After the excitement of Wrestle Kingdom 15, New Japan Pro Wrestling returned with its New Beginning tour.
With a mixture of title, special singles and elimination matches, New Japan gave fans a bit of everything over the three weeks of action. There were also some surprises on the way. This kept fans excited throughout both the ‘Road to’ and main event shows.
Here is a look at the top five moments from this year’s NJPW New Beginning Tour.
7. Preliminary Match Time-Limit Draws
Credit: NJPW1972
One of the unique aspects of New Japan is the strict match time limits. Title matches are 60 minutes. Undercard bouts vary between 10-30 minutes depending on the card position. During this tour, two preliminary matches went to a time-limit draw between the Los Ingobernables de Japon and CHAOS/Hontai teams on January 25 and February 8.
As Kevin Kelly stated, this was the first time-limit draw in just over two years. However, that was a singles match. These two bouts have been the first preliminary tag matches to go to a time-limit draw since a Road to Tokyo Dome show in 2013.
Not only did they break the mould and beat the timer, but they were sublime matches considering that there were no titles on the line. Each bout was full of action. The match built up to the NEVER, IWGP Jr and Heavyweight title matches each participant was involved in.
The reasons why this happened were down to the participants taking part. In both of the matches, there were no weak links. With SHO, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, Kota Ibushi, Shingo Takagi and Hiroshi Tanahashi, it had the best New Japan has to offer.
6. Taichi, Tama Tonga & The Iron Finger
Credit: NJPW1972
In the past, New Japan has constantly been criticised for its heavyweight tag team division. Yet, after TAICHI and Zack Sabre Jr won the titles last year, the division seems to be heading in the right direction. When the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) won the title at Wrestle Kingdom, many were worried that this progress would be reversed. However, going into the rematch at the New Beginning tour, the storylines and build-up were some of the best the tag team division has seen.
It dated back to G.O.D beating Dangerous Tekkers at Wrestle Kingdom 15. Tama Tonga’s used the iron finger he stole from TAICHI to help win the titles. After losing his beloved weapon, TAICHI had been on a journey of revenge to get back what belonged to him. It sometimes felt more important than the tag titles themselves.
Throughout the warm-up matches, this quest to retrieve back the iron fingers was pivotal to the storyline. Tama would mock TAICHI by pretending to bring bags to the ring that he claimed contained the iron fingers. However, as none of them ever did, this just angered the Holy Emperor each show.
It continued into their title match on the first night of the New Beginning Hiroshima. Tama brought a bag. Although it only took up the first ten minutes, it was a vital part of the bout and contributed to the result. After. After taking the iron gloves off Tama, something took over TAICHI and led him to a disqualification. It culminated one of the most interesting tag-team storylines New Japan has had in a long time.
5. Satoshi Kojima v Will Ospreay – No DQ Special Singles Match (January 30)
Credit: NJPW1972
Many were sceptical when New Japan announced a No Disqualification match between Will Ospreay and Satoshi Kojima. Why did Ospreay have to prove his worth against Kojima who is a ‘NJPW dad’?
Luckily, anyone with any doubts was quickly proved wrong from the second both men made their way to the ring. From the get-go, weapons were used whether it was chairs, tables, bins and even a guitar. Yet, the match’s stipulation did not take over succumbing it to just a brawl with weapons. It intertwined nicely with some wrestling from both men.
Of course, there were some brutal moments with the weapons like Kojima smashing Ospreay’s head with a guitar, Ospreay power-bombing Kojima through a table and Kojima sending Ospreay through a ladder bridge. There were some pure wrestling moments from Kojima’s blistering lariats and Ospreay’s patented OsCutter. It felt like both men threw caution and safety to the wind.
In the end, it took two Hidden Blades, one including a chair, and a StormBreaker for Ospreay to get the win. With this victory, Ospreay maintained his desire to dominate New Japan. However, nobody could deny the heart, talent and guts Kojima had to participate in this match and come out on the other side. It was also evidence of how the company not only pushes their future stars but respects veterans.
4. Jay White Returns (February 1)
Credit: NJPW1972
New Japan always works on tours. For many of them, each has a set of Road to Shows culminating in the larger events. Many fans see the repetitive nature of the cards as an excuse not to watch the shows. However, this tour has proved that you should not miss any show because you could easily miss something.
After losing his main event match against Kota Ibushi on night one of Wrestle Kingdom, Jay White proclaimed that he didn’t want to do this anymore. It led to many speculations that White was either going to leave New Japan or quit wrestling for good. Fans believed that White would head stateside and wrestle for another promotion.
However, on the February 1 show, these rumours were put to rest. After a multi-man match between CHAOS and Bullet Club, White came out and attacked Ishii from behind with the proclamation that this was still his era. He then went backstage and cut another promo stating how wrong he was to doubt his ability and his desire to quit lasted 10-minutes.
Although short, it was unexpected and caught fans by surprise. After losing the first title match back, it will be up to Jay to show why he is still one of the best in the world at what he does.
3. SANADA v Kota Ibushi – IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championship (February 11)
Credit: NJPW1972
After narrowly losing to Kota Ibushi during the G1 final, SANADA made a challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental at Wrestle Kingdom. Going into this match, they had a lot to prove. Many fans called their previous meeting in the G1 final a disappointment which many put down to the fatigue after a long tournament.
With both men as fresh as can be for their match, they managed to show why they are two of the best in the company. The match itself started on the mat with both men displaying their fundamental wrestling skills and submission game. Ibushi and SANADA emphasised their diversity as wrestlers.
Yet, this did not last long. Before fans knew it, both men were showcasing their speed and agility using all of their surroundings. There was a nasty looking TKO off the ring, a series of spine-tingling kicks and a series of innovative roll-up attempts. In just over 25-minutes, they managed to balance psychology and athleticism in a dynamic and gripping match.
However, in the end, it took two Kamigoye’s for Ibushi to pin SANADA. Although it was another failed title attempt, it is far from over for the Cold Skull and the IWGP picture. With the possibility of the titles being split, there will be more opportunities. Kota Ibushi will continue his quest to be God and remain the face of New Japan Pro Wrestling.
2. Shingo Takagi v Hiroshi Tanahashi – NEVER Openweight Championship (January 30)
Credit: NJPW1972For years, the NEVER Openweight title was as a mid-card title. Many forgot about it due to the lack of consistency with champions. However, when Shingo Takagi won back the title late last year, it had a new lease of life. It was shown when the Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi accepted Shingo’s invitation to challenge for the title.
As soon as the bell rang, the match started quickly. With two men as diverse as Shingo and Tanahashi, the opening minutes were key in determining the pace and who would gain an early advantage. However, it soon became less a battle to get the upper hand but to survive.
It seemed as if neither man had regard for their health and safety, putting their hearts and bodies on the line. By the 10-minute mark, they had sustained damage to their legs. It made even the simplest offence hard to execute. Yet, even with this pain, both continued to throw everything into the match. They took risks seen in IWGP title matches.
In the final moments of the match, Tanahashi and Shingo seemed as energised as ever. They both flew across the ring and took even more punishment from their opponents and managing to kick out of them as if they felt no pain. In the end, it took a series of High Fly Flow’s for Tanahashi to finally get the win and his first reign as NEVER champion.
The match was impeccable and one of the best NEVER matches fans have seen. Going over 35 minutes, it was a spectacular mixture of two diverse wrestling styles from two of the best athletes in the company who fans would gladly see wrestle again.
1. SHO v Hiromu Takahashi – IWGP Jr Heavyweight Championship (February 10)
Credit: NJPW1972
When Hiromu Takahashi beat Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Jr Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 15, he quickly named his next opponent. After being one of his only losses during last year’s Best of Super Jr tournament, Roppongi 3k’s SHO was declared his next challenger. The lead up to this title match was hot. Both men showcased what they had to offer and trying to weaken their opponent.
However, none of this mattered when both men stood in the ring alone. As soon as the match started, Hiromu and SHO started throwing forearms in the centre of the ring. Yet, this quickly became high-risk and moved across the ring and to the outside. It felt as if neither man had any regard for their health or that of their opponent. It included a nasty looking sunset powerbomb on both the outside of the ring and on the ring apron.
As time went on, it felt like both men seemed to get a new surge of adrenaline and energy. Despite their differences, Hiromu and SHO adapted to each other’s offence. They found ways to counter everything thrown at them. The crowds were electric clapping and stamping their feet to the extent that El Phantasmo on commentary claimed the floor shook.
However, as the match reached the 35-minute mark, Hiromu hit one final Time Bomb II to retain. It also became the longest Jr title match in the history of the championship. Fans across social media prthis match and called it a showcase of what the Jr division has to offer. It mixed hard-hitting action but also the unpredictability and speed people love.
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