New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) the King of Sports returns to the California for the G1 Special Live from the Cow Palace in San Francisco Francisco airing live on AXSTV. Tonight’s main event featured International Wrestling Grand Prix (IWGP) Champion, “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega defend his title against, “The American Nightmare” Cody accompanied with his wife, Brandi Rhodes.
Along with the G1 tournament, the co-main event had New Zealand’s Jay “Switch Blade” White defend his title against American, Juice Robinson.
Here are tonight’s results as follow:
10-Man Tag Team Match – Chaos/RPG 3K (SHO, YOH, Rocky Romero, Gedo and YOSHI-HASHI) vs. Bullet Club and Guerrillas of Destiny (Chase Owens, YujiroTakahashi, Tango Loa, Tama Tonga & King Haku
The crowd popped craziest for King Haku who teams with his sons tonight along with Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi. Haku gets the near fall after Tango Loa clears the ring in this 10-man tag match. Rocky Romero takes down Owens and Takahashi with a Frankensteiner on both men!
The action stays hot as Tama Tonga gets tagged in and executes a devastating DDT. Haku saves his son from being pinned and Tango Loa gets the win for his team!
Winners – Bullet Club and Guerrillas of Destiny
Tag Team Match – Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. Minoru Suzuki
The stare down behind and Ishii is already pointing that he wants Suzuki. The bell sounds and your men exchange blows before Sabre is tagged in. However, Suzuki and Ishii continue to fight outside as Yano steps in to face off with Sabre.
Suzuki and Ishii can’t keep their hands off each other as they return to beating each other up on the outside of the ring.
Sabre and Suzuki double team Yano as the referee stops Ishii from interfering.
Ishii is finally the legal man and is insulting Suzuki I’m the corner with love tap kicks to the head. However, Suzuki is able to return the favor moments later.
Hot tag for both as Yano rips off the turnbuckle covering to hit Sabre with it but misses.
Sabre blocks the low blow from Yano but eats a clothesline from Ishii allowing Yano to get the roll up and the 1-2-3.
Winners – Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii
Tag Team Match – Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kushida vs. Marty Scurll & Hangman Page
Kushida is having a lot of fun toying with Scurll who in embarrassment tags out to Hangman, showing the fans to chant and get Tanahashi in the ring to now school Hangman.
Kushida tags back in, drops an elbow on Hangman, who quickly heads outside and as the Japanese wrestler follows get jumped by Scurll which gets a, “Too Sweet” chant from the crowd.
Scurll attempted the crossface chicken wing on Tanahashi who blocks it, tags out to Kushida and goes to town.
All four men are in the ring with Tanahashi and Kushida applying their finishers but the Bullet Club members escape. Leading to Hangman to get the pin.
Winners – Marty Scurll and Hangman Page
Openweight Championship – Hirooki Goto (C) vs. Jeff Cobb
The crowd is clearly with Cobb who is well known for his work in All Pro-Wrestling, leading to an APW chant.
This match is more power than finesse as Cobb’s launchs the champion over his head from a brarhug.
Cobb’s is controlling the match but Goto is making him work for it as he won’t stay down after multiple near falls.
Goto drops two big elbows and retains his title.
Winner – Hirooki Goto
IWPG Tam Team Championship – The Young Bucks (C) vs. EVIL & SANADA
This is one of tnr most fast paced matches of tnr night as the Jackson brothers have the crowd eating out of their hands.
The Young Bucks have come a long way from being spot monkeys to telling a story in the ring and they surely have mastered their craft.
Evil ducks and the Young Bucks super kick the referee knocking him cold. Evil and Nick Jackson play catch with a chair brit super kicking Evil!
The crowd is popping as Sanada is beside himself. Matt Jackson kicks out and the Cow Palace is on their feet.
The Young Bucks super kick Sanada as he comes off the top rope. They use the Michinoku Driver to retain the IWGP Tag Team Championship.
Winners – The Young Bucks
Special Tag Team Match – Kazuchika Okada & Will Ospreay vs. Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI
The Rainmake, Okada states this one of against Naito as the crowd goes back and forth for the two favorites.
Okada breaks clean against the ropes but Naito sucker punches the former champion before throwing him out of the ring.
Ospreay and BUSHI are tagged in, before all four men enter the ring leading to a BUSHI-Naito double team on Okada.
NJPW’s strong style has been on display all night and this match is no exception as the wrestlers have everyone in awe of their work rate.
Ospreay and BUSHI are back in the ring and after a few big spots, it is BUSHI who gets a near fall after a spinning neck breaker.
Ospreay gets the win for his team via pinfall.
Winners – Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship – Hiromu Takahashi (C) vs. Dragon Lee
Before the bell sounds Takahashi attempts a suicide dive onto Lee on the outside. After getting back into the ring Lee poses after a dropkick in the corner taunting the champion.
Takahashi attempts a flying head scissors but Lee lands on his feet then rolls out to the floor only to eat a big drop kick. Takahashi then climbs to the top rope and lands a leg drop onto Lee who’s still on the floor.
They both manage to climb to the top ropes where Lee has Takahashi hanging by his ankles and does a jumping solo onto the champion’s chest which almost lead to a double count out as both competitors made it back into the ring at 19.
Lee whips Takahashi into the ropes as they exchange belly to back suplexes on each other. This easily could be match of the night.
For the first time of the night the crowd chanted, “NEW JAPAN, NEW JAPAN, NEW JAPAN!!!”
Takahashi rolls up Lee in a triangle choked, gets power bounced and still holds on to it. It isn’t until Lee chucks him over his head that the hold is broken, leaving to a sit out power bomb and a near fall for Lee.
Takahashi gets the pin with his finisher.
Winner – Hiromu Takahashi
IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Jay White (C) vs. Juice Robinson
Juice Robinson has never won a title in NJPW, could tonight be his shining moment by bringing the United States Championship back to America?
The bell sounds and Juice shoots in with a double leg, mounting White and dropping bombs on him before heading to the outside and throwing White through the barricade.
After White throws Juice over the top rope, it’s his turn to put Juice through the barricades.
White is putting pressure on Juice’s broken hand to the dismay of the fans who start changing, “F**k you, Switchblade.”
Some fans have begun the unique chant of, “JUICE-S-A” along with the “U-S-A” chant to enrage the Kiwi.
Switchblade just messed with the wrong announcer as Josh Barnett just jumped in the ring to confront the champion!
The two men continue to fight one the outside as Juice sidewalk slams White against the ring apron leaving to the chants from earlier. Juice executes a side Russian leg sweep into the floor!
White has Juice distracting the referee in the corner, lands a low blow, Juice reverses, lands the Left Hand of God, which was dubbed an illegal move earlier in the night. White bucks out of his finger, but manages to roll up White and win his first ever title in NJPW!
Winner – Juice Robinson, New U.S. Champion
IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Kenny Omega (C) vs. Cody
Cody vs Kenny. Bullet Club vs. Bullet Club. This is for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and possibly the leadership of the Bullet Club.
The two exchange lock ups and end up on the ropes with Cody poking Omega in the eye.
Cody feels the belt is coming his way after a shoulder tackle. This has the feel of a Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat back in the early minutes of this bout.
Omega comes flying out of right corner and gets power slammed in the center of the ring as the intensity level kicks up!
Cody takes off his weight belt but doesn’t get a chance to whip Omega with it like he had anticipated, leading to Omega to put Cody through a table.
The crowd is divided as they chant for both men.
The ladders and chairs come out as Cody slams Omega with the ladder he chose to pull out from under the ring. Cody more sets up the ladder in the center, pushes off Nick Jackson as Matt Jackson tries to help. Omega hops on the ladder and they are fighting towards the top of it. Omega went for a suplex but Cody reversed it off the top of the ladder. Cody goes for the pin but Omega kicks out.
Cody grabs the IWGP Heavyweight title, holds it up to the crowd to nothing but boos. Omega hits a DDT but Cody follows it up with a springboard drop kick.
Cody hits three Cross Rhodes for a near fall as the Young Bucks remove the ladder from the ring. Omega hits a flying knee on Cody and the two struggle for domination mid-ring. Omega only earns a two count after a power bomb.
After several knees, Omega still can’t finish Cody who kicks out at two just before the 30 minute mark. Omega sets up a power bomb and launchs Cody outside the ring through a table.
Cody crawls in and as Omega prepares to take him out Brandi Rhodes crawls in to protect her husband. She is pulled out of the ring and Cody closelines Omega slowing the momentum leading to a series of chops being exchanged.
Omega drives Cody’s head into the canvas to retain his title.
Winner – Kenny Omega, IWGP Heavyweight Champion
Following the match the Young Bucks enter the ring to witness the carnage left behind by their stable mates. Both combatants stand, face each other with the belt insert Omega’s shoulder belt he holds it high for the crowd to see.
Omega addresses the San Francisco crowd by saying this was his first title defense and how proud he was able to defend it at the legendary Cow Palace and that he feels Cody deserves a second chance before praising good, hard working people in seeking to work hard and continue to do so in NJPW.
Just as the Bullet Club were celebrating Omega’s victory on the ramp, King Haku and GOD come out to destroy them, along with Hangman Page and Marty Scurll who tried to make the save. They even took out Takahashi who tried to also help his stable mates.
Cody finally comes out to the ring in honor of his stable mates and as GOD thinks he’s going to join them, they hand him a chair, he hits the brothers brother Haku takes him out as well.
