January 4, 2020
Tokyo, Japan – Tokyo Dome
English commentary: Kevin Kelly, Chris Charlton, Rocky Romero, and Gino Gambino
Results via Ethan Renner of F4WOnline.com
Quick Match Results
- Dark match – Arisa Hoshiki & Mayu Iwatani defeated Hana Kimura & Giulia via Moonsault (pinfall 9:04)
- Pre-Show – Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, & Toa Henare defeated Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji, Tomoaki Honma, & Togi Makabe via Toa Bottom (pinfall 7:37)
- Pre-Show – Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata via Lariat (pinfall 5:50)
- Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Otani, & Naoki Sano defeated Tiger Mask, The Great Sasuke, Tatsumi Fujinami, & Jushin Thunder Liger via Dodon (pinfall 8:52)
- El Desperado, Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, & Zack Sabre Jr. defeated BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, EVIL, & SANADA via Jim Break’s Armbar (submission 8:40)
- YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hirooki Goto defeated Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, & KENTA via GTR (pinfall 8:18)
- IWGP Tag Team Championship – David Finlay & Juice Robinson defeated Guerrillas of Destiny (c) via Acid Drop (pinfall 13:41)
- IWGP United States Championship Texas Death match – Jon Moxley defeated Lance Archer (c) via 10 Count Knockout (14:26)
- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship – Hiromu Takahashi defeated Will Ospreay (c) via new finisher move (pinfall 24:34)
- IWGP Intercontinental Championship – Tetsuya Naito defeated Jay White (c) via Destino (pinfall 33:53)
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Kota Ibushi via Rainmaker (pinfall 39:06)
Dark Match
Mayu Iwatani & Arisa Hoshiki vs. Hana Kimura & Giulia
Iwatani, the World Of Stardom Champion, and Hoshiki, the Wonder of Stardom Champion, picked up the victory with Mayu pinning Hana. Kimura and Giulia, who fought to a draw at Stardom Year-End Climax 2019, reportedly could not get along during the bout.
Winner: Arisa Hoshiki & Mayu Iwatani via Pinfall.
Dark match results via Jeremy Lambert of Fightful.com
Pre-Show Match
Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji, Tomoaki Honma, & Togi Makabe vs. Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, & Toa Henare
Connors and Uemura began with some grappling. Connors used a side headlock takeover, then backed Uemura into the corner. Coughlin tagged in and landed some heavy chops. Fredericks got a tag and continued working over Uemura.
Fredericks hit an elbow drop. Uemura answered with a dropkick, then tagged Makabe. Makabe tried for ten punches in the corner on Fredericks, but Coughlin cut him off. Makabe hit a powerslam on Coughlin. Honma entered for a duel ten punches in the corner spot.
Makabe hit a northern lights suplex on Fredericks for a two count. Fredericks came back with a lariat, then both tagged out. Tsuji and Henare entered. Tsuji hit a dropkick. Honma and company entered for a 4-on-1 on Henare. Honma hit a kokeshi. Tsuji covered, but Henare’s team broke up the pinfall.
Henare went for a Samoan drop. Tsuji turned it into a sunset flip, then locked a full Boston crab on Henare. Coughlin broke the hold after a series of hard chops to Henare. Tsuji hit Coughlin with a spear.
Tsuji and Henare exchanged strikes. Henare hit a superkick and a lariat for a near fall. Henare then hit Toa Bottom on Tsuji for the pin. A fun opener. All the Young Lions showed great intensity.
Winner: Alex Coughlin, Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks, & Toa Henare via Pinfall.
Pre-Show Match
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata
Kojima and Tenzan opened up with some strikes on Nakanishi. Nakanishi answered with a double suplex on both men. Nagata jumped in and hit a PK on Kojima. Nakanishi hit a splash on Kojima for a near fall.
Kojima and Nagata squared off. Nagata hit a series of kicks. Kojima fought off an exploder and hit a DDT, then tagged Tenzan. Tenzan hit Mongolian chops on Nagata, then used a brainbuster for a two count.
Tenzan and Nagata traded strikes. Tenzan hit a mountain bomb. Nagata came back with an exploder. Both tagged out. Kojima went for a top rope elbow but got cut off. Nagata and Nakanishi hit a double lariat. Nakanishi went for the Argentinian backbreaker but Tenzan saved.
Tenzan and Kojima hit Nakanishi with a TenKoji Cutter for a near fall. Kojima then hit Nakanishi with a lariat for the pin. These guys worked as hard as they could and had about as good a match as they’re capable of given their physical and time limitations.
Winner: Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan via Pinfall.
Tiger Mask, The Great Sasuke, Tatsumi Fujinami, & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Otani, & Naoki Sano
This was something of a miracle. Every old legend was totally fine here. Sano and Takaiwa did the most. Sano was a little unsteady but pulled off everything he tried.
Liger and Sano began. Liger used a single-leg takedown. They did a drp-down/leapfrog/tackle spot. Sano hit a dropkick, then sent Liger outside. Sano hit a tope suicida. Otani did a face wash spot in the corner on Liger, also hitting Sasuke with a boot. Liger hit a couple of shoteis.
Tiger and Takaiwa tagged in. Takaiwa hit a DVD. Taguchi tagged in and used hip attacks on Tiger for a two count. Takaiwa hit a top rope elbow for a two count on Tiger. Tiger hit a Tiger driver, into a double down.
Fujinami and Taguchi got tags. Fujinami hit a series of dragon screws, then used a dragon sleeper on Takaiwa. Sasuke tagged in and missed a swanton bomb. Sano missed a double stomp on Sasuke. Sano hit Sasuke with a superplex.
Liger and Taguchi tagged in. Liger blocked a hip attack and hit a top rope frankensteiner for a two count.
The match broke down. Tiger hit a dive to the floor on Takaiwa. Sasuke missed a swanton. Liger blocked a Dodon from Taguchi. Taguchi hit two enziguris and used a Bomaye for a near fall. Taguchi then hit Dodon on Liger for the pin.
Winner: Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Otani, & Naoki Sano via Pinfall.
The crowd was not happy with Liger losing. Everyone posed together after the match. This was well done.
BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, EVIL, & SANADA vs. El Desperado, Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, & Zack Sabre Jr.
Suzuki-gun attacked LIJ before the bell. EVIL and Suzuki ended up the legal men in the ring. EVIL hit his seated senton/bronco buster in the corner. Suzuki responded with an armbar over the ropes.
The action spilled outside. Suzuki used a chair on EVIL. Back inside, Suzuki used a rear naked choke. He tried for the Gotch-style piledriver, but EVIL blocked. Desperado tagged in and used a chinlock. Taichi entered. EVIL hit him with a suplex, then tagged out.
Shingo tagged in and ran wild with corner clotheslines. He hit Taichi with a back elbow-right jab-lariat combination. Taichi removed his trousers. Taichi and Shingo traded kicks. Taichi hit a high kick and an enziguri.
SANADA and Sabre tagged in. SANADA hit his leapfrog dropkick, then used the paradise lock on Desperado. SANADA went for a TKO on Sabre. Sabre turned it into a cobra twist. SANADA fought off the hold, then tried for a paradise lock on Sabre. The two traded cradles for near falls.
SANADA hit Sabre with a dropkick to the left knee. BUSHI tagged in for a missile dropkick. LIJ went 4-on-1 on Sabre. BUSHI hit a backstabber. Desperado broke up a pinfall.
Sabre went for a Zack Driver. BUSHI blocked. Sabre used an omoplata, then transitioned to another submission, tying up BUSHI’s arms with his legs in a crucifix position. BUSHI submitted.
Winner: El Desperado, Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, & Zack Sabre Jr. via Submission.
After the bell, SANADA went after Sabre ahead of their match tomorrow. Sabre escaped. There was a lot of good action here, but they didn’t get a lot of time.
YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hirooki Goto vs. Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, & KENTA
Yano made a big show of wanting to start the match, then teased begging off when he learned Fale was starting for the Bullet Club team. Yano tried a couple of shoulder tackles. Fale answered with a shoulder tackle. Yano untied a corner pad.
YH and Owens tagged in. YH hit a headhunter. They traded chops. YH hit the ropes, but got pulled to the floor. Owens hit a suicide dive. Bullet Club took over on YH. Yujiro hit a sliding dropkick for a two count. They did the Tongan massage parlor spot on YH.
Owens hit a shining wizard on YH. Yujiro covered for a two count. Ishii entered illegally to make the save for YH and cleared the ring. He hit a German to Yujiro. He went for a slam on Fale, but Fale reversed into a suplex.
KENTA and Goto tagged in for their first action of the match. Goto hit a lariat, corner lariat, then a bulldog for a two count. They teased their finishers. KENTA turned a GTR attempt into a DDT.
The match broke down and Bullet Club cleared the ring before going 4-on-1 on Goto. Yujiro hit an inverted DDT for a two count. The CHAOS team jumped in. Ishii hit a Vertical Drop Brainbuster on Fale which got a huge pop.
Goto hit KENTA with a clothesline, then an ushigoroshi on Yujiro. Goto followed with the GTR on Yujiro for the pin.
Winner: YOSHI-HASHI, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, & Hirooki Goto via Pinfall.
Another good match. They also didn’t get much time, but it’s not as though they really needed much more to accomplish what they needed to.
IWGP Tag Team Championship
David Finlay & Juice Robinson vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (c)
They brawled on the ramp as G.O.D. made their entrance. Juice took a backdrop on the ramp. Finlay got tossed off the ramp to the floor.
The bell rang and G.O.D. went 2-on-1 against Juice. Tonga and Loa hit a double dropkick on Juice for a two count. Tonga hit a splash in the corner. Loa tagged in. He tried a suplex, but Juice reversed into an inverted DDT.
Finlay tagged in for his first action of the match. He ran wild with tackles and back elbows on Loa. He hit an uppercut forearm off the second rope. Tonga entered and cut him off. Finlay sent Tonga up and over the top rope. Loa used a leg sweep to drop Finlay injured shoulder-first on the top rope.
G.O.D. continued working over Finlay. Both Tonga and Loa hit slingshot sentons. Finlay came back with a spear on Loa, then managed a tag to Juice. Juice hit Loa with elbow strikes and a sit-out clothesline. He hit both Tonga and Loa with spinebusters.
Juice hit two cannonballs on Loa. Juice hit a series of jabs. Loa blocked the Left Hand of God and hit an enziguri, then a German. Tonga entered and missed a splash in the corner. Juice hit both Tonga and Loa with leg lariats.
Finlay got a tag. He hit a plancha on Loa, then hit a one-legged dropkick on Tonga but only got a one count. Juice and Finlay hit a double flapjack. Finlay teased a superplex while Juice teased a top rope elbow. Loa cut both off. Tonga hit a powerbomb on Finlay. Juice broke up the pin.
G.O.D. went for a Magic Killer. Finlay fought it off. G.O.D. hit a tandem neckbreaker, but Finlay kicked out. G.O.D. hit a Magic Killer on Finlay, but Juice broke up the pin. Juice ate a Magic Killer.
Jado called for a super powerbomb. Finlay turned it into a top rope rana. Finlay used an O’Connor roll for a near fall. Jado hit Finlay with a kendo stick for a near fall.
Finlay hit a stunner on Tonga. Loa broke up the pin. Loa teased Apeshit on Juice. Juice escaped and hit Left Hand of God on Jado once, then twice on Loa. Juice hit Loa with Pulp Friction.
Juice hit a Left Hand of God on Tonga. Finlay then hit an Acid Drop on Tonga, covered, and pinned him for the title change.
Winner: David Finlay & Juice Robinson via Pinfall to become the new IWGP Tag Team Champions.
This was very good. G.O.D. deviated from the template that they’ve been using for their matches over the last six months or so, with great results.
IWGP United States Championship Texas Death Match
Jox Moxley vs. Lance Archer (c)
Moxley threw a bunch of chairs and trashcan lids into the ring after entering. Moxley charged at Archer with a knee strike before the bell. Archer hit a crossbody. Moxley hit a suicide dive. Moxley sent Archer into the barricade twice.
Moxley grabbed a kendo stick. He teased a dive off the top with the stick. Archer cut him off by tossing a chair at him. Archer hit a couple of more chair shots, then used a trashcan lid. Archer hit a kendo stick shot, then choked Moxley with the stick.
Archer continued to rain down kendo stick shots. Archer lost his footing on his rope-walk spot. Moxley grabbed the kendo stick and hit a series of shots. Archer went for the pounce, but Moxley blocked it with a lid shot.
Moxley suplexed Archer onto two chairs and a lid. Moxley hit a Regal knee and Archer flew outside. Moxley tried a dive. Archer caught him, then hit a chokeslam on the apron. Archer chokeslammed a Young Lion off the apron onto Moxley on the floor. Archer then hit a tope onto Moxley and a group of Young Lions. Moxley made it to his feet at 8.
Archer set up four chairs in the ring. He hit Blackout on Moxley into the chairs. Moxley again made it up at 8. Archer used the EBD Claw. Moxley slipped out into an armbar. Archer escaped and used a chokehold. Archer threw Moxley over his head by the throat.
Moxley hit a lariat out of the corner, blocked a chokeslam, then hit a Death Rider. Archer made it to his feet at 9. Moxley tried a second Death Rider. Archer blocked, then hit a pounce. Archer hit a chokeslam onto a pile of chairs. Moxley beat the count at 9.
Moxley flipped Archer double middle fingers. Archer pulled a plastic bag out of his pants and used the bag in applying the EBD Claw. Archer gave up the hold after Moxley didn’t tap.
Archer went outside and set up two tables. Archer used the spikes on his entrance helmet to gouge Moxley’s forehead.
Archer teased a Blackout. Moxley blocked. They fought on the apron. Moxley hit a Death Rider off the apron through the tables. Archer could not beat the count, and Moxley won the title.
Winner: Jon Moxley via 10 Count Knockout to become the new IWGP United States Champion.
Archer ended up bleeding after the table spot. We didn’t get a good shot of it. He might have bladed on the floor, it was tough to tell.
This was every bit as crazy as you would have expected. They could have gone a few more minutes and done a little bit more on another show, but on the biggest show of the year, this felt just about right at 14 minutes and change.
Moxley cut a promo after the match. He said he’s a gambler who came to Tokyo to leave with everything or nothing. He said he and Juice will settle the score tomorrow.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay (c)
This did not disappoint. Just a masterpiece. A perfect mix of storytelling and state of the art moves.
Hiromu charged at Ospreay, but Ospreay side-stepped. They then started in earnest with some mat work. Ospreay out-wrestled Hiromu on the mat. They then did the sequence that you might have expected at the bell, teasing big moves, countering, escaping.
Hiromu teased a sunset bomb. Ospreay blocked and went for a rana. Hiromu blocked, powerbombed Ospreay on the apron, then hit a shotgun dropkick off the apron.
Back inside, Hiromu teased a headscissors over the top. Ospreay blocked, then hit a draping DDT. He covered, but Hiromu kicked out at two. Hiromu rolled outside. Ospreay cranked on Hiromu’s neck, wrenching it over the barricade.
Ospreay hit a neckbreaker on the floor. Ospreay rolled Hiromu back inside for a one count. Ospreay used a snapmare, then used a leg and arm choke. Hiromu rolled to the bottom rope to force a break.
Hiromu fired off some chops. Ospreay hit a kick. Hiromu hit a wheelbarrow flatliner, a low dropkick, then used a falcon arrow for a near fall. Hiromu hit some chops in the ropes. Ospreay answered with a handspring kick.
Hiromu rolled outside. Ospreay missed a Sasuke Special. Hiromu tried a German on the ramp. Ospreay landed on his feet. Hiromu hit a belly-to-belly, throwing Ospreay back inside. Ospreay then hit a Sasuke Special. This was probably the most creative sequence I’ve ever seen.
Back inside, Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio for a near fall. Ospreay missed a Robinson Special. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick. Ospreay hit high kicks to the neck, then a top rope 619. Ospreay hit a double stomp to the back of the head from the top to the floor with Hiromu draped over the middle rope.
Ospreay hit a missile dropkick to the shoulder. Hiromu sold it as though it was to the head, and you could feel the energy being sucked out of the crowd as they thought it landed to the head.
Ospreay went for a Hidden Blade. Hiromu collapsed to the mat before Ospreay could connect. Ospreay hit some short kicks to the head, then the Cheeky Nandos kick.
Ospreay climbed to the second rope with Hiromu in the electric chair. Hiromu slipped out, hit a chop, then tried a top rope rana. Ospreay blocked, then went back to electric chair position. Hiromu slipped out and hit a destroyer off the second rope for a two count. Hiromu was bleeding from the nose.
Hiromu hit a Dynamite Plunger for a two count. Ospreay fought off a lawn dart into the buckle. He hit a tiger wall flip kick, enziguri, then a Robinson Special. Hiromu blocked an Oscutter. Ospreay hit Made in Japan for a near fall.
Ospreay hit a shooting star off the top for another near fall. Ospreay hit an Oscutter. Hiromu kicked out at the last possible instant.
Ospreay hit a hook kick. He missed a Hidden Blade. Hiromu hit a pop-up powerbomb into a double down.
They traded strikes from their knees, then back on their feet. Hiromu plucked Ospreay out of the air on an Oscutter attempt and hit a German. Hiromu hit a destroyer for a near fall.
Hiromu hit a DVD into the turnbuckle pad. Ospreay blocked a Time Bomb. Hiromu hit two thrust kicks. Hiromu again tried Time Bomb. Ospreay hit a hook kick and went for Storm Breaker. Hiromu flipped out, hit the rpes, but ran right into a standing Spanish fly for a near fall.
Ospreay absolutely killed Hiromu with a Hidden Blade. Just blasted him in the head. Ospreay went for a Storm Breaker. Hiromu turned it into a destroyer for a near fall.
Hiromu hit a a lariat, then hit Time Bomb. Ospreay kicked out at two.
Hiromu hit a running forearm. He then hit a cradle driver, dropping Ospreay squarely on his head. This was like an air raid crash but on the mat instead of over the knee. Hiromu covered for the pin.
Winner: Hiromu Takahashi via Pinfall to become the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion.
IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito vs. Jay White (c)
White paced around the ring after the bell, as he is wont to do. Naito rolled outside and grabbed Gedo by the beard, baiting White into the ring. Naito hit an armdrag, a hip toss, then a one-legged dropkick. White rolled outside, Naito hit his Tranquilo pose.
Naito hit a leg sweep. He then hit a neckbreaker off the apron to the floor. Naito sent White chest-first into the barricade. Back inside, Naito hit some stomps. Gedo provided a distraction near the five minute mark, allowing White to take over.
Gedo again grabbed Naito’s ankle on the apron. White crotched Naito into the post. Gedo used a chair on Naito’s left knee against the post. White sent Naito into the barricade, then wrenched on the left leg over the railing.
In the ring, White hit a Saito suplex. Naito rolled to the floor, while White hit the Tranquilo pose. White used a Muta lock. Naito came back with a tijeras off the second rope, then a leg sweep and a low dropkick.
White tried to block the combinacion cabron in the corner. Naito hit a low dropkick in the corner anyway. Naito used a crucifix hold. White forced a rope break. White ducked a lariat and hit a DDT. White hit a DVD for a near fall near the 15 minute mark.
They did a series of counters. Naito missed with two flying forearm attempts. White hit a chop. Naito grabbed the left arm and hit a series of hard elbows to the back. Naito then hit the flying forearm.
White hit a complete shot, then a deadlift German. White teased a superplex. Naito fought it off and hit a neckbreaker over his knee. Naito went for a top rope rana, but White dropped him face-first on the top turnbuckle.
White hit a dragon screw over the middle rope at the 20 minute mark. He tried to shoot Naito off the ropes, but Naito collapsed, selling his knee. They repeated the same spot with Naito collapsing. Naito couldn’t connect on a swing DDT. White hit a uranage for a near fall.
White suplexed Naito over the top rope. Naito crashed onto the apron, then fell to the floor. White tried a Blade Buster, but Naito blocked on the first two tries. White hit it on the third try, then hit a Kiwi Krusher for a two count.
White teased a sleeper suplex, but Naito blocked. White hit an inverted dragon screw, then used his TTO, an inverted figure four. They did a long submission tease, but Naito finally reached the bottom rope.
White tried to apply the hold a second time. Naito spit in his face, then hit an up kick. Naito hit a rolling capo kick. White hit the ropes but ran right into a pop-up spinebuster, into a double down.
Naito tried for Gloria. White fought it off with elbows to the head. Naito hit a series of hard elbows. Gedo jumped in the ring. Naito fought off the distraction and hit an enziguri, then a swing DDT.
Naito hit a top rope frankensteiner, then hit Gloria for a near fall.
Naito went for Destino. White dropped to the mat. Naito hit a low dropkick and went for Destino. White shoved Naito off into the referee. Gedo jumped in with a chair. Naito swatted Gedo away. White hit a low blow.
Naito hit a dragon suplex to White. Gedo jumped back in and ate a low blow. White hit Naito with a chair, then used a sleeper suplex. White went for a Blade Runner as the ref was revived. Naito blocked. White hit another sleeper suplex. Naito popped right up and hit Destino, into another double down.
Both men teased their finishers. Naito hit a poison rana, then hit Destino for a near fall.
Naito tried another Destino. White blocked. He went for Blade Runner, but Naito reversed into a Valentia. Naito then hit another Destino and got the pin.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito via Pinfall to become the new IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
This dragged in spots, but the last few minutes were very good.
IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Kota Ibushi vs. Kazuchika Okada (c)
This was amazing. A main event worthy of the biggest show of the year. Whether you preferred this or the Ospreay/Hiromu match is just a matter of what you prefer in your wrestling. Both were all-time great matches.
Okada’s entrance was badass.
They traded holds at the outset. Okada wrenched on Ibushi’s arms. Ibushi grounded Okada and worked on his legs. They methodically continued to trade holds. Ibushi used a hammerlock. Okada did the same. Ibushi used a drop toe hold into a side headlock takeover. Okada used a headscissors escape.
Okada used a side headlock as they continued to work slowly. Okada hit a shoulder tackle. Ibushi kipped up. They traded strikes. Ibushi ducked a Rainmaker, hit a mid kick, then used a standing moonsault for a two count.
Ibushi used a chinlock. Okada struggled in the hold, but finally forced a break. Ibushi hit a thunderous kick. Okada answered with a running back elbow. Okada hit another back elbow and used a DDT for a two count.
Ibushi rolled outside. Okada sent him into the barricade, then hit a draping DDT off the railing. Okada tossed Ibushi back inside and covered for a one count. Ibushi fired up. Okada offered his neck and Ibushi hit some hard forearms. Okada answered with another DDT.
Okada used a chinlock. Ibushi elbowed out, then hit a dropkick. Ibushi then hit a leaping mid kick. Ibushi hit a powerslam and a moonsault for a near fall. Okada reversed a whip into the buckle, placed Ibushi on the top rope, then dropkicked him to the floor.
Okada sent Ibushi into the barricade, then booted him up and over it. Okada hit a running crossbody over the barricade. Back inside, Okada used Red Ink. Ibushi forced a rope break.
Okada hit a scoop slam, a top rope elbow, then hit his Rainmaker pose. Ibushi ducked a Rainmaker, then spiked himself on his head on what was supposed to be a backflip kick. Okada pulled Ibushi up into a tombstone attempt. Ibushi reversed into a spike package piledriver.
Ibushi jumped in the air to avoid a shotgun dropkick, then hit a double stomp on the landing. Okada rolled outside. Ibushi hit a Golden Triangle off the top to the floor. Back inside, Ibushi hit a springboard dropkick.
Okada tried an air raid crash. Ibushi blocked it, then hit a sit-out Last Ride for a near fall. Ibushi went for a Bomaye. Okada cut it off with a dropkick.
Okada hit a tombstone. He went for a Rainmaker. Ibushi hooked his arm on the top rope to block. Okada hit an uppercut forearm.
Ibushi no-sold a series of uppercuts and a forearm to the neck. Ibushi hit a palm strike to the face. Okada hit a dropkick. Ibushi no-sold it, then hit a strike to the face. Ibushi hit a series of closed fist strikes to the chest.
Okada dropped to the mat. Ibushi hit a series of heavy shots to a downed Okada. Red Shoes had to pull Ibushi off of Okada.
Ibushi teased a deadlift German from the apron to the ring. Okada blocked and tried for a tombstone. Ibushi teased lawn-darting Okada into the post. Okada then hit a tombstone on the apron. This was a scary sequence. Ibushi just made it back in at 19.
Okada hit an air raid crash for a near fall, then hit heavy rain for another near fall.
Okada hit a German, grabbing Ibushi’s wrist on the landing. Okada went for a Rainmaker. Ibushi countered with his own thunderous lariat. Okada rolled to the apron. Ibushi hit a deadlift German from the second rope back into the ring for a two count at the 30 minute mark. Okada landed right on his head on the suplex.
Ibushi tried for a lawn dart. Okada slipped out and hit a spinning tombstone. Okada went for a Rainmaker. Ibushi reversed into his own Rainmaker, into a double down.
Ibushi hit a high kick, then a Bomaye. Okada kicked out at one. Ibushi hit another Bomaye for a two count. Ibushi hit a high kick, then hit a Kamigoye. Okada kicked out at the last possible instant.
Ibushi tried for another Kamigoye. Okada shoved him off and hit a picture perfect dropkick, just a work of art this kick was.
The two traded strikes from their knees. They climbed to their feet and continued striking. Ibushi hit one especially nasty kick to the back of the head. Ibushi hit another kick and collapsed at the 35 minute mark.
Ibushi made it to his feet and placed Okada on the top buckle. He teased a top rope tiger driver, but Okada shoved him off. Okada tried a missile dropkick. Ibushi plucked him out of the air and hit a powerbomb for a two count.
Ibushi missed a phoenix splash. Okada hit a spinning Rainmaker, then hit a second Rainmaker. He stacked Ibushi up, covered — and only got a two count. This reached all-time levels of greatness here.
Okada hit another Rainmaker, but held Ibushi’s wrist. Okada hit another Rainmaker, then hit his pose. He picked Ibushi up for another. Ibsuhi ducked and hit a high kick. Ibushi hit a V-Trigger, then went for Kamigoye. Okada blocked and hit a sit-out tombstone. Okada then hit another Rainmaker for the 1-2-3.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada via Pinfall to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Epic.
Naito came to the ring after the match. He asked Okada if he remembered what he told him two years ago in the Tokyo Dome. Naito said he’s back in that spot and he’s going to beat Okada tomorrow night. Both men posed with their titles. Naito then left, leaving the ring to Okada.
Okada thanked the crowd for being there. He thanked Ibushi for the fight of his life. Okada said he doesn’t care what Naito wants He said he’s the strongest IWGP champion of all time.
He again thanked the 40,008 for selling out everything except the seats opened up after production holds on the day of the event. He said this is the best wrestling in the world and he hopes to see everyone again tomorrow when he will make it rain.
ROH TV Taping Spoilers for Future Episode
Trent Seven Reportedly Departed from TNA
WWE NXT TV Taping Spoilers for December 31st Episode
