NJPW New Year Dash 2020: Results, Highlights, and Grades

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & Shingo Takagi)

Ishii and EVIL started the match, which is basically the definition of a mean guy match. Ishii and EVIL hit each other hard with lariats, and then Ishii went for a brainbuster, but EVIL fought out and went for Everything is EVIL, but Ishii fought out.

EVIL hit Darkness Falls, but Ishii kicked out, and as both men stood up, they destroyed each other with hard lariats, and both fell to the mat before tagging out.

Goto and Shingo were in the ring, and Shingo absolutely murdered Goto with a corner lariat, and fought over a suplex, but Goto won that battle and they got a two count. These two had a spectacular match in the G1 last year, and I expect if they have another singles match, it will tear the house down again. Goto hit a snapmare and kicked Shingo in the back.

Both men started exchanging strikes, and they hit a double clothesline, which Goto fell first with, but Shingo also went down too. EVIL put a chair around Ishii’s head on the outside, and then swung another chair that sent the chair around Ishii’s neck flying into the crowd.

Shingo yelled “Don’t mess with me!” as he threw Goto into the guardrail. EVIL chopped the crap out of Ishii on the other side of the ring.

Shingo tagged out to EVIL, who put Goto in the corner and hit a bronco buster on Goto for a two count. Goto hit three hard chops, but Shingo ate it and hit one hard one of his own that dropped Goto. After fighting over a suplex earlier, Shingo hit the vertical suplex this time for a two count. Shingo mocked Goto a bit, so Goto replied with a spinning lariat that dropped hi.

Shingo tagged out to EVIL, so Goto dropped EVIL with a huge lariat and tagged out to Ishii who destroyed EVIL with several chops and forearms.

The referee tried to stop him, as they were in the corner, so Ishii turned around and yelled at him. Ishii went for a back suplex, but EVIL blocked it. EVIL threw Ishii’s foot into the ref’s hands and superkicked the knee. Ishii hit a stomp in the corner on Ishii and then a Fisherman’s Buster on for a two count.

EVIL went for a lariat, but Ishii dodged. EVIL countered by going in a different direction and hitting the lariat anyway while Shingo ran in and murdered Goto with a hard lariat. EVIL locked on a Scorpion Death Lock on Ishii, but Goto managed to break it up. Goto went for a sleeper on Shingo, but Shingo broke it up with an electric chair.

After a few double team moves, EVIL hit Darkness Falls on Ishii again for a two count. EVIL called for Everything is EVIL, but Ishii countered, blocking it, a suplex, and a lariat, as Ishii jumped up and hit an enziguri.

Ishii managed to drag himself to the corner and tag in Goto. Goto and Shing were left in the middle of the ring again, and they exchanged a series of hard lariats. Shingo got out of a GTR attempt and hit Goto with a clothesline for a two count.

Goto hit a back heel kick in the corner and a suplex for a two count that EVIL broke up. Ishii hit a suplex on EVIL. Shingo hit a double clothesline on Ishii and Goto. They responded by beating the crap out him, which is fair. Goto and Ishii hit a double team GTR which was brutal looking. EVIL broke up the pinfall attempt. Goto went for a GTR, but EVIL broke it up.

Ishii destroyed EVIL with a lariat, but Shingo destroyed Ishii and went to hit Goto, but Goto hit him harder and everyone was down. Goto and Shino exchanged very hard strikes in the middle of the ring, ending with Goto hitting a headbutt to drop Shingo! Goto went for a mid kick, but Shingo countered and hit a GTR while Goto was on the middle rope! Shingo picked up Goto and hit Last of the Dragon for the win!

Result: LIJ

Rating: ***** (5 stars)

This match was an exceptional tag match. I wasn’t expecting it to be this good going in, but I loved it so much I had to give it the full 5*. They beat the crap out of each other in this match, and you know there is going to be a big singles match with Shingo. Shingo asked Goto for a title shot after the match. I can’t wait to see it! This is going to be such a great match when it happens.