Csonka’s NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo (Night 1) Preview

WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview the NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo (Night 1 event. With WrestleKingdom 12 and New Year’s Dash firmly in the rear view mirror, the New Beginning shows are the first major NJPW events after the proper one-two kickoff of WK & Dash. So today I will break down the card for night one in Sapporo. I hope that you enjoy today’s preview, and feel free to share your thoughts. It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful of other’s opinions and don’t be a dick.” Also, don’t be afraid of sharing your predictions. Have fun, and always, thanks for reading.

Kitamura Trial Series Match: Michael Elgin vs. Katsuya Kitamura: Katsuya Kitamura is one of the chosen ones by NJPW management, winning the Young Lions Cup and doing undefeated to do so. He’s developing into a strong monster, has an absolutely great look, and is working hard and improving. He fell short against White, at New Year’s Dash in a pretty good outing, but showed that young lion fire. This is designed as a learning experience, to get him out of multi-man tags, test him against established names and to see how well he does and how the crowd takes to him prior to his promotion. Unless Big Mike is on the outs and not re-signing with the company, this should go along like most trial bouts go. Kitamura will put up a good fight, they’ll have a fun hoss battle, but Elgin wins as Kitamura continues to prove himself. I have no idea where Elgin goes after this, he hasn’t been doing much of note in the company after losing out on the IC title and having a largely quiet G1 overall. WINNER: Michael Elgin

Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, & KUSHIDA vs. Takashi Iizuka, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, El Desperado, & Taka Michinoku: Kojima is out of action with a FUBAR’s knee, and Nakanishi is taking his place. This is largely the continuation of the Suzuki-gun juniors being total fuck-stains to Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV, as they always attack them and to rip off and steal their masks. So Liger and Tiger Mask grabbed fellow dads Tenzan & Nakanishi, along with KUSHIDA to get some revenge. So if you’ve seen any Suzuki-gun match, this will start big a big brawl, spill to the floor, Suzuki-gun will go after the masks, Desperado may have his mask ripped at, Iizuka will bite people and possibly try to use his iron fingers. I’m hoping for good to prevail here, with KUSHIDA and the dads picking up the win. I also wouldn’t mind a short Desperado vs. KUSHIDA feud, as both need something to do. WINNERS: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, Jushin Thunder Liger, Tiger Mask IV, & KUSHIDA

Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens: The one thing I really like about this card is that it’s mostly breaking from formula, with a lot less six & eight man tags than usual. Yano & Ishii are former tag champions, and I can see this being used as a match to heat them up for a run at EVIL & SANADA. It makes sense, as it continues the never-ending LIJ vs. CHAOS feud, gives Yano & Ishii something to do, and the crowd will buy them as challengers. I really wish that it was Ishii & Trent instead, and Yano could fuck off to a random six or eight man tag, but this is what we have to work with for now. The match will likely be solid, and maybe even good if Ishii gets to steamroll people. Owens will be working hard as always, and is really under appreciated in Bullet Club tags. CHAOS should take it here and start working for a tag title shot down the line.WINNERS: Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano

NEVER Openweight Six-Man Title Match: NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champions Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa vs. Togi Makabe, Henare, & Ryusuke Taguchi: Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa won the titles in late December, lost then at WK 12, and then won them back at Dash. Basically, the NEVER Openweight Six-Man title matches are a complete coin flip, the champions never really hold the titles all that long, and they continue to largely feel meaningless or completely forgettable. I really think that the titles need stability post LIJ, and that there is no reason to change them here, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make a change. Taguchi-Japan is popular, and it would be fun to see Henare get a run with some gold. But I’ll go with the champions retaining here. WINNERS: Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa

Cody, Marty Scurll & Hangman Page vs. Kota Ibushi, Juice Robinson, & David Finlay: This looks to be here to continue the Cody vs. Ibushi feud, and possibly to stir the pot between Omega & Cody some more following the events of New Year’s Dash. Everyone else here is just window dressing and don’t play an overly important part in things. Juice Robinson, & David Finlay could be a really fun addition to the tag division, but again, I think that the goal here is to continue on with Cody & Ibushi, and maybe more importantly, another tease of tension between Cody & Omega as Bullet Club threatens to break apart (OG BC, ELITE, whoever else is left). Match quality wise, I really think this will be good and possibly very good. We have a lot of guys that will work hard to deliver here. Bullet Club should pick up the win here, setting the stage for Cody vs. Ibushi II. Possibly at NJPW’s return to the US in March. WINNERS: Cody, Marty Scurll & Hangman Page

Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay: These four are involved in singles matches at The New Beginning in Osaka (February 10th). Naito & Takahashi work great as a team, Ospreay is great and HASHI… how about that hair! This should be a good and fun tag, as Ospreay never takes a night off, and Takahashi & Naito are an extremely fun pairing. I think that you could make an argument for either team picking up the win here, but I feel with Takahashi & Naito both losing at WrestleKingdom, that the priority here is to give them some rebound wins to heat them back up a bit. Naito should win on the 10th, but I don’t see Takahashi winning the title so he and Naito winning here feels more likely. If all plays out right, this should be one of the best matches on the show. WINNERS: Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi

Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & Gedo vs. SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI: All six here are involved in singles matches at The New Beginning in Osaka (February 10th). While a bit repetitive, the LIJ vs. CHAOS tags tend to be at the worst good and can sometimes be great. With that being the case, I am highly anticipating this match and am all in. They will do a lot of work here to set the stage for the upcoming singles matches, with lots of fun teases, but in usual NJPW fashion, won’t over do any one of them, leaving some meat on the bone for the 10th. I think it’s safe to say that either Gedo or BUSHI takes the pin here. I’ll go with SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI winning and the likely out come being SANADA pining Gedo. This also has the chance to be one of the better matches on the show. WINNER: SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI

Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks vs. Jay White & Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh): Like the last two matches, this also has he chance to be one of the better matches on the show, and is also setting up title matches on the next night. The Bucks vs. Roppongi 3K match at WrestleKingdom was a very good match, but not the highflying & fast paced match most expected. It was more of a slower paced, old fashioned tag, with Matt & Yoh selling the back, which eventually led to the finish. I expect thing one to be more fast paced, and even a bit wacky as the ELITE six-mans tend to be, along with a lot of teases for Omega & White, which is a fresh match. As long as it doesn’t get too wacky, I enjoy the ELITE six-mans and think that in the co-main event spot, everyone will be looking to steal the show. With White recently joining CHAOS, and the feeling that White & Roppongi 3K are losing their title matches the next day, I think that they will pick up the win here to try and add some drama the next night. WINNERS: Jay White & Roppongi 3K (Sho & Yoh)

IWGP IC Title Match: IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki: These two faced off back in 2012 at King of Pro Wrestling, in a match widely considered the match of that year and match that caught the eye of many outside of Japan, giving more focus to Tanahashi. NJPW has made a very focused effort to keep the two away from each other and hold off the rematch, which I can appreciate. At WrestleKingdom 12 Tanahashi retained his IC Title over Jay White, while Suzuki lost his NEVER Title and hair to Hirooki Goto. But at New Year’s Dash, Suzuki had a plan and put it into action, attacking Tanahashi during thier tag match and making a focused effort to destroy Tanahashi’s already injured knee. This match will see Suzuki sadistically trying to destroy Tanahashi’s leg, and the old ace having to try and survive the attack to overcome and retain his title. The match obviously has the chance to be great, because despite injury, Tanahashi can still work at a high level. Suzuki, despite his age, can also still go as well. But it all comes down to the booking and layout of the match. Will this be an attempt to recreate the magic of 2012, or will it boil down into the tired Suzuki-gun bullshit that has harmed too many potentially good/great matches? With Tanahashi still working hurt, the fact that they didn’t pull the trigger on White (in order to move him onto other things) and Suzuki losing his hair and title, I’d say that the title change is very likely. I expect Suzuki torturing the knee of Tanahashi and likely Suzuki-gun interference to be the main theme, as Suzuki steals the title and possibly takes out Tanahashi for a while by doing so. WINNER: and NEEEEEEEEEW champion Minoru Suzuki

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– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”