NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed Review and Results

Hirooki Goto, Beretta, & Chuckie T vs Jeff Cobb, Chris Sabin, & Flip Gordon

Sabin and Taylor start the match. They go back and forth and end up trading pinning combinations. Flip tries to get involved, but Beretta keeps things even. Eventually Goto and Cobb get involved too, and the Chaos team gets control of the match. They take turns running off offense on Sabin while he desperately tries to make a tag to one of his teammates. After quite some time, Flip finally gets the tag and runs wild with some completely insane high flying offense.

Beretta stops flippity Flip in his tracks, and Cobb and Goto are tagged in. They brawl back and forth. Cobb ends up going for a standing moonsault, but it misses the mark and Goto lands a big clothesline. Tag to Chuckie T who yells “I’m going to kill this dude for real”. (Excuse me what?) He goes for a vertical suplex on Cobb, but it’s reversed.

Chuck’s in trouble, and Beretta’s in to help his partner. Double suplex to Cobb, but he fires up and suplexes both of his opponents at the same time. However, the Best Friends still have the numbers advantage, and Chuckie T is able hit a piledriver. Cobb survives, gets out of the way of a top rope moonsault, and the Tour of the Islands ends it.

I loved this. It was obvious that all six guys really wanted to make the most out of their time, and they totally did. Everyone played their roles well. Sabin shined through the first half, selling like crazy while he desperately tried to fight off his opponents, Flip’s hot tag was awesome, the Best Friends had a couple of standout moments, and Goto and (especially) Cobb were absolute beasts down the stretch. Great stuff all around.

Rating: ***3/4

After the match, Goto shoves Cobb from behind. They face off, and it’s clear they’re not finished with each other. Cobb vs Goto II coming soon.

Zack Sabre Jr, Lance Archer, & Davey Boy Smith Jr vs Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, & EVIL

SURPRISE. Suzuki Gun attacks before the bell, but LIJ pretty much completely no sells it as EVIL lays out ZSJ. SANADA’s in as Sabre escapes and tags in DBS. Cold Skull is too good, so Archer gets in to help out his partner. Davey Boy makes the most of it and suplexes SANADA all over the place. Naito to the rescue, but KES overwhelms him for awhile too. Eventually he fights back and gets enough space to tag in EVIL. Sabre Jr tags in at the same time, and their rivalry is continuing to build. Two EVERYTHING attempts, but ZSJ reverses both and gets another pinfall victory over EVIL with the European clutch.

This felt like this was just meant to further the ZSJ/EVIL rivalry, which it did effectively. Other than that though, it was just a harmless, forgettable six man tag.

Rating: **1/2

After the match it’s Beppu flashbacks as Sabre taunts while the King of Darkness looks absolutely furious. I’m into it.