NJPW The New Beginning in Nagoya 2021 Results – Jan. 30, 2021 – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shingo Takagi

Jan 30, 2021

January 30, 2021
Aichi, Japan – Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
English Commentary: Kevin Kelly & El Phantasmo
Results via Ethan Renner of F4WOnline.com

Quick Match Results:

Toru Yano & Kazuchika Okada defeated Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL via Schoolboy (pinfall 7:40)
Master Wato, SHO, Tomoaki Honma, & Kota Ibushi defeated BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, & SANADA via Shock Arrow (pinfall 11:32)
Loser Must Stop Using the Mongolian Chop match – Great-O-Khan defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan via Dominator (pinfall 12:45)
No Disqualification match – Will Ospreay defeated Satoshi Kojima via Stormbreaker (pinfall 16:57)
NEVER Openweight Championship – Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Shingo Takagi (c) via High Fly Flow (pinfall 35:40)

Toru Yano & Kazuchika Okada vs. Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL

Okada in the opener. What a tour this has been. Okada’s dropkick was the only highlight in this one.

Okada overcame a trip from Togo on the outside and an illegal double team from EVIL and Yujiro. Yano jumped in and did the drums spot that Okada has been doing in every match on the tour.

EVIL took the referee. Togo exposed a buckle. EVIL sent Okada into the exposed steel. Togo, Yujiro and EVIL did their human centipede abdominal stretch spot. Okada got sent into the buckle again. Okada hit a big boot at the five minute call.

Yujiro and Yano got tags. Yano untied two more corner pads. Yano got whipped into an exposed buckle. Yujiro hit a fisherman buster for a near fall. EVIL took the ref. Yujiro used his pimp cane on Yano and got a near fall. Okada saved and hit a dropkick.

Yano teased using the cane. Togo jumped on the apron and grabbed the stick. Togo and the referee played tug of war with the stick.

Yano hit a low blow and pinned Yujiro with a schoolboy.

Winner: Toru Yano & Kazuchika Okada via Pinfall.

Master Wato, SHO, Tomoaki Honma, & Kota Ibushi vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, & SANADA

This was esentially a house show match, as El Phantasmo made reference to on commentary. Not a bad match, but nothing spectacular.

Wato and BUSHI began. Wato hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and BUSHI was quickly cut off. Honma got a tag and teased a kokeshi. Naito kicked Honma from theapron and jumped in. Honma hit a back elbow and teased a kokeshi on Naito. Hiromu tripped Honma from the floor and LIJ turned this into a brawl on the outside.

Honma was cut off in the LIJ corner. Honma came back with a DDT on SANADA. Ibushi tagged in and hit SANADA with kicks and a standing moonsault for a two count. SANADA hit a hurricanrana and a plancha to Ibushi.

SHO and Ibushi tagged in and traded strikes. Hiromu was sent off the apron with a sliding dropkick. They trades strikes again. Hiromu hit a pop-up powerbomb into a double down. BUSHI tagged in. Naito and BUSHI hit double dropkicks. BUSHI hit a backstabber for a near fall.

Everyone jumped in for a big move as they worked towards the finish. Wato hit a dreamcast on BUSHI. SHO hit a power breaker on BUSHI for a two count.

SHO called for Shock Arrow, hit it, then covered BUSHI for the pin.

Winner: Master Wato, SHO, Tomoaki Honma, & Kota Ibushi via Pinfall.

SHO and Hiromu, plus Ibushi and SANADA stared each other down after the bell.

Loser Must Stop Using the Mongolian Chop
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Great-O-Khan

Tenzan worked really hard and was the better worker of the two in this match. O-Khan has some pieces but hasn’t put it all together yet.

O-Khan tried to attack Tenzan in the aisle as he made his entrance. Tenzan fought off the attack. Tenzan briefly had the upper hand as the match began, using stomps and kicks. O-Khan cut him off with Mongolian chops and used a head and arm choke and a nerve hold.

O-Khan used his wacky offense in working Tenzan over. Tenzan hit a wheel kick and a series of Mongolian chops. O-Khan rolled outside. Tenzan hit some stomps and tossed him back in. Tenzan hit some strikes in the corner. Tenzan hit a diving knee off the top, then a Mongolian chop off the second rope.

Tenzan hit a brainbuster for a near fall. O-Khan raked the face and tried for a Dominator. Tenzan fought it off. They traded Mongolian chops. Tenzan used the Anaconda Vice. O-Khan fought out. Tenzan got a near fall off a uranage.

Tenzan missed a moonsault. O-Khan hit some weak strikes to the back. O-Khan tried for a TTD. Tenzanblocked and tried his own. O-Khan blocked and hit a bad pump kick for a near fall. O-Khan hit a series of Mongolian chops. Tenzan fell to the mat.

O-Khan hit the TTD. Tenzan kicked out and hulked up. O-Khan hit the Dominator and scored the pin.

Winner: Great-O-Khan via Pinfall.

No Disqualification Match
Satoshi Kojima vs. Will Ospreay

This was a very good match.

Ospreay brought a trash can full of weapons and a guitar to the ring.

Ospreay attacked as Kojima climbed into the ring. They immediately began firing off strikes.

They brawled outside. Ospreay sent Kojima into the security fence. Ospreay used a cookie sheet to the head. Ospreay teased a powerbomb onto a trash can. Kojima hit a backdrop onto the can instead. Back inside, Kojima hit a short lariat and and elbow strike.

Kojima missed a plancha. Ospreay hit a diving forearm off the apron. Ospreay pulled a ladder from under the ring and hit Kojima with it. This was the least structurally sound ladder I’ve ever seen in wrestling. Ospreay set the ladder up as a bridge between the ring and the barricade. Ospreay ducked a whip into the ladder and pulled Kojima into the ladder.

Back in the ring, Ospreay exposed a buckle and whipped Kojima into it. Ospreay hit a backbreaker. Ospreay brought two chairs into the ring and set one up. Ospreay teased a curb stomp on the chair. Kojima hit a hip toss onto the chair.

Kojima hit machine gun chops and hit a top rope elbow onto a chair on Ospreay. Kojima hit a rolling elbow. Ospreay hit a handspring kick. Ospreay set up a table on the outside, then hit pip pip cheerio for a two count.

Ospreay tried a guitar shot. Kojima ducked and hit a DDT. Kojima hit a guitar shot to the head. Kojima brought a table into the ring and set it up in the corner. Ospreay avoided a powerbomb into the table. Kojima hit a Koji cutter. Ospreay ducked a lariat and powerbombed Kojima through the table in the corner.

Ospreay hit an Oscutter for a near fall. Ospreay brought more chairs into the ring. Ospreay hit a chair shot to the back. Ospreay set up four chairs and teased an attack off the ropes. Kojima shoved Ospreay off the top through the ladder. The ref started a count. Kojima had him stop the count and went out after Ospreay.

Kojima brought Ospreay back inside. Kojima hit a brainbuster on a pile of chairs for a two count. Kojima went for a lariat. Ospreay blocked with two hook kicks. Ospreay went for another Oscutter. Kojima hit a lariat to the back and knocked him out of the air.

Ospreay hit an elbow into a chair, a Hidden Blade, then hit Stormbreaker for the pin.

Winner: Will Ospreay via Pinfall.

NEVER Openweight Championship
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Shingo Takagi (c)

This was unreal. Just a tremendous main event and the match of 2021 so far.

They started with a lock-up, clean break, then traded headlock takeovers. Shingo hit a series of chops and strikes in the corner. Tanahashi came back with a dropkick to the left leg. Tana tied up Shingo’s legs with an Indian deathlock. Shingo fought to the ropes for a break, but Tana’s strategy of softening up the legs was clear.

Shingo clotheslined Tana to the floor. He dropped Tana face-first on the apron, then hit a DDT on the floor. Shingo limped, selling the effect of Tana’s leg work. Back in, Shingo hit s slingshot stomp, a suplex, then a back elbow drop off the top rope. Shingo was in control, but still sold his legs. Just a master class in selling.

Tana hit a dragon screw, but Shingo braced himself against the ropes to soften the blow. Shingo missed a sliding lariat. Tana hit another dropkick to the knee, then fully connected with a dragon screw. Tana hit a flying forearm, a slam, then a somersault second rope senton for a near fall.

Shingo tried to low bridge Tana to the floor. Tana caught himself on the apron. Shingo teased a death valley driver on the apron. Tana slipped out and hit a dropkick to the knee, sending Shingo to the floor. Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow to the floor.

Shingo beat the count back inside, but Tana hit a dragon screw in the ropes as Shingo got back in. Shingo blocked a slingblade. Tana tried twist and shout, but Shingo reversed and hit his own twist and shout. Shingo hit a second twist and shout.

Shingo hit a sliding lariat, but couldn’t follow up with a cover, selling his legs. Shingo hit some taunting short kicks. Tana teased a dragon screw but hit a low dropkick to the left leg instead. Now Tana taunted Shingo with some short kicks. Shingo hit a chop block, then a knee drop to Tana’s left leg.

Shingo hit a dragon screw in the corner. He used a powerbomb with a stack cover to set up a single-leg crab. Tana fought to the ropes for a break. Shingo blocked Made in Japan and hit two inverted dragon screws.

Tana went for a cloverleaf, but Shingo got the ropes before the hold could be applied. Shingo climbed to the second rope. Tana hit a dragon screw with Shingo on the second rope. Shingo crashed to the mat, selling his leg.

Tana got a cloverleaf in the center of the ring. Shingo’s neck was at a high angle on the mat. Shingo teased passing out in the hold. Tana gave up the hold and hit a High Fly Flow to the back. He went for a second High Fly Flow, but Shingo rolled out of the way.

Shingo hit a wheelbarrow German suplex into the turnbuckle pad at the 25 minute call. Shingo teased a lariat. Tana slapped on a full nelson and teased a dragon suplex. Shingo reversed and hit his own dragon suplex.

Shingo hit a pumping bomber. Tana ducked a second pumping bomber. Shingo blocked a slingblade and spiked Tana on his head with Made in Japan. That was horrible.

Tana blocked Last of the Dragon and hit three twist and shouts. Shingo blocked another slingblade attempt and a dragon suplex attempt. Tana hit a straightjacket German with a bridge for a two count.

Tana hit slingblade. He tried High Fly Flow. Shingo sort of caught him coming off the top and hit a pop-up death valley driver. Shingo hit a corner clothesline. Tana fired back with strikes. Shingo applied a dragon sleeper. Tana made it to the ropes, but Shingo hit a GTR in the ropes at the 30 minute call.

Shingo hit a massive pumping bomber for a near fall. They traded strikes. Tanahashi hit a headbutt. Shingo blocked a slingblade and hit the ropes, still doing a masterful job of selling his leg. Tana hit a dragon suplex. Shingo no-sold. Tana hit a slingblade. Shingo kicked out at one. Shingo hit a pumping bomber. Tana kicked out at one. This ruled.

They hit simultaneous lariats. Shingo dropped Tana with a lariat. Tana reversed a Last of the Dragon into a slingblade. Tana hit a standing High Fly Flow at the 35 minute call. Tana hit a dragon suplex for a near fall.

Tana hit another High Fly Flow for the pin to win the title.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi via Pinfall to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion.

Shingo patted the title on Tana’s shoulder after the match in a sign of respect. They both held up one finger to suggest they do it one more time.

Tana closed the show with a promo and some air guitar.

Great-O-Khan interrupted the encore and hit a Dominator. He cut a promo on the fallen Tanahashi and held the NEVER title over him.