wrestling / TV Reports

Csonka’s NJPW 46th Anniversary Review 3.06.18

March 6, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NJPW 46th Anniversary Show
7.6
The 411 Rating
Community Grade
12345678910
Your Grade
Loading...
Csonka’s NJPW 46th Anniversary Review 3.06.18  

Csonka’s NJPW 46th Anniversary Review 3.06.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA, & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Yuji Nagata, Ren Narita, Tomoyuki Oka, Shota Umino, & Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 7:35 via submission [**½]
– Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano defeated Toa Henare, Juice Robinson & David Finlay @ 7:40 via pin [**¾]
IWGP Junior Tag Team Title Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado defeated Champions Sho & Yoh & Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI @ 14:50 via pin [***]
– SANADA defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 17:45 via pin [***½]
– Tetsuya Naito defeated Taichi @ 14:24 via pin [***½]
IWGP IC Title Match: Champion Minoru Suzuki defeated Togi Makabe @ 19:02 via pin [****]
Non-Title Match: Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Will Ospreay @ 25:25 via pin [***¾]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

– You can read my preview for tonight’s show at this link.

– The Katsuya Kitamura vs. Manabu Nakanishi match has been postponed, due to Kitamura dealing with an injury (concussion).

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA, & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yuji Nagata, Ren Narita, Tomoyuki Oka, Shota Umino, & Tetsuhiro Yagi: Nagata and the lions attack tight away, clearing the ruing and attacking Taguchi early on. Taguchi fires back, hits some ass attacks and tags in Tiger. He immediately beats the shit out of Yagi, and then Narita. Liger tags in and it’s time for Liger to get himself some and beat on the lions. Tenzan tags in, he continues the dad assault, chopping down Yagi. Yagi hits the desperation dropkick and Nagata tags in and lays in kicks on Tenzan. Nagata runs wild on Tenzan, but Tenzan starts to fire back. He hits the mountain bomb, but Nagata rebounds with the XPLODER. Wholesale changes to Umino and KUSHIDA, they trade strikes and it breaks down and the lions clear the ring and hit corner attacks on KUSHIDA. Umino hits a missile dropkick for 2. The crab follows, as Oka attacks Taguchi. KUSHIDA cuts off Umino, hits the tornado DDT and cartwheel dropkick for 2. The hover board lock follows, Umino fights and KUSHIDA transitions to the arm bar and Umino taps. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, KUSHIDA, & Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Yuji Nagata, Ren Narita, Tomoyuki Oka, Shota Umino, & Tetsuhiro Yagi @ 7:35 via submission [**½] This was a very solid opening tag, the lions brought the fire, but couldn’t overcome the more experienced performers.

Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Toa Henare, Juice Robinson & David Finlay: Juice is sporting someone gear tonight. Ishii & Henare brawl at the bell, continuing thier mini-rivalry. They work into some shoulder blocks and Henare takes Ishii down. Ishii fires up and then tags out to Yano. Finlay now tags in and attacks, Yano undoes the buckle pad, but Finlay cuts him off and hits the running uppercut. Yano rakes the eyes, and then pulls the hair. CHAOS clears the ring and we get some floor brawling. CHAOS takes control, and rolls Finlay back in. Goto tags in and grounds Finlay, laying in elbows and locks on a half crab. Finlay makes the ropes. Finlay counters the ushigoroshi and hits a dropkick. Yano cuts him off momentarily, Finlay suplexes Ishii and Juice gets the tag and he’s fired up, running wild and hitting a cannonball and spinebuster. The senton follows, and he lays in jabs to all three opponents. Goto cuts him off, but Juice fires back with a clothesline. Henare tags in and attacks Goto, hits a shoulder tackle and Ishii is in and they brawl. The lariat follows by Henare, and he heads up top and hits the flying shoulder tackle onto Goto for 2. It breaks down as they work over Goto, and Yano makes the save. Juice & Finlay hit planchas to he floor. Goto hits ushigoroshi on Henare. The GTR finishes it. Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano defeated Toa Henare, Juice Robinson & David Finlay @ 7:40 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good match, all action and hard-hitting; the Henare vs. Ishii exchanges continue to be a blast.

IWGP Junior Tag Team Title Match: Champions Sho & Yoh vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI vs. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado: The challengers both hold non-title wins over the champions, setting up this match. Takahashi and Yoh start us off. Takahashi lays in chops and Yoh fires back. They trade back and forth, and Yoh’s chest is already showing damage as he has flashback to last December, where Takahashi bloodied his chest up. He keeps firing back, hits a head scissors and tags in Sho. They double team Takahashi, and then double dropkick BUSHI. Suzuki-gun trips up 3k as it breaks down into a floor brawl with all six. Takahashi & Sho roll back in and BUSHI tags in. He chokes out Sho with his shirt, LIJ work double teams on Sho, and BUSHI picks u a near fall. Kanemaru tags himself in and takes out Yoh, and hits a big backdrop on Sho. Desperado tags in, and he grounds the action, hitting a standing splash for 2. Sho fires back with chops, but runs into a spinebuster, and BUSHI breaks up the tag. Takahashi tags in, lays in chops and hits the corner clothesline and basement dropkick for 2. Desperado cuts him off, allowing Kanemaru to tag in and work over Sho. The superplex follows for 2. He locks on the crab, as Desperado tosses Yoh and BUSHI. Sho fights, Desperado plays defense but Sho makes the ropes. Sho fights off a suplex, but his back gives out. He tags in Yoh and he runs wild with dropkicks. He fights off Suzuki-gun, hits a flying forearm and Kanemaru cuts him off, lays in kicks and takes out the knee. Elbows follow, and BUSHI tags himself in and Takahashi joins him and they dump Kanemaru. Yoh cuts off BUSHI and Sho tags in. Takahashi in and gets sent to the floor. The spear follows on BUSHI, and then a spear to Suzuki-gun. Sho and BUSHI in now, and the superkick gets 2 for Sho. The German follows, Takahashi in and hits the sunset bomb to the floor on Desperado. 3K now set and Yoh hits a dive as Sho was cut off by BUSHI. They trade strikes, 3K hit stereo knees and double teams for a near fall as BUSHI kicks out. More double teams follow, and they set for 3K,but Takahashi makes the save and takes the ref. BUSHI mists Sho, Kanemaru mists him with the whiskey and Desperado cradles Sho for the win and the titles. Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Desperado defeated Champions Sho & Yoh & Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI @ 14:50 via pin [***] This was an overall good match, the work was fun and the ending creative to change the titles, but it felt as if they really never got out of second gear. I still feel that this would have been better off as a straight tag and that the booking of the junior titles continues to be infuriating. It makes it really hard to care about the division.

SANADA vs. YOSHI-HASHI: They lock up to begin, and work to the ropes. Clean break and SANADA hits a shoulder block. HASHI hits an arm drag and, RANA and plancha to the floor. They brawl on the floor, and SANADA locks on skull end in the crowd. SANADA drops HASHI and drags him back to the ring. Back in and SANADA follows with elbow strikes, slowing the pace. He follows with knee strikes, and then grounds things. HASHI escapes and hits a basement dropkick and DDT. Shoulder blocks follow, and then the running blockbuster connects. HASHI lays in chops and hangs SANADA in the ropes and follows with a dropkick for 2. SANADA cuts of the neck breaker, and connects with the dropkick and plancha to the floor. Back in they go, and SANADA heads up top and hits the missile dropkick. HASHI quickly counters into the butterfly lock, but SANADA makes the ropes. SANADA counters a German and hits a Saito suplex. The TKO connects and SANADA covers for 2. SANADA looks for skull end, countered, and HASHI locks on skull end. SANADA escapes and counters into skull end, but HASHI escapes and hits a backstabber. The neck breaker follows, and HASHI heads up top and eats knees on the swanton. SANADA misses the moonsault. Both are down and work to their feet, they trade strikes and slaps. SANADA fires up, but HASHI cuts him off. SANADA follows with an uppercut, and then rolls into skull end, but HASHI cradles him for 2. HASHI follows with a lariat for 2. The sitout powerbomb connects for another 2. HASHI back to the butterfly lock, SANADA fights and gets to his feet, but HASHI drags him back down. SANADA keeps fighting, but starts to fade. One last effort by SANADA and he makes the ropes. HASHI looks for karma, but SANADA counters into skull end. He locks on the body scissors as well, but HASHI fights. SANADA lets go and hits the moonsault and that’s that. SANADA defeated YOSHI-HASHI @ 17:45 via pin [***½] This was an overall very good match, with SANADA continuing to show how good he really is and HASHI playing a pretty great babyface. I think it would have been a little better if it was a little shorter, and had a bit more of a sense of urgency.

Tetsuya Naito vs. Taichi: TAKA is at ringside. This is Taichi’s heavyweight debut. Taichi attacks before the bell with the mic stand and drags Naito to the ramp. He then powerbombs Naito on the ramp. This leads to a countout tease. Naito beats the count, as Taichi mocks him. Taichi then covers for 2. Taichi rips off Naito’s shirt, and follows with kicks. He rakes the eyes, but Naito cuts him off and hits a neck breaker and basement dropkick. The action spills to the floor, with Naito slamming Taichi to he barricades. Back in and Naito continues to work over Taichi. The draping neck breaker follows for 2. Taichi cuts off the corner dropkick combo, sending Naito to the floor. Taichi follows and whips Naito to the barricade. Back in and Taichi follows with a buzz saw kick for 2. The pants are off for Taichi. Naito counters the superkick, and follows with a tornado DDT. Naito sets Taichi up top and the RANA follows and Naito coves for 2. Naito looks for destino, but Taichi counters with a Saito suplex. He follows with a pair of lariats, covering for 2. The powerbomb follows for a good near fall. Naito fights back, hits the reverse RANA and both men are down. They work into a series of counters, but Naito hits a German and Gloria for a good near fall. Taichi counters Naito, hits a low blow and Gedo clutch for 2. Taichi looks for the superkick, Naito counters and hits the rolling kick. TAKA takes the ref, Taichi misses with the mic stand shot, Naito grabs it and then slams the ref into TAKA. Naito now hits a pop up low blow on Taichi, and breaks the mic stand over his head. Destino finishes it. Tetsuya Naito defeated Taichi @ 14:24 via pin [***½] This was surprisingly a very good match. The layout was smart with the pre-match attack, allowing Taichi to take the early heat and get the crowd into things. Taichi working heavyweight was a refreshing change he wasn’t a totally cowardly heel, he actually brought the fight and was more of a douche bag bruiser. He looked really good here, and they had a very good match as Naito had to resort to his rule breaking ways in order to overcome Taichi’s heel tactics. Taichi may have lost here, but looked good, and now feels like a threat to Tanahashi in the New Japan Cup.

– Post match, TAKA says that Zack Sabre Jr will beat him in the New Japan cup.

– We get a Rey Mysterio video package for Strong Style Evolved. Hopefully that still happens.

– In big news, Togi Makabe’s theme music wasn’t muted today.

IWGP IC Title Match: Champion Minoru Suzuki vs. Togi Makabe: This is Makabe’s first singles title match in 2½ years, Suzuki leads the series 3-2. They brawl at the bell. Makabe takes early control, which only pisses off Suzuki. The action spills to the floor, with Makabe slamming Suzuki to the barricades. This is a fight right now, no one is grabbing a hold, they’re just trying to punish each other. Out of desperation, Suzuki works the hanging arm bar in the ropes. He drags Makabe to the floor and slams him to the barricade before posing Makabe’s knee. Suzuki shoves down red shoes and then uses a chair to attack Makabe’s knee. Suzuki looks to use the chair again, but red shoes takes it away. Back in and Suzuki takes the heat, attacking the knee of Makabe. Suzuki works a heel hook, but Makabe makes the ropes. Suzuki working the knee makes sense to try and take away the king kong knee drop, plus it follows up on the Tanahashi match. Makabe fires up, hits a powerslam and corner mounted strikes. The northern light suplex gets 2. Suzuki cuts him off with a running kick, but Makabe counters the PK and lays in strikes. Suzuki now drops Makabe with a vicious forearm strike. Suzuki is amused at Makabe firing back and drops him again. Suzuki just smiling and laughing is terrifying. They trade center ring, and Makabe is down again. Makabe cuts him off with a DVD, and both men are down. Makabe follows with a lariat and sets Suzuki up top, he follows and looks for the spider German, and hits it. The king kong knee drop misses! Makabe is down, clutching at the bad knee. Suzuki now locks on the knee bar. Makabe digs deep, fights but Suzuki pulls him back and reapplies the hold. Suzuki is relentless here, but Makabe makes the ropes. They trade strikes from thier knees, now slapping each other. Makabe hits a German for 2. Suzuki counters out of the dragon suplex but Makabe hits the lariat for 2. Suzuki now hits the dropkick, cutting of Makabe. He locks on the sleeper, Makabe fades and Suzuki looks for the Gotch, but Makabe fights him off. Makabe lays in chops, and but Suzuki slaps him repeatedly. Suzuki takes out the knee, and lock in the sleeper; the Gotch pilediver connects and Makabe is done. Champion Minoru Suzuki defeated Togi Makabe @ 19:02 via pin [****] This was a great match, with Makabe brining it and Suzuki continuing to deliver in 2018. The layout was smart, with Suzuki continuing his assault on the knees of his opponent, which took away the king kong knee drop and Makabe’s power advantage. Makabe was really great fighting form underneath, and this was a simple, hard-hitting match that played well with the crowd and delivered, continuing Suzuki’s dominance, and more importantly, there was no Suzuki-gun shenanigans. We’re getting Suzuki at his best right now, which at age 49, continues to be amazing. There was no bullshit at all, just two men looking to prove who was the best, and it was really great.

– Post match, Suzuki kicks the shit out of Oka.

Non-Title Match: IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. IWGP Junior Champion Will Ospreay: Ospreay looks to ground things early, but Okada counters out. Ospreay looks to work the arm, but Okada again counters out. They work some nice and clean back and forth to begin, with Okada grounding things and working the knee. Okada works a modified cattle mutilation, but Ospreay escapes and rolls into a sunset flip, They trade pinning attempts, and Ospreay gets a near fall off of a backslide. Okada powders to the floor. Back in and they work into a test of strength. Okada controls, overpowering Ospreay. Ospreay counters out, but Okada takes him down and works for covers. Ospreay keeps bridging out, and hits a monkey flip. Back to the feet, Ospreay picks up the pace as they tease their finishes and work into a stand off. Ospreay now slaps Okada who was breaking clean, takes Okada down and hits a RANA. Okada to the floor, Ospreay teases a dive, and Okada returns to hit a dropkick. They work to the floor; Okada slams Ospreay on the floor and follows with a running boot. Ospreay beats the count back in. Okada covers him with one foot, but Ospreay is in the ropes. Okada connects with a DDT, and covers for 2. The neck breaker follows for 2. Okada grounds things, working the strangle hold. Ospreay makes the ropes. Ospreay fires back with rights, and follows with the back handspring kick. Ospreay follows with a jawbreaker and kicks, and then hits the hesitation dropkick. Ospreay heads up top now, and hits the springboard clothesline. Okada firs back, Ospreay counters the dropkick and hits the running shooting star press for 2. Okada cuts him off with the flapjack, and sets Ospreay up top. Okada then dropkicks him to the floor. Okada follows and kicks Ospreay over the barricade. He follows with the running cross body, but Ospreay cuts him off and then follows with the Sasuke special. Back in and Ospreay hits the inverted suplex for 2. The Robinson special connects, but Okada counters the Oscutter into a cobra clutch. Ospreay fights out, but Okada connects with the neck breaker across the knee. The running uppercut follows for 2. Ospreay fires up wit rapid-fire strikes, but runs into the dropkick of Okada. Okada up top and the elbow drop follows. Rainmaker pose. Ospreay counters out of the rainmaker, gets cut off, and Okada lays in more strikes. Okada lays in dickish kicks to the head of Ospreay, Ospreay gets fired up and they trade strikes. They work into counters, and Ospreay hits the Spanish fly for a good near fall. Ospreay hits a rainmaker, covering for 2. Ospreay up top now, and the imploding 450 connects for a good near fall. Ospreay follows up with strikes, but Okada counters the oscutter into a tombstone. The rainmaker is countered and Ospreay hits a sitout powerbomb for another good near fall. Ospreay lays in a series of kicks, but Okada hits the dropkick to counter the oscutter. The big German follows for 2. Okada hits the rainmaker, hangs on and hits another. Ospreay counters the third, but Okada counters into a spinning tombstone. The rainmaker finishes it. Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Will Ospreay @ 25:25 via pin [***¾] This was a very good and well executed match, but I felt that it was too much of a dominating performance from Okada, and that Ospreay didn’t really get to shine here. He looked good, it took a lot to defeat him, and it was enjoyable, but felt way too much like any other Okada match, I was really hoping that Ospreay would take him out of his comfort zone, and give us something different. That doesn’t mean it was bad, far from it, it was a lot of fun and was a fitting main event, I guess I was just hoping for more, because they are certainly capable of much better..

– Post match, Okada helps Ospreay to his feet and cuts the show closing promo. He loves Ospreay as a wrestler and a brother.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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

7.6
The final score: review Good
The 411
The NJPW 46th Anniversary was a good show, featuring a title change, and a particularly strong closing stretch of matches, including Taichi impressing in his heavyweight debut, SANADA getting some momentum after his loss to Okada, and Suzuki retaining in a great match against Makabe. It was a good time overall, clocking in at just under three hours. Next up is the New Japan Cup.
legend