Csonka’s NJPW Showdown: San Jose 2019 Review

Csonka’s NJPW Showdown San Jose 2019 Review

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– Ren Narita defeated Alex Coughlin @ 7:45 via pin [**¾]
– Colt Cabana & Toru Yano defeated Jushin Liger & Aaron Solow @ 8:10 via pin [**½]
– Desperado & Minoru Suzuki defeated Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks @ 9:55 via pin [***¼]
– TJP, Juice Robinson, & Big Tom Ishii defeated LIJ @ 12:05 via pin [***¼]
– Rocky Romero, Yoh, & Hirooki Goto defeated Jado, Taiji Ishimori, & KENTA @ 11:05 via pin [**¾]
– RevPro British Cruiserweight Championship: Champion El Phantasmo defeated Sho @ 20:35 via pin [****]
– IWGP US Championship Match: Champion Lance Archer defeated David Finlay @ 13:20 via pin [***¼]
– Shingo & Tetsuya Naito defeated Chase Owens & Jay White @ 15:35 via pin [***¼]
– Will Ospreay & Kazuchika Okada defeated Amazing Red & Kota Ibushi @ 15:35 via pin [***¾]

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– Kevin Kelly & Tiger Hatori are on commentary.

Ren Narita vs. Alex Coughlin: They lock up and work to the mat, battling for position as Coughlin takes control. Narita counters into a head scissors, but Coughlin bridges out and escapes into a modified STF. Narita escapes and attacks the arm but Coughlin rolls and grounds things again. Narita counters into a cradle for 2. They lock up again and Coughlin follows with a shoulder tackle and covers for 2. Coughlin grounds the action, looks for an arm bar again and Narita makes the ropes. Coughlin lays the boots to him and then slaps the shit out of Narita. Narita fires back, they trade and Narita hits the overhead suplex. He follows with a corner attack and suplex for 2. v counters back with a belly to belly and then a gut wrench suplex for 2. The half crab follows, but Narita makes the ropes. Narita follows with elbows, Coughlin hits uppercuts and they trade chops, Narita follows with the dropkick and Narita special suplex for the win. Ren Narita defeated Alex Coughlin @ 7:45 via pin [**¾] This was a pretty good opener with a nice intensity to it and the crowd was lively for it.

Colt Cabana & Toru Yano vs. Jushin Liger & Aaron Solow: The crowd loves Liger. Yano & Liger begin, Yano wants the handshake and cradles Liger for 2. He begs off and removes a buckle pad and Liger uses it to attack. The dropkick and apron cannonball follow. Back in and Colt gets the tag. Solow joins him and they lock up, work into counters and play to the crowd. Lock up again and Colt starts outwrestling him and gets the cradle for 2. Colt hits a shoulder tackle, but Solow follows with strikes and a running boot. He heads up top and Colt walks away from the high cross as Yano warned him. The Colt elbow drop follows for 2. Yano tags in and shoots Solow to the exposed buckle. Solow then counters into a cradle and double stomp. Liger tags in and follows with shoteis, shoots Yano to the exposed buckle but Colt tags in and Liger runs them together and follows with more shoteis. Solow back in and hits a RANA and arm drag. Colt cuts him off with jabs, but Solow hits the spin kick and sunset flips him to the exposed buckle and it breaks down, Colt works over Solow, send him to the exposed buckle and the superman pin finishes it. Colt Cabana & Toru Yano defeated Jushin Liger & Aaron Solow @ 8:10 via pin [**½] This was a perfectly solid and light hearted tag match that the crowd enjoyed as Liger is making his final US appearance.

Desperado & Minoru Suzuki vs. Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks: Karl and Suzuki begin. Suzuki toys with him and they work into counters as Suzuki works a cravat. He grounds things and Despy tags in. he follows with slaps, Karl fires back with chops and Karl knocks Suzuki to the floor and the cross body on Despy follows, Connors tag in and double teams follow for 2. Connors follows with knee strikes, slaps and then chops. Despy fights back and Suzuki attacks and gets the hanging arm bar on Karl as Despy takes out Connors. Connors gets posted as Suzuki wraps Karl’s arm around the post. Connors gets posted again and Suzuki rolls Karl back in. Despy lays the boots to him, and Suzuki tags back in to deliver kicks. Karl fight back, Suzuki smiles and starts fucking his day up with forearm strikes. He grounds him and starts working the arm. Suzuki starts laughing like a mad man as he punishes this poor man. Despy tags in and follows with knee strikes, but Karl cuts him off with the spinebuster. Connors tags in and runs wild with forearms, chops and Despy rakes the eyes but Connors follows with the powerslam for 2. Despy fires back, lays in strikes and hits the spear. Suzuki back in and follows with thunderous chops but Connors hits the desperation dropkick. Karl tags in and lights up Suzuki with strikes, a dropkick and the lions double team Suzuki. The spear follows and Karl hits an elbow drop for 2. The half crab follows, Despy makes the save and Suzuki gets the choke, Gotch and Karl is done. Desperado & Minoru Suzuki defeated Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks @ 9:55 via pin [***¼] Good match with the lions delivering and Suzuki laughing manically as he tortured them.

BUSHI, EVIL & SANADA vs. TJP, Juice Robinson, & Big Tom Ishii: SANADA & Juice begin. They lock up and work into some counters as Juice look to work the arm. SANADA escapes and they work into a standoff. SANADA offers a handshake, and they try to attack each other. SANADA trips him up and Juice counters the paradise lock and hits a senton. TJP tags in and double teams follow for 2. EVIL trips up TJP and LIJ takes control as the rest brawl on the floor. BUSHI tags in and chokes out TJP with his shirt. The neck breaker follows for 2. EVIL tags in and he hits a neck breaker for 2. SANADA tags back in and the paradise lock follows. He locks up Juice as well. SANADA dumps Ishii and hits the dropkicks to free his opponents. SANADA grounds TJP, but TJP counters out with kicks and a tornado DDT. Tag to Ishii and EVIL joins him. they hoss around, as Ishii follows with chops in the corner. They fire up and trade, lighting each other up EVIL finally takes him down with a shoulder tackle. He follows with clotheslines, but Ishii counters back into a suplex. Juice tags in and follows with corner clotheslines. EVIL rakes the eyes, hits the superkick and BUSHI follows with the missile dropkick. The DDT follows, and SANADA joins in as LIJ work triple teams and TJP makes the save. Juice fires back with jabs on BUSHI, hits he leg lariat and SANADA cuts of pulp friction but it breaks down as TJP hits a reverse capture suplex on EVIL. Juice follows with jabs on BUSHI and the left hand of God and pulp friction finishes it. TJP, Juice Robinson, & Big Tom Ishii defeated LIJ @ 12:05 via pin [***¼] This was another good tag match, with every one getting to shine and a bit of a surprising finish as I expected LIJ to take this one.

Rocky Romero, Yoh, & Hirooki Goto vs. Jado, Taiji Ishimori, & KENTA: Goto and KENTA begin, but KENTA stalls and hits the floor. Goto chases and KENTA attacks until Goto hits a shoulder tackle. Ishimori tags in and Yoh joins him. oh follows with arm drags and CHAOS hits the ring and the brawl spills to the floor. Yoh & R9ocky follow with double teams and cover for 2. Ishimori battles back, but Yoh follows with strikes until Jado hits a kendo shot. KENTA works over Goto on the floor and steps on his face. Back in and Ishimori follows with chops on Yoh. He hits a head scissors, and Jado tags in. He works over Yoh in the ropes, tags in KENTA and Yoh fights them off with a dropkick. The dragon screw follows and Goto tags in and works over KENTA. They trade strikes in the corner, Goto then drops him with a big right. The spin kick and Saito follows for 2. KENTA counters out of ushigoroshi, and does the deal with a falcon arrow for 2. Goto fires back with a lariat, and tags in Rocky. He runs wild with RANAs for all. Forever clothesline follow. KENTA counters sliced bread, and the powerslam follows. Jado tags in and Bullet Club triple teams Rocky and the cover gets 2. It breaks down, brawling on the floor and Jado shoves the ref down. Goto cuts him off and Rocky cradles Jado for the win. Rocky Romero, Yoh, & Hirooki Goto defeated Jado, Taiji Ishimori, & KENTA @ 11:05 via pin [**½] This was pretty good, advancing KENTA & Goto but unfortunately dragged down a bit by Jado, who at this stage is really no good at all.

– Rocky Romero joins commentary.

Champion El Phantasmo vs. Sho: Sho attacks at the bell and follows with strikes and a dropkick. He whips Phantasmo to the barricade, and follows with a clothesline. Back in and Sho lights him up with kicks. Sho cuts off the RANA, and the dropkicks Phantasmo to the floor. Phantasmo cuts off the apron PK and follows with an apron bomb to the previously inured back of Sho. Phantasmo posts Sho and slams him on the floor. Phantasmo rolls back in and Sho barely beats the count. Phantasmo stomps away at him and follows with a backbreaker for 2. He grounds the action, focusing on the back of Sho. Sho fires back, but Phantasmo slams him down. he follows with back rakes, and then chops to the back and the tree of WHOA nut stomps follow as he mocks Rocky while doing so. Sho hits a desperation spider German, clotheslines and covers for 2. Phantasmo counters a suplex, but Sho hits a German, rolls into a second and then a third but Phantasmo then cradles him for 2. Sho hits a dead lift German, another, a third, but Phantasmo then cuts him off but Sho counters the Argentine cutter into more Germans for 2. The suplex follows for 2 again. Phantasmo counters power beaker and locks on the crab. Sho fights, but Phantasmo transitions to a liontamer. Sho keeps fighting and makes the ropes. Phantasmo now hits a superkick and covers for 2. CR2 is countered, but Phantasmo transitions into the clash for 2. Phantasmo hits V trigger and looks for one winged angel, but Sho counters into a backstabber and power breaker for a great near fall. Sho looks for shock arrow, but his back gives out and Phantasmo follows with strikes. Sho fires up, absorbs the strikes and Phantasmo pulls the ref in his way and Sho spears the ref. Phantasmo has the belt but Sho counters with a lariat. Sho gets the belt and throws it down. Shock arrow is stopped as Ishimori attacks. Yoh arrives to make the save and they hit 3K on Ishimori. Shock arrow connects on Phantasmo but we have no ref. New ref in and we get 2 after about a 20 count. Sho follows with a corner clothesline and take a Phantasmo up top. He follows him up, and Phantasmo fires back. Sho looks for the avalanche German, Phantasmo lands on his feet and pulls the ref in the way, dick punch, and CR2 finish it. Champion El Phantasmo defeated Sho @ 20:35 via pin [****] Even with the Phantasmo bullshit, this was great as they had the crowd buying into a possible title change, while Sho delivered another junior ace style performance in this match.

Champion Lance Archer vs. David Finlay: Finlay charges at the bell and attacks with dropkicks and a plancha. He follows with chops on the floor and back in, sends Archer back to the floor and follows with stakes until Archer slams him to the apron and then the barricade. He mauls some lions and powerbombs Finlay onto them. the apron cannonball follows. Archer lays in chops and back in, follows with strikes. Finlay fires back, hits a diving uppercut but Archer cuts him off with a big boot. He turns him inside out with a lariat. He hits a slam and another. The ropewalk into a moonsault follows for 2. Archer chokes out Finlay, hits a shoulder tackle and follows with grounded strikes. He yells at the ref and Finlay fires back, stuns Archer off the ropes and Archer cuts off the sunset flip with an overhead toss. Corner elbow strikes follow until Finlay cuts him off with a spear. He lays in chops, counters blackout into a sleeper and Archer fades a bit, drops to a knee and Finlay follows with a superkick. The northern lariat follows for 2. He hits a slam and that gets 2. Archer counters the sliced bread attempt and hits the pounce and the chokeslam gets 2. They work up top and Finlay looks for blackout and it connects for 2 as Archer pulls him up. Finlay cradles him for 2, trips him up and hits the stunner for 2. The sliced bread is countered with the EBD claw and pins Finlay. Champion Lance Archer defeated David Finlay @ 13:20 via pin [***¼] This was a good match in a largely dominant title defense for Archer. Finlay looked really good in his return.

– He calls Juice a bitch post match as Juice checks on Finlay.

Shingo & Tetsuya Naito vs. Chase Owens & Jay White: Gedo is at ringside. Naito and White begin, nope, White tags out to Owens. Naito tags in Shingo and Owens attacks hits a back elbow and Shingo gets pissed and lights him up with chops. The shoulder tackle follows and Naito tags in. He starts working the arm, follows with strikes and Gedo & White cut of combination cabrone and work him over on the floor. White works him over with chops and rolls him back in. Owens follows with a backbreaker for 2. White joins in for double teams and poses. He grounds the action, Naito fires back and White cuts him off with a back elbow. Owens back in and attacks the knee of Naito. The abdominal stretch follows as White helps out from the apron. Naito fires back with kicks and a RANA. Tag to Shingo and he lights up Owens with chops and strikes. He then works over White and runs them together and follows with clotheslines. The suplex follows for 2. Owens cuts him off with the jewel heist for 2. Shingo fights off the package piledriver, they trade and Owens hits knee strikes until Shingo follows with the clothesline. Naito tags in and White stalls. Comes in and Naito runs wild. Combination cabrone is countered but the neck breakers follow for 2. Naito spits at White and follows with strikes and kicks, but White counters into a DDT. White dumps Shingo and follow with running uppercuts and the running DVD for 2. White lays in kicks, spits at Naito and follows with chops, Naito fires back with elbows and beats White down. White counters the tornado DDT into a Saito, and tags in Owens. He follows with a clothesline for 2. He and White follow with double teams and the blade buster and knee strike gets 2. Naito counters the package piledriver, Shingo follows with clotheslines and Naito cradles him for 2. White in, Shingo cuts him off and the destino finishes Owens. Shingo & Tetsuya Naito defeated Chase Owens & Jay White @ 15:35 via pin [***¼] This was a good tag match with everyone working hard as they continue to build to Naito vs. White on January 4th.

Will Ospreay & Kazuchika Okada vs. Amazing Red & Kota Ibushi: Ibushi and Okada begin, locking up and working to the ropes for the clean break. Okada then follows with kicks, and a shoulder tackle. Ibushi counters an early rainmaker attempt and follows with body kicks. Ospreay tags in and Red joins him. They shake hands and Ospreay attacks, work into counters and end a stand off. Red follows with chops and Ospreay quickly cuts him off and Ospreay teases the dive into the superhero pose. Back in and Red hits a RANA, but Ospreay hits chops, the 619 and Okada dumps Ibushi. Ospreay follows with a plancha onto Red and follows with rights. Back in and Okada tags in. He lays the boots to Red and follows with strikes as he yells “TNA” at Red. The slam and senton atomico follows for 2. Ospreay back in and follows with vicious chops. He grounds the action, maintaining control. Red tries to fight to his feet, they trade strikes and Red lights him up with chops and follows with the satellite DDT. Ibushi tags in and hits the running mid-kick, and follows with a flurry of strikes, kicks, and the standing moonsault for 2. Ibushi follows with more kicks, but Ospreay counters with the back handspring kick and tags in Okada. He follows with the running back elbow, Ibushi fires back and they trade center ring. Okada cuts him off with the flapjack, and slam. Okada then runs into a powerslam and springboard moonsault for 2. Okada fights off the last ride, but Ibushi follows with strikes until Okada hits a dropkick but Ibushi counters back with a dropkick of his own. Red tags in and follows with the missile dropkick. The RANA follows, and the flying flatliner gets 2. Red looks for code red but Ospreay flies in to make the save. It breaks down, dropkick by Okada on Red and Red counters a rainmaker and hits code red for 2 as Ospreay makes the save. Ibushi kills him with a lariat and Red looks for a moonsault, caught and Okada hits the tombstone. The top rope elbow drop follows, rainmaker pose, and Okada finally finishes Red with the rainmaker. [***¾] This was a very good main event that didn’t overstay its welcome, allowed everyone to shine and continued the build to Okada vs. Ibushi.

The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 66. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Jeremy Lambert review and breakdown the AEW Full Gear 2019 PPV, including live thoughts from the venue from Jeremy, & discussion of early issues with the promotion. The show is approximately 97-minutes long.

* Intro
* AEW in Charlotte Live Thoughts: 2:00
* AEW Full Gear Review/Looking Into The Company’s Early Issues: 7:40

* iTunes
* Spotify
* Stitcher
* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

7.2

The final score: review Good

The 411

NJPW Showdown: San Jose 2019 was a good show with everyone working hard and a great crowd that added a lot to the matches.