Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project9 Review 11.16.17

Csonka’s NJPW Lion’s Gate Project9 Review 11.16.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– YLC Tournament Match: Tomoyuki Oka (2) defeated Ren Narita (0) @ 13:15 via submission [***]
– YLC Tournament Match: Katsuya Kitamura (2) defeated Syota Umino (0) @ 10:09 via pin [**¾]
– YLC Tournament Match: Hirai Kawato (2) defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi (0) @ 6:45 via pin [**]
– Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Dinosaur Takuma & Kotaro Yoshino @ 12:11 via submission [*½]
– Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Go Asakawa @ 10:31 via submission [***]
– Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata defeated Yuma Aoyagi & Daisuke Kanehira @ 15:14 via pin [***½]

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– Check out my full Young Lion’s Cup breakdown here.

– You can read my Lion’s Gate Project8 review here.

YLC Tournament Match: Tomoyuki Oka (2) vs. Ren Narita (0): Oka is all tanned up and has leaned up a bit since I last saw him. Oka grounds the action early, Narita is able to fight to his feet, looking to work the arm, but Oka quickly drags him back down to the mat. Narita is game though, using some solid counter grappling, leading to a stalemate. Oka shoots the double, and drags things to he mat and applies a guillotine. He transitions to the arm and starts to look for pin attempts, but they again work to a stalemate. They keep the action grapple heavy, with Oka dominating. Narita fights off the sleeper, and connects with a dropkick. He then takes things to the ground, working the leg of Oka. Narita now transitions to an STF, but Oka makes the ropes. Narita keeps his focus on the leg, including hitting a second rope leg drop onto the knee of Oka. Narita slaps Oka around, which fires him up, and Oka hits a spinebuster. Narita fights of the belly to belly, so Oka lays in forearm strikes. Narita then hit the bitch slap of all bitch slaps, and HE hits the belly to belly, covering for 2. Narita locks in the full crab, but Oka powers to the ropes. Narita lays in strikes and chops, but Oka hits a desperation shoulder tackle and follows with ground and pound. The slam follows, covering for 2. He now works an STF variation, bending poor Narita in half. Oka transitions to a sleeper, and then the camel clutch but Narita lunges and makes the ropes. Oka locks in the crab, but Narita again makes the ropes. Oka hits a belly to belly, but Narita kicks out again as the crowd has really gotten into this. Oka locks in the crab again and really cranks on it, and Narita has to tap. Tomoyuki Oka (2) defeated Ren Narita (0) @ 13:15 via submission [***] This was a good back and forth match, with an invested crowd and both showing good growth as performers. Narita has a fun edge to him, but is still sympathetic to the crowds. He’s also very good, considering his lack of experience.

YLC Tournament Match: Katsuya Kitamura (2) vs. Syota Umino (0): Umino is full of piss and vinegar to start, firing up with strikes and chopping away at the beast. Great aggression by Umino to begin, who has put on some size since the last time I saw him. They start colliding like rams center ring, Unimo then takes out the knee of Kitamura and grounds the big man. Umino locks in a knee bar, keeping focused on the knee, but Kitamura makes the ropes. Kitamura then fires up with vicious chops, but Umino cuts of the charge and hits a missile dropkick. Unimo picks up the pace, hits a running forearm and locks in the full crab. Kitamura kicks him away, but runs into a drop kick. Umino then hits the fall away elbow off the top, covering for 2. Kitamura fires up and cuts him in half with a spear, Umino counters the second spear and hits a German. The neck breaker follows, and Unimo covers for 2. Umino locks in the full crab, and has Kitamura trapped center ring, but the big man crawls to the ropes for the break. They trade strikes, Kitamura hits the chops and spear for a near fall. Kitamura hits the jackhammer and picks up the win. Katsuya Kitamura (2) defeated Syota Umino (0) @ 10:09 via pin [**¾] This was pretty good overall, but the opener was smother and had a more invested crowd. This was still enjoyable, with Unimo getting in a lot more than I had anticipated against Kitamura.

YLC Tournament Match: Hirai Kawato (2) vs. Tetsuhiro Yagi (0): They brawl at the bell. Yagi is really aggressing, beating on Kawato in the corner and shoves the ref away, Kawato quickly fights back, locking in an arm bar. Kawato keeps things grounded, laying in kicks and going for repeated covers. Yagi fires up, hitting corner attacks and then locking in a half crab. Kawato escapes into a roll up for 2. The dropkick follows, and Kawato covers for 2. he goes back to working for the arm bar, Yagi with a really good fight spot to try and stop it, and just makes the ropes. Kawato then hits a springboard missile dropkick, which gets a good near fall. Kawato finishes things with a trouble in paradise, that didn’t really connect. Hirai Kawato (2) defeated Tetsuhiro Yagi (0) @ 6:45 via pin [**] This was disappointing, coming off as just ok with an off finish. It started off well, but felt off the longer it went on.

Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Dinosaur Takuma & Kotaro Yoshino: Dinosaur Takuma is a Dinosaur, Kotaro Yoshino is a caveman, with a lovely afro. Nakanishi and Yoshino into begin; they do a lot of circling and then lock up. Yoshino then does his caveman dance, Nakanishi is not impressed and grabs Yoshino’s nose to cut him off. Tenzan and Takuma in, Tenzan grabs his tail and follows with rights. Takuma lays in Mongolian chops, but Tenzan cuts him off and shows him how it’s done, and covers for 2. Nakanishi and Tenzan double team Takuma, and then take out Yoshino. Takuma tries head butts on Nakanishi, which fail. Tenzan tags back in, he delivers head butts and takes control. More double teams on Takuma follow, Nakanishi lays in the chops, Takuma fires up with forearms but is cut off by a lariat. Nakanishi does his little dance, but gets double teamed and Yoshino tags back in. he knocks Tenzan to the floor, takes Nakanishi down and hits a running splash for 2. It breaks down, Takuma and Yoshino dance, but Nakanishi suplexes both of them and tags in Tenzan. Mongolian chops by Tenzan follow, he runs wild on Yoshino, hits a suplex and covers for 2. Yoshino cuts him off, Takuma tags in and runs wild, hitting a slam and senton for 2. Nakanishi rushes in, but Takuma spears them both. Takuma hits a DVD on Tenzan for 2. He then runs into a mountain bomb by Tenzan and it breaks down with everyone in. Tenzan locks in the anaconda vice as Nakanishi locks in the torture rack and the dads pick up the win. Manabu Nakanishi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Dinosaur Takuma & Kotaro Yoshino @ 12:11 via submission [*½] To say that this moved along at a glacial pace may be an insult to glaciers. Tenzan isn’t the same when working with others, which is why I hate when they split him up from Kojima. This felt twice as long as it actually was, and not even the wacky dancing oh Takuma and Yoshino could save this. This just ended up a slow, flat and bad match.

Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Go Asakawa: Asakawa overpowers Taguchi early, but on the mat, Taguchi battles back and looks for the ankle lock, but Asakawa escapes. The opening stretch was good and clean, with the crowd into things. Asakawa picks up the pace and he hits an ass attack, surprising Taguchi and taking him down. Taguchi fires back and shows him the real funky weapon, using his ass to take control and then covers for 2. Taguchi grounds the action, working the ankle of Asakawa, trying to set him up for the ankle lock finish. Despite Asakawa pulling his hair, Taguchi stays focused on the ankle. Asakawa finally makes the ropes for a break. Taguchi fires up with forearms, but Asakawa answers back and hits a running forearm, but is slow to follow, due to the damage to his ankle. He then counters an ass attack with an atomic drop, but Taguchi cuts him off and hits a bum a ye for the double down. Taguchi fires up and hits a series of running ass attacks, but Asakawa cuts him off with a dropkick to the ass. Taguchi scores a single leg takedown and looks for ankle lock, but Asakawa makes the ropes. Asakawa counters the dodon into a cradle for 2, and then scores with a judo throw, and covers for 2. Taguchi fights off another throw, and hits the enziguri; a suplex follows for 2. They work into some pinning reversals and Taguchi finally gets the ankle lock, pulls Asakawa center ring and he taps. Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Go Asakawa @ 10:31 via submission [***] This was a good, back and forth match, with an invested crowd and Asakawa getting a lot in. he’s been fun on these shows.

Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata vs. Yuma Aoyagi & Daisuke Kanehira: Kojima and Aoyagi start things off. They work a slow back and forth until Aoyagi cheap shots Nagata, sending him to the floor, continuing their recent issues on these shows. Nagata tags in and Aoyagi attacks right away, beating down Nagata in the corner. Kanehira tags in, and they double team Nagata in the corner. Kanehira takes control, continuing the assault on Nagata and isolating him in the corner before sending Kojima to the floor. Nagata fights back with a crossface, but Aoyagi makes the save. It breaks down with Nagata and Aoyagi brawling on the floor. Kojima works over Kanehira in the ring as Nagata makes his way back to the apron. Nagata tags backing, and lays the boots to Kanehira and sends Aoyagi back to the floor. Don’t make dad mad. Nagata works the arm of Kanehira as Kojima tags back in and locks in the half crab, and then transitions to an STF. Kanehira makes the ropes, but Nagata tags back in, talks some shit to Aoyagi and then beats on Kanehira. Nagata tosses Aoyagi back to the floor, Kojima back in and hits the neck breaker, covering for 2.Kojimanow lays in chops in the corner, but misses the charge and runs into a powerslam. Aoyagi gets the hot tag, knocks Nagata to the floor and goes to work on Kojima. Kojma cuts off Aoyagi with the Koji cutter and tags in Nagata. Nagata punishes Aoyagi with kicks, and follows with rights. Aoyagi hits a high cross, and dropkick, covering for 2. Aoyagi follows with a suplex, and that gets 2. Nagata fires back with elbows, they trade center ring, lighting each other up and Nagata hits a XPLODER for the double down. Wholesale changes to Kanehira and Kojima, Kojima lays in the chops and hits the corner forearm. The top rope elbow drop follows and the cover gets 2. Kojima follows with forearms, but Kanehira lays in knee strikes, covering for 2. They trade strikes center ring, and Kojima connects with a DDT. Kanehira locks in an arm bar as Aoyagi sends Nagata to the floor. Nagata and Aoyagi battle as Kojima fights and makes the ropes. Aoyagi and Nagata spill to the floor, Kanehira hits a backdrop driver but Nagata makes the save. Nagata and Aoyagi again battle to the floor, allowing Kojima to score with the lariat for the win. Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata defeated Yuma Aoyagi & Daisuke Kanehira @ 15:14 via pin [***½] This ended up being a very good, hard hitting match with a simple story of the young guys looking to prove themselves against the established veterans. Nagata and Kojima were game, with the Nagata and Aoyagi rivalry tying things together nicely.

– Nagata and Aoyagi brawl post match, continuing their issues.

YLC Tournament Standings
* Katsuya Kitamura 2–0 (4) pts.
* Hirai Kawato 2–0 (4) pts.
* Tomoyuki Oka 2–0 (4) pts.
* Shota Umino 0–2 (0) pts.
* Ren Narita 0–2 (0) pts.
* Tetsuhiro Yagi 0–2 (0) pts.

-Thanks for reading.

– End scene.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

6.2

The final score: review Average

The 411

This was an overall average show, with nothing must see. So far the YLC is going chalk with the favorites winning early and largely looking good. I still find it fun to watch the young lions grow and evolve as performers.