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Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 5.29.15

May 30, 2015 | Posted by Larry Csonka
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Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 5.29.15  

Introduction
As a reminder, this will not be another traditional recap, but instead it will be a mash up of the Rs, Instant Analysis and my usual Twitter ramblings I would do during the shows; completely uncensored and as the ideas flow unfiltered to the old keyboard. Remember, this is a review; and I am here to review the show. As always, I encourage discussion and even disagreement, just do so in a respectful manner. I will be doing the review for Raw and most PPVs and iPPVs going forward.

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NJPW on AXS TV Review 5.29.15

OFFICIAL RESULTS
IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title Match: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley defeated Champions Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson @ 16:50 with a KUSHIDA hoverlock [****½]
– Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka defeated Toru Yano & Kazushi Sakuraba @ 15:13 via Suzuki Gotch-style piledriver on Yano [*]
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Kota Ibushi defeated Ricochet @ 13:37 with a Phoenixplex [****½]

Time Splitters vs. Young Bucks: KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley beat Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson to win the Jr. tag titles in a hell of an opener. KUSHIDA & Alex Shelley had a great super juniors tournament last year. Which was ruined by injures, but both men seemed more motivated than ever out there. I think that they were pissed that the BOTSJ got ruined for them, so they busted ass here and I also felt that the crowd reacted more to them tan they had previously. The Bucks are the best tag team in the world right now, and that was true during the time of the show. They continue to deliver exciting matches pretty much everywhere they work. Everyone was on their game, the work was crisp and clean and most importantly innovative at times as they created some truly awesome counters to the established tag moves of each other. It was probably the best opening match on any show of 2014. Follow that bitches. I think that they did the title change due to the plans changing in the super juniors, but it was an awesome match and it came off well. This was awesome and a perfect way to kick off the show. Seriously, when your opener is better than most PPV main events, there is no wrong here. [The match they aired was edited a bit for time.]

Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka vs. Kazushi Sakuraba & Toru Yano: Other than needing to fill time, I have NO CLUE why they would include this on the show. They should have added Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata defeated Yuji Nagata & Tomoaki Honma, which was a little shorter but completely great (****). The match they gave us was uninspired, and at the time this was simply variations on a theme as the feud was going on forever and we kept seeing the same kink of match. I am completely baffled on the decision to air this. They actually showed this shitfest in its entirety.

Ibushi vs. Ricochet: Kota Ibushi defeated Ricochet to retain the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. This was about everything you’d expect, and I expected a lot from these two. I loved this match so much, and was worried that it couldn’t live up to things after the sensational opener. The match just worked and they had some tremendous spots, effortlessly great work, a good crowd and a really hot closing stretch made this worth it. Part of me hated the end, it felt like it came too soon and that they could have went a few more minutes and it would have been a true MOTY contender, but as a whole the match was great. It left me wanting to see more from the performers, which is a good thing. This match was everything that juniors action can and should be, simply awesome.

THE OTHER STUFF ON THE SHOW: Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo continue to work very well together and make these matches, which I have already watched, feel fresh with their commentary. The interviews were some post match stuff, as the week mostly featured the in ring product, which is good with me. They did have fresh interview footage of Ibushi discussing the challenge of Ricochet and then later admitting that while he won, he couldn’t hang with Ricochet in the flying department.

* End scene.

* Thanks for reading.

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“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”

9.0
The final score: review Amazing
The 411
If you like junior heavyweight/cruiserweight matches and are a fan of these guys, the show is a must see. I have NO IDEA why they aired that tag match in the middle, because I hated it then and didn’t really like it a year later (Josh Barnett and Mauro Ranallo even shit on it). Skip that and watch the two juniors matches, which were two of the best from that division last year and you’ll be good because they ruled.
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