effect on Ibushi, who fired back as he channeled “Killer Kota” and repeatedly dropped White. Ibushi offered his neck for White to hit, instead, White lay down and told Ibushi to cover him. Ibushi slapped and stomped White, he knocked Red Shoes down and White hit a low blow. Ibushi was rammed repeatedly into the guardrail and attacked with strikes on the ramp as he tried to win by count-out.
Ibushi hit the Power German and the Last Ride powerbomb for a two-count. Kamigoye was countered with a sleeper suplex.
Ibushi landed the Kamigoye and White kicked out. Ibushi went to the top and hit the Phoenix Splash, but Juice yanked Red Shoes to the floor to stop the count. Ibushi took out Juice. Moments later, Ibushi walked into a Blade Runner for a big near fall. White applied the TTO and he crawled to the rope. Ibushi kicked out of a Regal-plex, White hit a reverse Bloody Sunday and hit the Blade Runner to get the pinfall and successfully defend his title. As white celebrates the fans erupt as out comes.......
WILL OSPREAY!!!
White looks like he has seen a ghost and clutches his NWA Super Juniors title as Ospreay enters the ring and motions for the title, in his way of saying he's coming for it!
