NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13: Results, Grades, and Analysis

Taiji Ishimori (Bullet Club) vs. KUSHIDA (c) – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Ryusuke Taguchi came out with a kid dressed as a mini KUSHIDA, while Taguchi was dressed as Doc Brown. Line of the night after Taguchi activated some pyro from Don Callis: “They just blew that kid up! THAT WAS AWESOME.” He disappeared, and the real KUSHIDA appeared to a nice reaction from the crowd. Kevin Kelly said it was a reverse shrink ray. I love wrestling.

KUSHIDA locked up with Ishimori and both men had a wild exchange that ended with KUSHIDA kicking Ishimori’s elbow into the front row, where he then began working on the arm. KUSHIDA hit a dropkick to the face, then a dropkick to the arm, setting Ishimori up for the hoverboard lock. Ishimori countered and locked on the LaBelle lock, and grounded KUSHIDA quickly.

Ishimori went for a 450 splash, but KUSHIDA countered with a hoverboard lock, then he transitioned into a LaBelle lock, then a triangle choke! Ishimori picked up KUSHIDA, onto his shoulders, but KUSHIDA counterd and locked in a hoverboard lock. Ishimori hit a tilt-a-whirl into a LaBelle lock, but KUSHIDA countered out. The counters in this were absolutely insane.

Ishimori managed to hit two knees to KUSHIDA’s face, but he only got a 2 count. KUSHIDA stopped a second attempt at this, and locked on the hoverboard lock again, but Ishimori tried to fight out. Ishimori rolled through, but KUSHIDA held on, and Ishimori wouldn’t quit. Ishimori rolled through again and hit an Attitude Adjustment on KUSHIDA, but KUSHIDA kicked out. Ishimori managed to roll through and hit a Bloody Cross for the pinfall! Ishimori is the new champion!

Result: Taiji Ishimori 

Rating: **** (4 stars out of 5)

Excellent junior heavyweight match here, but one cannot help but feel Hiromu Takahashi looming over the scene, waiting for his return from injury.