Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 5.05.17

Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 5.05.17

– Kazuchika Okada is the guest for interviews this week.

Tiger Mask W (Kota Ibushi) defeated Red Death Mask (Juice Robinson) @7:25 via pin [**]: This was the big introduction of the new Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask W, to play off of the new anime series; Re Death Mask is a villain from the show. This was the debut, with the Tiger Mask W mask being rather large and awkward. It caused Ibushi issues throughout the mask, it wasn’t like a slide on mask as much as it appeared to be a hunk of plastic you just put on top pf your head and it sits there. This was a perfectly solid pre-show match, Red Death Mask controlled most of the way until Tiger Mask W busted out the Ibushi offense and gave some real life to the match. Red Death Mask would eventually miss a top rope leg drop, allowing Tiger Mask W to (after a struggle) hit a rough looking Tiger Driver.

– Kazuchika Okada looked back on his loss to Marufuji on the G1, he wanted revenge, which is why he gave Marufuji a title match. He knew he couldn’t lose to a champion from another company again; he had to accept things, move on and keep winning.

IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Naomichi Marufuji @ 28:12 via pin [****¾]: Marufuji beat Okada in the G1, which is how we got here. Okada looked to use his size advantage early, but Marufuji was all about his speed and was able to counter out. He flashed the high kick, which Okada avoided and after some back and forth Okada hit the big backdrop. Okada slowed the pacing and took the match to the floor, where Marufuji fought back with the bulldog over the barricade. He connected with the heel kick and as they retuned to the ring, Marufuji took the heat, delivering chops to Okada. Okada tried to fire up with some weak ass forearms, so Marufuji lit his ass up with more chops and told him to take that weak sauce back home. Marufuji then started to target the arm, looking to take out the rainmaker. Marufuji then continued to break down Okada with chops in the corner. Okada finally hit a big boot and then a running elbow to stop the offense of Marufuji. Okada then planted Marufuji with a DDT and then dropkicked Marufuji to the floor. They brawled on the floor, Marufuji ht the head kick, but Okada followed with a running high cross over the barricade and into the chairs. We got the countout tease from that, Okada rolled Marufuji back in and Marufuji fought him off with kicks and strikes, which led to the double down. They fought to the feet, Marufuji laid in more kicks and then the dropkick. They fought to the apron and Marufuji hit a PILEDRIVER on the apron!

GodDAMN!! Piledriver on the apron from Marufuji! #NJPW #njkopw pic.twitter.com/SJ39E19DcB

— LARIATOOOO!!! (@MrLARIATO) October 10, 2016

Okada made it back in to break the cont but ate a springboard dropkick for a near fall. Okada managed to cut off Marufuji with a flapjack, they worked into a series of counters, with Okada hitting the neck breaker. Okada up top and hits the elbow drop. RAINMAKER POSE. Marufuji countered the rainmaker and rolled into a version of the koji clutch. The ref checked the arm, but Okada fought to his feet. Marufuji went for Shiranui, countered and Okada sent Marufuji to the corner with a shotgun dropkick. Both men struggle to their feet, and Marufuji with more chops as Okada connected with forearms. My God Marufuji is sick with these chops. They continued to battle back and forth, Okada challenged Marufuji to throw more so he did and just continued to light him up and Okada dropped to his knees. Marufuji kept firing away, avoided the dropkick the first time but then ran right into it. Marufuji escapes the tombstone and hit the head kick, Okada countered Shiranui with a German, but Marufuji countered the rainmaker with a jumping knee strike! Marufuji avoided the charge and absolutely killed Okada with another knee strike in the corner. Shiranui connects, but Okada survives. Marufuji went for the emerald flowsion, Okada countered but ate another kick to the head. Marufuji went for Shiranui again, but Okada countered into a rainmaker! Okada held onto Marufuji’s wrist as they laid on the mat, pulled himself up but Marufuji scores with the small package for 2. Marufuji laid in the series of kicks and knees, but Okada snatched him up and hit the tombstone! THIS FUCKING MATCH! Okada then hit the emerald flowsion as a FUCKYOU to Marufuji, and decapitated Marufuji with the rainmaker and retained. This was an amazing battle, with the champion having to dig deep to put away a fellow champion and man that had previously defeated him. This was everything I wanted from this match and more, and more than delivered as the main event to an overall amazing show.

– We then got the post match, where Gedo called out Omega for the big face to face between champion and challenger. Omega says Okada has been given everything by Gedo and NJPW. He also adds that Okada has been good, beaten the best and protected the company; he has been the symbol of New Japan. Omega says he has taken everything he has, and will take everything Okada treasures. He will win at WrestleKingdom and treat Okada like a little bitch, like they did when Okada was in America. Okada said, “I’m on a whole different level than you fool, and I will show you at the Tokyo Dome; brace yourself.”

– In the final interview, Kazuchika Okada says he could feel Marufuji’s desire to defeat him, to attract attention to NOAH and take the title there. But he couldn’t let that happen. On his post match interaction with Omega, he felt that Omega was a new man, and that he could show NJPW a new WrestleKingdon.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

9.0

The final score: review Amazing

The 411

The Tiger Mask W was is one to skip, but Okada vs. Marufuji holds up extremely well. It makes me hate that the NOAH partnership died and that Marufuji stayed there.