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Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project7 Review 7.04.17
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Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project7 Review 7.04.17
OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Syota Umino vs. Ren Narita fought to a draw @ 10:00 [**¾]
– TAKA Michinoku defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 6:10 via submission [**½]
– DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Katsuya Kitamura and Manabu Nakanishi @ 9:35 via submission [**½]
– Dick Togo defeated Hirai Kawato @ 9:34 via pin [***]
– Satoshi Kojima defeated Tomoyuki Oka @ 7:30 via pin [***¼]
– YOSHI-HASHI defeated Koji Iwamoto @ 12:55 via submission [***]
– Yuji Nagata defeated GO Asakawa @ 12:40 via pin [***½]
Syota Umino vs. Ren Narita: Ren Narita is 20-years old, and is making his debut. He’s the newest young lion coming out of the New Japan Dojo. Umino is sporting some shoulder tape, looking like Shibata on day three of the G1. They work a basic back and forth opening, some standing switches and light grappling. Narita gets the early advantage, working the injured shoulder of Umino. Umino eventually fights to his feet and takes control, working the leg of Narita. Umino is doing a good job leading things here, grounding Narita and working a rear naked choke; Narita made the ropes but Umino laid the boots to him and they both fired up, exchanging strikes center ring. Narita took control and locked in the crab, but Unimo made the ropes. Umino then cut him off with the desperation dropkick; hit uppercuts and a big hip toss for 2. The crab followed but Narita made the ropes. In the final minute, Unimo tried for several pinning combos, and then locked in the crab one last time but Narita survived for the draw. Syota Umino vs. Ren Narita fought to a draw @ 10:00 [**¾] With it being Narita’s debut, this was very bare bones and basic, featuring crisp and clean work. While way too early to tell what Narita will bring to the table (it was a really strong debut), Umino continued to show improvement and a lot of confidence leading the match. This was pretty good stuff overall.
– We got some pushing and shoving post match.
Tetsuhiro Yagi vs. TAKA Michinoku: Tagi is one of the newer lions, debuting back in May. They lock up and TAKA controls with the side headlock early. He even gave Yagi a clean break, but that little punk slapped TAKA. TAKA quickly grounds the action, working the head scissors. Yagi escapes, but eats a big knee strike for his troubles. TAKA then stomps away on Yagi, and then casually sidesteps a dropkick. Yagi keeps fighting, hits the dropkick and then takes TAKA down, locking in the half crab. TAKA quickly counters and he works the half crab for a bit, adding in some head stomps for good measure. Surly veteran TAKA is a lot of fun. Yagi tries to fire up and talk some shit but eats a series of knees and kicks for his bullshit. TAKA locks in the cross face and Yagi taps. TAKA Michinoku defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 6:10 via submission [**½] This was really solid stuff, Yagi is doing well in the ring, but started to show more personality tonight; working with a guy like TAKA will help bring that out. Yagi showed decent fire, not Kawato fire, but the improvement was noticeable.
DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Katsuya Kitamura and Manabu Nakanishi: DINOSAUR TAKUMA is the mother fucking truth and a dinosaur God among men. Nakanishi and TAKUMA in to start, neither man quite know what to make of each other. Nakanishi tries to attack using TAKUMA’s tail, leading to Kitamura and Tenzan tagging in. They yell a lot and then do the big collision spots center ring. Tenzan lays in chops, hits the falling kokeshi and that gets 2. TAKUMA tags back in, and they double team Kitamura. TAKUMA even lays in the double chops with Tenzan’s approval. Kitamura cuts him off with chops and sends Tenzan to the floor. He and Nakanishi then double team TAKUMA, and work quick tags, isolating TAKUMA in their half of the ring. Nakanishi hits a dump suplex but misses the knee drop. Tenzan tags in, takes out Kitamura and works over Nakanishi and picks up a near fall. Nakanishi fights off the anaconda buster, Kitamura tags back in and works back and forth with Tenzan, hitting a big suplex for 2. Nakanishi cuts off TAKUMA, he and Kitamura do the little dance and Kitamura spears Tenzan for 2; they both lock in the torture rack, Tenzan rakes the eyes to escape. Nakanishi slaps Kitamura to fire him up but then accidentally clotheslines him. Nakanishi and TAKUMA spill to the floor, and Tenzan takes down Kitamura with the spin kick. The anaconda buster and anaconda vice finish off Kitimura. DINOSAUR TAKUMA & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Katsuya Kitamura and Manabu Nakanishi @ 9:35 via submission [**½] This was a perfectly average match, TAKUMA & Kitamura worked really hard, but Tenzan and Nakanishi were REALLY slow this morning. I mean, Nakanishi was slow even by Nakanishi standards. Not bad, just lethargic.
41Hirai Kawato vs. Dick Togo: Kawato is one of the most well-rounded and fun young lions, and is getting a big chance here working the 47-year old veteran Dick Togo. They worked some basic grappling exchanges to begin, with Togo taking control and looking generally annoyed with Kawato 90-seconds in. Togo keeps Kawato grounded, looking to nullify his speed advantage. Togo reminds everyone that he can be a dick, raking the eyes and tossing Kawato to the floor for some brawl time. Back in and Togo maintains control but slips and fucks up a slingshot senton, almost landing on his head. He kept control, hitting elbow drops and then working the chinlock. Togo then went for repeated covers, but Kawato survived. Kawato hit a desperation dropkick, which got 2 on the cover. He then fired up with running forearms, and then the springboard dropkick got 2. Kawato then locked in the crab, but Togo made the ropes. Togo hit a snap mare into a cradle, and then transitioned into the cross face but Kawato made the ropes. Kawato countered the pedigree into a cradle for a good near fall. Togo then hit the pedigree, went up top and hit the big senton for the win. Dick Togo defeated Hirai Kawato @ 9:34 via pin [***] Outside of the early both by Toho, this was a good match, but one with a layout that felt off. This should have been more of a showcase for Kawato, but it never felt that way and his offense felt extremely limited. He gets to show more fire in the multi-man tags than he did here. This felt like a missed opportunity in terms of giving Kawato a showcase match, instead, this felt like a match he could have had with anyone.
Satoshi Kojima vs. Tomoyuki Oka: Oka is one of the chosen ones, along with Kitamura. They work to the ground almost right away, and then roll to the floor so that Kojima can beat on Oka New Japan Dad style. Back in and Kojima is not in a pleasant mood, beating down Oka and then they trade strikes. It’s all Kojima here, as he lays in the rapid-fire chops in the corner. The big corner charge and top rope elbow connect, and Kojima covers for 2. Oka finally fires up, hits a big shoulder block and follows with the corner splash. He locks in the crab, pulls Kojima center ring but Kojima escapes. Kojima fights off a German and hits the kojicutter. He drops the elbow pad, but Oka avoids the lariat and his a spinebuster, covering for 2. Kojima then slips out of a suplex, and hits the brainbuster for 2. Kojima then kills him with the lariat and picks up the win. Satoshi Kojima defeated Tomoyuki Oka @ 7:30 via pin [***¼] Good match here, nice pacing and I felt like Oka was largely booked as Kojima’s equal. Oka is a funny dude, he doesn’t have a great body, doesn’t have great charisma and doesn’t exactly do anything particularly great in the ring, but is slowly improving and is becoming a good worker. He reminds me a lot of Takaaki Watanabe prior to his transformation into EVIL.
YOSHI-HASHI vs. Koji Iwamoto: Koji Iwamoto is a 27-year old AJPW perfumer who recently competed for the AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Title, losing to champion Hikaru Sato. HASHI controlled at the bell, but Koji started to pick up the pace and use his speed advantage to cut that off. He then grounded HASHI for a bit, but HASHI quickly fought back, stunned him off the ropes and took him to the floor for brawl time. Back in and HASHI connects with the spin kick and then works a camel clutch variation. Koji with a great struggle spot to make the ropes, but HASHI keeps control, hangs him in the ropes and connects with the dropkick. Koji then fired up, hitting the big running forearm and rocking HASHI. The basement dropkick followed for 2. Koji looked for a suplex, HASHI fought him off and they traded strikes center ring. Koji them locked in an abdominal stretch, but HASHI made the ropes. HASHI then lit him up with a superkick, which got 2. HASHI locked in the single leg crab, but Koji quickly got the ropes. HASHI followed with the suplex for 2, and then went back to the half crab. Koji shows good babyface fire in his fight spots. Koji fights back, hitting a knee strike and hangman’s neck breaker, which gets 2. Koji then gets a slick headlock takedown into a cradle for 2 and then works a neck crank from the big brother position but HASHI make the ropes. They go back and forth, with HASHI hitting a lariat for the near fall; the butterfly lock is applied and Koji taps. YOSHI-HASHI defeated Koji Iwamoto @ 12:55 via submission [***] This was another good match, but one I felt went a bit too long as they crowd was with them most of the way but seemed completely uninterested in the final 3-minutes or so. Iwamoto was a fun performer with a on of potential, and as I have said previously, HASHI working these shows is always a good thing, he always has good matches and it’s good for the young guy he works with.
Yuji Nagata vs. GO Asakawa: Asakawa is replacing Ayato Yoshida, who unfortunately fractured his jaw. He is 27, has been working for a year, and comes from KAIENTAI DOJO. Asakawa comes in with some swagger, which blue Justice looks to grapple out of him. Asakawa talks some shit and then slaps Nagata before laying in some forearm strikes. Blue Justice fires up and lays into him, but Asakawa hits a dropkick, sending Nagata to the floor. The slingshot plancha follows and we get some floor brawling. Nagata makes it back in and Asakawa attacks, beating him down in the corner with kick and strikes. Nagata has had enough of that bullshit, hitting a running knee strike because no KAIENTAI DOJO motherfucker is coming in his house and taking a win from him. Nagata kicks the hell out of poor Asakawa, and then locks in the abdominal stretch. Asakawa makes the ropes, but eats more knee strikes for his trouble. Nagata follows with kicks, but Asakawa fires up and lays in strikes and a running forearm to take Nagata down. Asakawa follows with corner attacks, and hits a slingshot elbow drop for 2. Nagata kicks Asakawa’s face off, but Asakawa actually hits Nagata with an XPLODER (it was a bit rough looking). Asakawa then slams Nagata down, heads up top and hits the elbow drop for 2. They trade strikes now, Nagata gets pissed and fires up but runs into a lariat. Nagata locks in the arm bar, Asakawa struggles and just makes the ropes. Nagata kicks away at the arm, but Asakawa keeps fighting back. he slaps Nagata, but Blue Justice will have none of this bullshit and they get into a slap fight. Nagata goes back after the arm, the knee strike and XPLODER follow but Asakawa is out at 2. Nagata finally hits the backdrop driver and puts young Asakawa away. Yuji Nagata defeated GO Asakawa @ 12:40 via pin [***½] Very good main event, with Asakawa getting a lot in and doing very well for himself as a late replacement. There was nothing elaborate here, it was the young lion vs. old lion story, with the young lion giving his all and taking it to Nagata, but in the end just not having enough to finish off the veteran. This was really enjoyable and Asakawa looks to have a lot of potential.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”
