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Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project5 Review 5.09.17

May 9, 2017 | Posted by Larry Csonka
6.5
The 411 Rating
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Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project5 Review 5.09.17  

Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project5 Review 5.09.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Hirai Kawato defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 5:13 via pin [**½]
– El Desperado defeated Syota Umino @ 9:30 via pin [**]
– Tiger Mask & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Toru Sugiura @ 12:55 via submission [***]
– YOSHI-HASHI defeated Daisuke Kanehira @ 11:35 via submission [***]
– Satoshi Kojima defeated Ayato Yoshida @ 10:22 via pin [***]
– Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura @ 13:50 via pin [**½]


The Lion’s Gate project is a series of shows for the young lions of NJPW to gain experience. NJPW previously worked with NOAH on these shows, but with that relationship ending, they will work with AJPW, K-Dojo and other promotions; it’s a very bare bones set up.

Hirai Kawato vs. Tetsuhiro Yagi: Both men looked to show off their grappling skills, working an aggressive back and forth amateur wrestling exchange. It was seemingly all friendly during this early portion, but Kawato was Kawato and got pissed and picked up the aggression with strikes. Yagi made the comeback, hitting a slam and locking in the crab but Kawato made the ropes. Kawato then hit a dropkick, and several body slams before locking in the crab; Yagi fought but tapped. Hirai Kawato defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 5:13 via pin [**½] Rock solid little opener here, with Kawato picking up the win. I love his work so far, as he goes from mild-mannered young lion to pissed off little brawler in quick fashion. He continues to be one of the more well rounded lions so far.

Syota Umino vs. El Desperado: Umino got to face TAKA on the last show, and gets another Suzuki-gun veteran in Desperado here today. Desperado largely looked to humiliate Unimo early, slapping him aground, avoiding attacks and easily controlling things. Umino dared to fire up, but Desperado pulled him to the floor, posted him and kicked his ass at ringside. Desperado then wedged a chair into the corner, slammed Umino into it and then locked in a camel clutch to thusly humble the youngster. Umino fired up with chops, but Desperado easily cut that off until Umino hit the desperation dropkick and locked in the single leg crab. Desperado escaped, hit a big right but Umino got a near fall off of a small package; Desperado then hit the spear for 2. Guitarra de Angel finished off young Umino. El Desperado defeated Syota Umino @ 9:30 via pin [**] You can tell they see a lot in Syota Umino, giving him back to back matches with veteran members of the roster in TAKA & Desperado. He is rapidly improving in a very short amount of time. This was ok, but felt really lethargic; Desperado played his role as the bully veteran well, allowing the crowd to get behind Umino.

Tiger Mask & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Toru Sugiura: Dinosaur Takuma is in fact a dinosaur man (well a man wearing a dinosaur themed singlet with tail). We got to hear both Tiger Mask & Tenzan’s themes tonight, none of that dubbing bullshit. Tiger Mask started out with TAKUMA, and wasn’t sure what to make of him. TAKUMA used his tail to not only make the ropes, but then hit some tail whips on Tiger Mask. Once again, Sugiura looks like Yano’s younger, more athletic brother. He and Tenzan tag in, Sugiura tries to man up, but Tenzan quickly shuts that shit down with Mongolian chops. Sugiura and TAKUMA actually took control for a bit, but Tenzan cut off TAKUMA with the mountain bomb. Tiger Mask got the tag, ran wild on TAKUMA with kicks and dropkicks before locking in the arm bar. TAKUMA escaped, hitting a bulldog on Tiger Mask. Sugiura sends Tenzan to the floor and runs wild on Tiger Mask, scoring a near fall. The northern lights suplex followed for 2. Sugiura hit a Samoan drop, headed up top and hit the missile dropkick for 2. He again took out Tenzan, but Tiger Mask cut him off with a kick to the gut and tiger driver. Tenzan gets the tag, cleans house with chops and then beats down Sugiura (who gets busted open), who keeps firing up and finally hits a high cross for the near fall. Tag to TAKUMA, he runs wild, hitting an AA on Tenzan it breaks down as Tiger Mask and Sugiura brawl to the floor. Tenzan hits the anaconda slam and transitions into the vice, and TAKUMA has to tap. Tiger Mask & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Toru Sugiura @ 12:55 via submission [***] DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Toru Sugiura are a ton of fun to watch, got in a lot on the dads and made you feel as if they actually had a real chance of winning.

YOSHI-HASHI vs. Daisuke Kanehira: I am pretty certain that this is my first time seeing Kanehira. They work a nice, basic and clean grappling exchange to begin. Kanehira looks for shoulder blocks, but HASHI keeps calling him on and finally gets taken down. HASHI dirties things up, dragging hi to the floor for some ringside brawling. All of those battles with Suzuki-gun have influenced young HASHI. Back in and HASHI grounds Kanehira before laying in chops and strikes. HASHI then sets Kanehira on the ropes and hits the running dropkick for 2. HASHI has been staying a step ahead or Kanehira, which has been the basic story here. Kanehira finally cuts off HASHI, hitting a corner dropkick and a pop up knee strike for the near fall. He then locked in the arm bar, but HASHI made the ropes. HASHI then hit the superkick for a near fall. HASHI then hit the powerbomb and jackknife cover for 2. They then traded strikes center ring, Kanehira lit up HASHI with some great looking knee strikes and then locked in the arm bar, before transitioning to the triangle choke. Great struggle spot from HASHI, who made the ropes. HASHI hits the lariat, locks in the butterfly lock and Kanehira had to tap. YOSHI-HASHI defeated Daisuke Kanehira @ 11:35 via submission [***] I felt that this was a really smooth and well laid out match, with Kanehira coming off very well, even in loss. I hope he’s brought back for another look

Satoshi Kojima vs. Ayato Yoshida: They battled for position, solid back and forth with Yoshida sending Kojima to the floor. After a brief floor brawl, they worked back into the ring, where Kojima took control. He kept things basic, simply outwrestling Yoshida on the mat and then laying in the rapid-fire chops. Yoshida would cut him off, but when he looked to go to the floor, Kojima clipped out the knee and hit a DDT on the apron. Back in and Kojima hits the top rope elbow drop for 2. Yoshida fired up with chops, simply pissing off Kojima who walked right through them and score with a DDT; Yoshida fired back, hitting knee strikes and two PKs, landing to the near fall. Kojima then fought off a sleeper, hit the koji cutter but Yoshida countered the lariat with a uranage before locking in a guillotine choke. Kojima powered out, and hit the brainbuster for the near fall. Yoshida was resilient, countering the lariat a few times, but Kojima finally caught him with it and picked up the win. Satoshi Kojima defeated Ayato Yoshida @ 10:22 via pin [***] This was another good match, with Yoshida giving off a Shibata vibe in his work. Good showing by Yoshida, who looked as if he belonged and almost outsmarted the veteran, but eventually fell to the lariat despite his best efforts.

Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata vs. Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura: This is the dads vs. the next generation of heavyweights. Nakanishi and Kitamura started things off, and worked right into a hoss battle. They traded chops with Nakanishi largely no selling Kitamura’s efforts and constantly demanding he try harder. Nagata and Oka tagged in, with Oka overpowering his mentor. Kitamura tagged in and laid into Nagata with chops, but Nagata fired back with leg kicks and tagged in Nakanishi, and he sent Oka to the floor. Nagata grounded Kitamura, teasing the arm bar, but Kitamura made the ropes. Nagata kept attacking the arm, as did Nakanishi when he tagged in. Kitamura and Nakanishi battled over a suplex, but Kitamura was the one to get it and he then tagged in Oka. There was a disturbing lack of fire from Oka on the hot tag, he did hit some suplexes and a powerslam, but it just lacked. Nakanishi would cut him off with a spear and tag in Nagata. Kitamura in as well, hitting a dropkick on Nagata. Kitamura then worked the torture rack while Oka locked in an arm bar, MOVE THIEVES! Kitamura locked in the crab on Nagata, but Nakanishi made the save. Ok had to make the save as the dads worked over Kitamura. Nagata then put him away with the backdrop driver. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura @ 13:50 via pin [**½] Unfortunately this was an average at best main event. Considering that Oka & Kitamura work with Nagata & Nakanishi in training all the time, this just felt lifeless and had no sense of urgency. There was an overall lack of fire from Oka & Kitamura in this main event setting, which came across as disappointing.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

 photo fe36ffd0-0da4-4e3b-a2d3-b026b341dd87_zps41ef5d61.jpg
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.5
The final score: review Average
The 411
This was another solid outing from the Lion's Gate Project; with only six matches, the show flies by in just under two-hours. Ayato Yoshida, Daisuke Kanehira, TAKUMA & Toru Sugiura all impressed and were the standouts of the show, and made me want to see more of them.
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