NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed Review and Results

from njpw1972.com

The Golden Lovers vs Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii

Ibushi and Okada start things off, and the crowd is HYPED. They jockey for position in the middle of the ring, which ends with a failed rainmaker attempt. Okada tags in Ishii, and the Stone Pitbull calls in Omega. They run the ropes, trading shoulder blocks. Ishii gets the best of the exchange (because duh), and then takes a cheap shot on Ibushi, knocking him off the apron.

Omega retaliates with forearms. Ishii leans into them and downs his opponent with one of his own. Meanwhile, Ibushi’s back in to confront Ishii. Both Lovers run the ropes and hit some quick tag team offense. Ibushi lays in kicks, but Ishii no sells and eventually gets enough space to tag Okada back in.

The Rainmaker works over the Golden Star for awhile with calculated precision. Tag to Ishii, and Omega cuts him off. They brawl, and Kenny ends up getting battered at ringside. Back to Okada and the Golden Lovers are in trouble. Ibushi shows great fighting spirit and gets the desperation tag to his partner. Crossbody. Big strikes. Tornado DDT, and Ishii has to tag out. Now it’s Omega vs Okada for the first time in the US.

Okada charges forward and runs into a drop kick from Ibushi as Kenny evades. Rana to Ishii, and the Lovers hit a picture perfect Cross Slash. Double team You Can’t Escape, but Okada kicks out. Ishii’s in and all four guys trade big moves. Finally the chaos ends with Omega and Okada alone in the ring. They go back and forth like only they can.

Eventually Okada sets up for a Rainmaker, but Ibushi’s in to block it and run off a sick combination. More back and forth between the legal men as Tom and Kota take each other out. Okada manages to hit a tombstone just in time for Ishii to come in with a sliding lariat. Another Rainmaker attempt, but Omega ducks and slams his rival with a uranagi. Tags to Ibushi and Ishii.

Kota immediately gains the advantage, and Omega’s in to try for the Golden Trigger. Okada breaks it up and plants Ibushi with a DDT. He goes for a drop kick on Omega, but it’s reversed into a powerbomb. Ishii’s up. He headbutts Kenny, then takes a pele from Ibushi and all four men are down. Ibushi and Ishii trade once again. Each of them get great near falls, and their partners are in once again to get involved. Ibushi kicks out of a tag team combination then survives while Omega fights off Okada outside the ring. More tandem offense from the Golden Lovers, and the Golden Trigger finishes it.

This felt a bit underwhelming to me, but honestly my absurdly high expectations are probably to blame. In the end, expectations aside, this was a great main event with lots of fun action and a few memorable moments. The Golden Lovers were brilliant throughout, both together and separately, and Okada and Ishii can do no wrong. I felt like the finish came a bit prematurely, but you don’t want these guys putting too much into a mostly meaningless tag match, so I get it.

Rating: ****

After the match, all of the The Elite and friends are out and we somehow end up with Omega vs Ibushi vs Cody set up for King of Pro Wrestling. Pretty weird, but pretty cool at the same time.

In conclusion, this was a very good, consistent show. It didn’t really have any one standout match like each of the last NJPW US shows, but it was extremely solid from beginning to end, and the four big matches at the back of the card all delivered.

Show Rating: 8/10