NJPW Sengoku Lord in Nagoya Results and Grades: Another all-action main event

Yuya Uemura vs. Taji Ishimori

Result: Ishimori submits Uemura

A refreshing opening match that broke away from New Japan’s tendency to run three to four multi-man matches in a row to start a card. The match featured a very promising Young Lion talent working with one of the most talented “good hands” on the Junior Heavyweight roster. Yuya was able to get a fair amount of offense off early pulling the Bone Soldier into a pinning predicament several times in the opening moments of the match.

He was able to stay competitive throughout the match with a few more pinning predicaments and even one promising looking Boston crab midway through the match, but the real turning point came early in the match when Yuya was driven into the steel barricade on the outside by the Bone Soldier. One of the few matches where a member of Bullet Club asserts dominance without cheating and relying on the distraction of fellow Bullet Club members.

Bone Soldier took his time picking apart his competition and reminding us all of just how good he really is. Before seemingly taking pitty on the Young Lion and pulling him into a cross face lock and submitting him in the middle of the ring. Following the match, Ishimori left Uemura laying in the center of the ring glancing back several times on his walk to the back to make sure that the young man had stayed down.

Grade: D

The match was, fine, and built Uemura’s strength in the ring but was not my favorite.