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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 14 Night 1: Results, Grades, and Analysis

By Josiah MacDonald

OSAKA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 03: Kazuchika Okada enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling 'Power Struggle' at the Edion Arena Osaka on November 03, 2019 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
OSAKA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 03: Kazuchika Okada enters the ring during the New Japan Pro-Wrestling 'Power Struggle' at the Edion Arena Osaka on November 03, 2019 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images) /
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https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1213364463870468097

The main card is opening with the first of Liger’s two retirement matches, and I’m not ready to see Jyushin Thunder Liger retire yet. These matches will be very emotional for me, though I don’t expect much in the ring on the first night, as many of the men have been long retired. Nonetheless, this is a perfect way for Liger to sign off, having a tag match with his friends and rivals.

Tiger Mask, Great Sasuke, Tatsumi Fujinami, & Jyushin Thunder Liger w/ El Samurai vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Ootani, & Naoki Sano w/ Kuniaki Kobayashi

I didn’t realize how unprepared I was for Liger’s second last match, as I started tearing up as soon as his music hit. Liger came out to a huge roar from the crowd and he got a massive reaction when the bell rang. Liger started the match with Sano and immediately locked him into a surfboard.

Sano countered with a dropkick when he was on his feet and hit a suicide dive onto Liger on the floor. Ootani tagged in and face washed Liger, showing the world where Samoa Joe got it from. He went for a second one, kicking Liger again, but also hitting Sasuke on the floor. He went for a third, but Liger hit 3 Shotei’s to drop him and he tagged out to Tiger Mask.

Tiger Mask and Takaiwa were in the ring exchanging leg kicks before Takaiwa hit a Death Valley Driver on Tiger Mask before tagging out to Taguchi, who hit Tiger Mask with several hip attacks. Taguchi tagged out to Sano, who hit a sole butt, and then tagged out to Ootani. Sasuka made his wat in but missed a senton on Takaiwa.

Sano tagged in and missed a double stomp. Sasuke took advantage and went to the top rope, but Sano managed to hit a superplex. Both men tagged out, leaving Liger and Taguchi in the ring. Liger hit an atomic drop and hurricanrana for a 2 count. Liger rolled up Taguchi as Sasuke crashed to the floor, missing an attack, for another 2 count. Taguchi hit a running hip attack, but doing Nakamura’s motions. Taguchi then hit the Dodon for the pinfall.

Result: Ryusuke Taguchi, Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Shinjiro Ootani, & Naoki Sano

Rating: **1/2

Liger’s second last match here went exactly as he wanted – getting to showcase his friends before putting someone over. Liger is one of the most unselfish wrestlers of all time, and one of my favourite ever. If you want to read how Liger has been a huge part of my wrestling fandom, you can read something I wrote on Voices of Wrestling about him.

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