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Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate 11 Review 4.10.18

April 10, 2018 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NJPW Lions gate 11 Main
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Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate 11 Review 4.10.18  

 photo NJPW Lions Cup 11_zpsytpiwon4.jpg

Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate 11 Review 4.10.18

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Ren Narita defeated Yuya Uemura @ 8:22 via submission [**¾]
– Tomoyuki Oka vs. Yota Tsuji @ 7:17 via submission [**½]
– Gedo & Hiro Saito defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi & Tiger Mask @ 15:15 via pin []
– Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Ken45 & MANJIMARU @ 13:36 via submission [**½]
– Go Asakawa & Ayato Yoshida defeated Yuji Nagata & Shota Umino @ 11:55 via pin [***]


– Follow all of my reviews at this link.

Ren Narita vs. Yuya Uemura: Uemura (a 24-year-old former college Greco Roman wrestling champion) is one of the new young loins, making his debut here today; he looks like he’ll be a heavyweight prospect. With this being Uemura’s debut, this is a bit more basic than usual. The fun thing about that though is that it allows Narita, the senior lion, to take the dominant/veteran role in the match. Uemura is in good shape, has some nice fire, and his selling is good here. They work some back and forth; Narita mostly dominates until Uemura fires up and gets a solid hope spot, leading to some sustained offense. Narita finally has enough of his shit cuts him off and locks in the crab for the win Ren Narita defeated Yuya Uemura @ 8:22 via submission [**¾] This was a pretty good little opener, with Uemura looking really good in his debut.

Tomoyuki Oka vs. Yota Tsuji: Tsuji (25, with a background in American Football and Taekwondo) is one of the new young loins, making his debut here today. He’s also a bigger lion, and like Uemura, is a heavyweight prospect. They work into the power game early, with Tsuji actually getting some early run in control. Oka quickly cuts him off and grounds things. Tsuji is doing well here, but it doesn’t feel like he has that fire that Uemura brought in the opener. He connects with the big young lion cut off move, the dropkick, and now shows some fire, slapping the shit out of Oka and picking up a near fall. Oka has enough of his shit, cuts him off and locks on the crab for the win. Tomoyuki Oka vs. Yota Tsuji @ 7:17 via submission [**½] This was a perfectly solid little match and debut for Tsuji

Tetsuhiro Yagi & Tiger Mask vs. Gedo & Hiro Saito: Saito is 56 and from Dradition Pro-Wrestling. Gedo and Tiger Mask start us off. Tiger Mask takes early control, working the arm while Gedo calls him a motherfucker. Gedo fights out and we get tags to Yagi & Saito. Saito grounds young Yagi and starts working the leg. Gedo tags back in and they work some double teams. Yagi gets tossed to the floor, allowing Saito to work him over with chair shots; it’s like Suzuki from the shittiest timeline, because Saito is so slow and not threatening in any way. Back in and Gedo maintains the heat, and then tags in Saito for some double teams. This is really dragging compared to the first two matches. Saito is slow and… just old. He’s working a Nakanishi style pacing here. Gedo isn’t even working his fun Memphis heel shtick, which I love. Yagi finally hits a dropkick and tags in Tiger Mask, he wants to have fun and flies in with a high cross. Saito cuts him off, because he hates fun, and hits a rough looking second rope dropkick. Gedo tags in, picks up some near falls but Tiger Mask counters the Gedo clutch into an arm bar; Saito breaks it up. Yagi begs for the tag, gets it and runs wild on Gedo, picking up a near fall. The half crab follows as Tiger Mask & Saito brawl to the floor. He returns as Gedo takes down Yagi and Saito hits some standing sentons (his trademark), allowing Gedo to get the Gedo clutch for the win. Gedo & Hiro Saito defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi & Tiger Mask @ 15:15 via pin [*½] Saito was a bad choice to bring in here, he brought absolutely nothing to the match and in fact took away from it. It was also too long and generally lifeless.

Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Ken45 & MANJIMARU: Ken45 is a 35-year-old freelancer; MANJIMARU is a 33-year-old freelancer (although they do work some Michinoku Pro); they look like proper trashy indie lads. Tenzan and MANJIMARU start us off. They work some back and forth and tag in Nakanishi and Ken. Nakanishi quickly takes him down and brings in Tenzan for double teams. Tenzan’s ankle is still colossally fucked up and is haunting my dreams. Everyone now spills to the floor for some brawl time, which includes Ken & MANJIMARU using chairs. Back in and they take the heat on Tenzan. MANJIMARU attacks Nakanishi, and eventually knocks him to the floor, but it looked like Nakanishi didn’t want to sell for him. After a solid but unspectacular heat, Tenzan hits a suplex and spin kick. The mountain bomb follows and he gets the tag to Nakanishi. Nakanishi strolls mildly, hitting corner clotheslines; he then suplexes these indie punks at the same time. Tenzan tags back in and lays in the Mongolian chops. Ken cuts him off, and MANJIMARU takes out Nakanishi, allowing them to double team Tenzan, and even score a few near falls. Nakanishi back in and they hit 3D allowing Tenzan to pick up a near fall and to remind me how much I miss Kojima. Tenzan then taps Ken to he anaconda vice. Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Ken45 & MANJIMARU @ 13:36 via submission [**½] This was a perfectly solid match, but was rather lethargic and the freelancers really didn’t get to show much.

– They briefly brawled post match, likely setting up future singles matches.

Yuji Nagata & Shota Umino vs. Go Asakawa & Ayato Yoshida: Go Asakawa (28) and Ayato Yoshida (25) are from the KAIENTAI DOJO, have been on these shows in the past and done well. Asakawa looks like YOSHI-HASHI’s little brother. This is Umino’s first main event. Umino and Asakawa to begin. They work some basic back and forth and the crowd is into Umino. Yoshida tags in and he wants Nagata. Unimo declines to acquiesce to his request and attacks before tagging in Nagata. Yoshida lays in knee strikes, and takes him to his corner. He and Asakawa double-team Nagata, who fires up and attacks Asakawa’s arm. Umino tags in for double teams and the cover gets 2. Asakawa cuts him off, and tags in Yoshida. They trade strikes and kicks, and then Asakawa & Yoshida work quick tags, taking the heat. Yoshida knocks Nagata to the floor, allowing Asakawa to ground Umino. Umino starts to fight back, and hits the dropkick. Nagata tags in and works over Asakawa with kicks. The XPLODER follows for 2. Yoshida then breaks up the Nagata lock, but gets tossed. Asakawa manages to fire back and tags in Yoshida. He and Nagata trade strikes, and Yoshida hits a PK for 2. Nagata cuts him off and tags Umino in and he’s a house of fire. The missile dropkick follows for 2. Nagata tosses Asakawa, Yoshida eats double teams and another missile dropkick for a good near fall. The crab follows until Asakawa makes the save. Umino cuts him off but eats a pop up knee and head kick. The backdrop driver finishes him. Go Asakawa & Ayato Yoshida defeated Yuji Nagata & Shota Umino @ 11:55 via pin [***] This was a good back and forth main event, with a surprising finish. I’d love to see Go Asakawa & Ayato Yoshida get a BOTSJ run, as they’ve been impressive on these shows.

– Post match, Yoshida calls out Nagata for a singles match. They were supposed to face last year, but Yoshida got injured. Nagata says if the fans want it, he’ll do it.

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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

6.0
The final score: review Average
The 411
This was your typical solid Lion’s Gate show. I really enjoy these shows, they are fun and I love tracking the progress of the lions. I think that the shows are an essential tool in their growth, they get spotlighted and get to work in front of crowds that are there to see them, plus we get to see some outsiders, which is also fun.
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