New Japan Tokyo Dome Show

[floydthebarber]

Not that anyone is going to be able to see it (way to go if you are) but here is the full card for the 'BIG' NJPW Tokyo Dome show. New Japan is under new leadership, and are looking at Saturday as the start of a new era for NJPW...so a Brock IWGP Title win might just happen.


NJPW "TOUKON SOUZOU NEW CHAPTER", 10/8/05

Tokyo Dome

1. Tatsumi Fujinami & Osamu Nishimura vs. Riki Choshu & Tomohiro Ishii
2. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue vs. Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Yoshihito Sasaki
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Takashi Iizuka, Yutaka Yoshie & Naofumi Yamamoto vs. Shinjiro Otani , Kohei Sato , Ryouji Sai & Kamikaze
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Minoru & Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Negro Casas & Felino
5. Team JAPAN vs. Former WWE - Special Tag Match: Manabu Nakanishi & Kendo Kashin vs. Charlie Haas & Mark Jindrak
6. Team JAPAN vs. Former WWE - Special Singles Match: Yuji Nagata vs. Matt Morgan
7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title & NWA Jr. Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask (c) vs. Black Tiger (c)
8. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toshiaki Kawada & Yoji Anjo
9. Three Way Match - IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuyuki Fujita (c) vs. Masahiro Chono vs. Brock Lesnar

[swarm]

are they actually billing the former WWE guys as "Former WWE"?

I'm glad to see Brock back in the ring. Even if it is in Japan. It's only a matter of time before Vince pays him what he wants and brings him back, especially if he creates a buzz among the IWC (although, in my experiance, most of the IWC are stupid kids who started watching wrestling about the time the nWo was around, and never saw a Ric Flair match in his prime, let a lone any match from Japan ever.)

[floydthebarber]

are they actually billing the former WWE guys as "Former WWE"?

Not sure...got the card from a fan-site, but it wouldn't surprise me the way the Japanese do things.

I'm glad to see Brock back in the ring. Even if it is in Japan. It's only a matter of time before Vince pays him what he wants and brings him back

I'm a fan of Brock, and I would like to see him stay in Japan for a year or two to really build up some buzz to bring back to America...but that then puts the ball in New Japan's court, and are they ready to run with it? My guess is no, but if things really 'click' then yes. Its also 100% about the money for Brock at this stage, and this 'tour' of Japan could work for him down the road, and can't really hurt him either. Its almost no lose on everyone's part.

especially if he creates a buzz among the IWC (although, in my experiance, most of the IWC are stupid kids who started watching wrestling about the time the nWo was around, and never saw a Ric Flair match in his prime, let a lone any match from Japan ever.)

I agree with you there...though my Japanese wrestling acumen is a little rusty.

My interset has been born of the fact that I'm not watching WWE anymore (many reasons) and have been checking out the global wrestling scene and have found a few nice web-sites. Plus, Brock and New Japan just had a nice 'sound' to it...

[pikemojo]

Brock and New Japan does have a real nice sound to it. This will be a tape that I have to buy when Highspots or wrestleholicsvideos releases it. It is also cool to see Haas and Jindrak getting some work too. Japan has been really good to the former WWE guys lately. All Japan has A-Train, D'Lo, Bull Buchanon, and Jamal. Team 3-D is also doing a short tour of AJPW soon.
I actually did start watching wrestling in the NWO era and I loved it. I however have seen quite a few Flair matches and have seen a decent amount of Japanese wrestling though I rarely have a clue what the story lines are. I just love the matches. I did not have the opportunity to grow up in the time of the UWF and the NWA and AWA but the people who grew up during that time did not have the fortune of seeing Gorgeous George and Antonino Rocca live. My point? Just make sure you don't dismiss all NWOites as stupid. The NWO is actually probably what got me interested in Japanese wrestling with Chono and Tenzan and of course Scott Norton.
And Swarm, this is the second post where we end yp talking Japanese wrestling in the last 3 days.

[floydthebarber]

Not directly related...but New Japan announced today that former 'Head Booker' Riki Choshu has been hired back on in his former role after nearly 4 years away. Choshu was the man behind NJPW big years in the 90's, and this follows what I was talking about with New Japan really trying to make a push to capture the old fire.

Based on what I've read, if Choshu is the man behind Big Van Vader and nWo Japan, then Brock could be making some BIG waves in the next few months. That being said...one phone call from Vince and the right 7 (or 8) digit $ number and Brock will be saying sayonara to Japan...

The results from this show could be a very big deal for the future of the company...

[swarm]

I forgot about Muta. That guys was awesome.

[pikemojo]

Didn't Choshu have a falling out with New Japan at one point Maybe it was someone else.

[R.A.T.M.]

Well the Dome show is over and Brock Lesnar is now the 44th IWGP CHAMPION! Using the F5 to pin the legendary Masa Chono in the main event. Don't have time to put up full results but other major highlights include Black Tiger defeating Tiger Mask 4 for the IWGP Jr Hvyw Title, Matt Morgan upset Yuji Nagata, and Manabu Nakanishi and Kendo Kashin defeated the team of Charlie Haas and Mark Jindrak, Haas falling to Nakanishi's Hercules Cutter.

[floydthebarber]

Way to steal my thunder FDFfan...

Anyway, Brock did win the IWGP Title...which along with Choshu back as booker will start New Japan on the road to recovery.

Yeah, it seems Choshu has some major heat with a few guys backstage, one of the owners, Antonio Inoki, being one of them. However, the attendance was around 20,000 for a Dome show, which is not good...so Inoki has put his feeling aside for the good of the company and that is the general feeling. Sort of like how some reacted when Bischoff was hired by WWE (if Bischoff actually was given full booking power!). It looks like the next step is trimming the roster a bit.

They've clearly got some work to do...but with Brock, Chono, Nakamura, Tanahashi, Tiger Mask and Yuji Nagata they've got a decent core to work with.

I was surprised to see Matt Morgan win his match though...I guess they've got some plans for the big man. Maybe he and Brock are going to stick around for a bit?

Full Results

NJPW "TOUKON SOUZOU NEW CHAPTER", 10/8/05

Tokyo Dome
38,000 Fans - No Vacancy

1. Tatsumi Fujinami & Osamu Nishimura beat Riki Choshu & Tomohiro Ishii (8:37) when Nishimura used a figure-four leglock on Ishii.
2. Tatsuhito Takaiwa & Yoshihito Sasaki beat Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue (9:03) when Takaiwa used a lariat on Inoue.
3. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Takashi Iizuka, Yutaka Yoshie & Naofumi Yamamoto beat Shinjiro Otani , Kohei Sato , Ryouji Sai & Kamikaze (15:05) when Tenzan used the TTD on Kamikaze.
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Minoru & Hirooki Goto (c) beat Negro Casas & Felino (10:11) when Goto used the Jigoku Guruma on Casas & Minoru used a high-angle front cradle on Felino (3rd defense).
5. Team JAPAN vs. Former WWE - Special Tag Match: Manabu Nakanishi & Kendo Kashin beat Charlie Haas & Mark Jindrak (9:41) when Nakanishi used the Hercules Cutter on Haas.
6. Team JAPAN vs. Former WWE - Special Singles Match: Matt Morgan beat Yuji Nagata (7:00) with the Mount Morgan drop.
7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title & NWA Jr. Heavyweight Title: Black Tiger (c) beat Tiger Mask (c) (12:01) with a tombstone piledriver (1st defense) to become the 48th IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion.
8. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Toshiaki Kawada & Yoji Anjo (18:11) when Tanahashi used a Dragon suplex hold on Anjo.
9. Three Way Match - IWGP Heavyweight Title: Brock Lesnar beat Kazuyuki Fujita (c) & Masahiro Chono (8:05) with the Verdict on Chono to become the 44th champion.

[pikemojo]

That is awesome. I am really curious at how Matt Morgan looked outside of a WWE ring. I remember Jim Ross always talking about how great he was in OVW and then I saw him in WWE and he was very so-so. Lesnar IWGP champ sounds awefully good. TNA and NJPW supposedly have a working agreement right now. Doubt they could afford Lesnar but still ya never know.

[floydthebarber]

For all you Brock Lesnar fans out there...here is a synopsis of the 3 way match at the NJPW Dome Show. Sounds like Brock made some big waves...and check out the new name for the F5.

New Japan's first ever three way match headlined the show, with Kazuyuki Fujita's brand new IWGP Heavyweight Title on the line against G1 winner Masahiro Chono and American superstar Brock Lesnar. The match was short, intense, and dramatic, loaded with content and really giving everything that was expected. Judging by most reports, it was a complete success thanks largely to the amazing Brock Lesnar, who awed and impressed everyone in his New Japan debut. He had new entrance music and wore red tights, as Inoki wanted him to "represent burning toukon". Many fans said they had goosebumps just watching him, as he displayed his spectacular power and left Japan's top fighter Fujita and crafty veteran Chono perplexed on how to proceed. The match mainly stuck to 1 vs. 1 format, with few three way spots, so it was a lot tidier than it could have been. Lesnar teased the F5 (called the Verdict by New Japan, although he called it a "new technique" so I'm not sure if its something a little different) several times in the match, but both Fujita and Chono escaped it. Chono almost finished Fujita at one point with a reverse STF, but failed, and then it was Lesnar Time. Lesnar blew away Fujita with the dreaded Verdict, then dropped Chono with the same move, pinning him for the three count and becoming the 44th IWGP Heavyweight Champion! The fans were simply awed by Lesnar, who was quickly congratulated by Inoki, and stood tall as the new king of New Japan. The hype and buzz for Lesnar leaving the show is like nothing I've seen since the early days of Bob Sapp. Lesnar took the microphone and gave a winner's speech, saying the first reason he came to Japan was complete - winning the title. The second reason is next, and that is to prove himself, and he asked fans to support him from now on. Sparks flew between Fujita and Lesnar, with the now-former champion demanding a singles match, since he wasn't pinned today. In a sign that New Japan knows what it wants on top going into 1/4, Simon Inoki said that Lesnar vs. Fujita is "probably" confirmed for the 1/4 Tokyo Dome show (although unless it stays "probably" confirmed for a while, this means the title can't be defended beforehand). Backstage, Lesnar said he was very happy at the kindness shown to him, but that before making any more plans, he wants to drink some beer. Lesnar said that before coming to New Japan he was bored, but facing tough wrestlers like Fujita and Chono reactivated him today. Brock doesn't care who his opponents are, and only wants to protect his new title and raise its value. He plans to return to America now and await offers for his next match, and made a cryptic comment, saying his "Verdict" finish was his last parting shot at WWE.

The same review of the show said that Morgan looked pretty good in his win...but did have his awkward moments. Haas and Jindrak however were minor dissapointments as they didn't show the needed 'energy' for Japanese wrestling.