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Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 2.12.16
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NJPW on AXS TV Review 2.12.16
– The match this week comes from the April 5th NJPW Invasion Attack event.
– Kota Ibushi is the special guest for interviews this week. We got to see highlights of Ibushi winning the New Japan Cup, and deciding to challenge for the big belt. During the interview, he wanted to go after the big title and main event against AJ Styles. He says that he was focused on beating Styles and not winning the title, because Styles was the best and he wanted to defeat him and prove that he could be the best.
IWGP Title Match: Champion AJ Styles defeated Kota Ibushi @ 27:01 via pin [****]: This was the first time in forever that NJPW sold out Sumo Hall for a non-G1 show. Some of that is being attributed to the booking of Styles at the time, because he was having great matches and being booked well overall. But it was also because Ibushi draws in a large female fan base that tends not to attend the regular shows. Whatever the case, it was good news for the promotion that an unproven main event match drew so well. They worked a more methodical open, feeling each other out since this is a first time meeting. From there they really picked up the energy, trading near falls. They did some fun spots, trading PELE kicks and counters of signature moves. Ibushi took a sick bump off of a clothesline, landing on his head; I appreciate the selling but damn son, calm down. Ibushi had Styles down late and went for the Phoenix splash to finish him off, but Kenny Omega got up on the apron. Omega didn’t actually do anything (selling that he was torn, as he is Bullet Club, but also former friends/tag partners with Ibushi) but his distraction was enough for Styles to get to his feet, CATCH Ibushi as he came down with the splash and then hit the styles clash for the victory.
AJ did that finish years ago with Low Ki in TNA, so for him to revisit it here I felt was very cool. Overall they worked a really good match, they delivered a great finish and I was really into the match by the end. Some great near falls, teases of big moves and later delivering on them; it was laid out well. Post match Okada ran in and started to lay out the Bullet Club, and finally hit the rainmaker on Styles. The crowd loved this, and now that he had dealt with the monster in Fale, Okada was looking to regain his title (and this was a great call back to Styles attacking Okada at the same event in 2014). This is a very good match, and a strong main event overall; but it never felt great. It felt a bit long at times, and when the match starts to have that drag factor, it takes away from the action. They could have cut five minutes and it would have been for the better. I did think that Ibushi did well in the main event spot, a spot given to a lot of token big guys, and apposition that they constantly fail in. I went **** last year, and stick by the rating this year. I will say though that Ranallo and Barnett did an excellent job as always, and made me enjoy the match on the repeat viewing.
– Kota Ibushi is back for the final interview, and in a way says he felt humiliating to lose how he did, and he was stunned. He got fooled in the match, and never felt as if he had control at anytime. He felt he lost the match in many ways. Ibushi says that it felt as if time stopped when Omega distracted him; Omega is great but he doesn’t know why he chose Bullet Club.
– End scene.
– Thanks for reading.
“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”
