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Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 7.15.16

July 15, 2016 | Posted by Larry Csonka
7.5
The 411 Rating
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Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 7.15.16  

NJPW on AXS TV Review 7.15.16

– The matches this week come from the 2015 New Japan Pro Wrestling Destruction in Okayama event.

Togi Makabe will be our guest for interviews this week.

IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Champions Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows defeated Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan @ 13:15 via pin [***½]: I have not been a big fan of Gallows or Tenzan at times. But with that being said, I enjoyed this and felt that it had a really good energy. They all worked hard, they had a good plan and Gallows and Tenzan seemed reenergized for this outing. Kojima and Tenzan faded down the stretch, but they had enough in them to deliver here. I feel that you get the best out of them if you keep the time closer to 10-minutes, but all four know how to work together and I liked this.

IWGP Jr Heavyweight Title Match: Kenny Omega defeated Champion KUSHIDA @ 16:25 via pin to become the new champion [***½]: We had a lot of Bullet Club shenanigans during the match, both early and leading to the finish. I felt that they were having a good match, and I could have let the early shenanigans go since they eventually backfired on Bullet Club, but we got them and Shelley involved down the stretch. KUSHIDA ate a gun stun and the one winged angel and was pinned to crowd Omega the new champion. The revolving door of tag, junior tag and junior titles is getting annoying as we’re doing title changes just to make it appear that things are happening, but all three of these divisions suffer from poor booking. I have said it repeatedly, and unfortunately it has not been fixed, not then not now. This match featured good work, held back by the Bullet Club bullshit, which annoys me to no end no matter the promotion. Also, cutting the balls off of KUSHIDA’s big win was completely infuriating. I had hopes that they would build around him; instead they continue to make all kinds of moves without any real booking happening. They have done a bit better this year, but I was not a fan of this. Sydal came out post match, and it looks as if we’re getting him as the new challenger to the throne.

NEVER Openweight Title Match: Champion Togi Makabe defeated Kota Ibushi @ 18:41 via pin [****]: Overall it was the best match on the show, and was very good but not great. Ibushi continued to feel completely stalled to me, he had the great match with Nakamura and then nothing; he won the New Japan Cup and nothing. He had a great G1 run and got this match, and nothing. He has had a chance at the IC, NEVER and WORLD titles and failed each and every time. The promotion needs to work on making more stars and the have one right here, and are still too shy to pull the trigger. Ibushi is the bridesmaid, and is still waiting on the proposal to be the bride, and then he ended up hurt and gone. The match was very good overall, the typical Makabe match; slow methodical beginning, some striking, picking up the pace by Ibushi to try and counter the power advantage Makabe has. They had some really good back and forth, some sick suplexes, and again this was a good main event, but I was hoping for more as far as the overall quality AND the result. Ishii then came out to challenge Makabe, which while the matches would be good; I had no interest in revisiting the feud. Thankfully they’ve changed that this year with some new names involved.

Togi Makabe put over Ibushi, noting that Ibushi’s skill brought out his anger and drive. He then put over the popularity of the NEVER title, and the physicality in the matches being the reason that they have gained so much popularity.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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

7.5
The final score: review Good
The 411
Tonight’s show was good overall, but contained nothing I would consider must see.
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