Csonka’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2017 Review 5.03.17

Csonka’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2017 Review 5.03.17

OFFICIAL RESULTS
– YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay defeated Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owen @ 7:00 via submission [**½]
– Tiger Mask W, Tiger Mask IV & Togi Makabe defeated Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Thunder Liger @ 7:20 via pin [**½]
– CHAOS defeated Suzuki-gun @ 11:30 via pin [***]
– Cody defeated David Finlay @ 7:40 via pin [**]
– Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA @ 9:10 via pin [***]
– IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Champions War Machine defeated TenKoji & The Guerrillas of Destiny @ 11:51 via pin [***¼]
– NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Title Match: SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI defeated Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet@ 15:55 via pin [***½]
– Kenny Omega defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 24:00 via pin [****¾]
– IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Bad Luck Fale @ 21:46 via pin [***½]

---

– Takashi Iizuka is off the rest of the tour, due to a fractured ankle.

– Yoshitatsu & Hirai Kawato defeated Tomoyuki Oka & Katsuya Kitamura in the pre-show match.

YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens: Bullet Club attacks before the bell, with Owens working over Ospreay on the floor. Back in and Yujiro and Owens double-team HASHI, doing a nice job of isolating him. HASHI finally is able to fight back on Yujiro, gets the tag to Ospreay who runs wild on Yujiro and scores a near fall off of the corner dropkick. Yujiro manages to stun gun Ospreay, Owens tags in and hits a cool slingshot off the ropes into a DEVD for the near fall. Ospreay escapes the package piledriver, and hits the springboard kick. HASHI back in, hits the hanging dropkick on Owens for 2. Yujiro gets in a cheap shot on HASHI, Owens hits the back breaker and Bullet Club double-teams HASHI, Owens hits the running knee for 2. HASHI then hits the big lariat on Owens for 2; it breaks down, Ospreay hits the Sasuke special, wiping out Yujiro. HASHI fights off the package piledriver, locks in the butterfly lock and Owens taps. YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay defeated Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owen @ 7:00 via submission [**½] Rock solid opening match right there, commentary hyped the BOTSJ big time and gave a lot to focus to Ospreay and Owens.

Tiger Mask W, Tiger Mask IV & Togi Makabe vs. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Thunder Liger: Speaking of BOTSJ, Jushin Liger has announced that this year will be his final time in the tournament. Liger & TM kick things off, they work a nice back and forth with Liger being sent to the floor. Nagata in to cut off TM, Tiger Mask W in and they take him out, turning their attention back to TM. Liger works the Romero special on TM, and then talks shit to Makabe. Nakanishi tags in, he clubs away at TM in the corner and Nagata returns to attack the arm. TM fights back with kicks and the tiger driver for a near fall. Liger sends Makabe to the floor, Tiger Mask W tags in and hits the running shooting star press for 2 on Nagata. They trade kicks, but Tiger Mask W walks into an XPLODER for a near fall. Tiger Mask W then hits the dropkick, and tags in Makabe. He and Nakanishi do power spots, Makabe then lands corner clotheslines, but when he goes for mounted punches, Nakanishi hits a powerbomb and then a lariat. Torture rack by Nakanishi, it breaks down with Tiger Mask W hitting double PELE kicks and TM and Tiger Mask W hit dives. Makabe hits a lariat and king kong knee drop on Nakanishi for the win. Tiger Mask W, Tiger Mask IV & Togi Makabe defeated Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Thunder Liger @ 7:20 via pin [**½] Another solid tag match with some fun from Tiger Mask W; you can tell it’s a big show, because Makabe took more than two bumps.

– Fucking legend…
https://twitter.com/skrongstyle/status/859687187843035136

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, Jado, Rocky Romero & Beretta) vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, TAKA Michinoku, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi & El Desperado): You’ll never guess what happened here, Suzuki-gun attacked before the bell, leading to the traditional floor brawl to kick things off. Taichi & Kanemaru look to isolate Romero, but he quickly fights back with forever clotheslines and Beretta joins in to help out. He and Romero celebrate, and CHAOS then beat down Kanemaru and Taichi. Desperado in and they beat him down. Jado then works over Kanemaru, but Suzuki cuts him off and works the hanging arm bar. Kanemaru takes Jado to the floor, and everyone fights on the floor, with Suzuki working over Goto with a chair. Taichi had the bell hammer as Desperado works the heat on Jado. Taichi in and uses the hammer on Jado as Suzuki tortures young boys at ringside. Rapid fire attacks by Suzuki-gun on Jado follow. Suzuki then attacks Goto once again as Taichi covers Jado for 2. Jado then hits a desperation lariat on Taichi, tag to Yano who undoes the buckle pad and then another. He uses it as a weapon, beating on Taichi and sends Desperado to the exposed buckle. Hair pull by Yano but Suzuki cuts him off and we get Goto vs. Suzuki now. Goto sends him to the exposed buckle, hits a Saito suplex but Suzuki hits running kick and the PK for 2. They trade strikes, Goto fires up but Suzuki answers back with vicious strikes and locks in the sleeper, but then transitions go the hanging guillotine. Goto escapes, but eats a knee strike. TAKA and Taichi rush in and that leads to Suzuki-gun beating down Goto. Suzuki in to cut off the comeback, but Got o escapes the piledriver with help from Romero. Beretta hits a dive, ushigoroshi on TAKA, the GTR follows for the win. CHAOS defeated Suzuki-gun @ 11:30 via pin [***] Good match, all action with the Suzuki vs. Goto portions being really good.

– Goto and Suzuki brawl post match. Suzuki then destroys Katsuya Kitamura with a big right cross as he leaves.
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/859692222551388161

David Finlay vs. Cody: Nice change of pace with a singles match here in the middle of the show. They trade shoulder blocks early, Cody then pulls the hair to take Finlay down. Cody up top, jumps over Finlay and then runs into a dropkick. Cody sends Finlay to the floor, but Finlay avoids the attack and hits the cannonball off of the apron. Cody then comes back with an Alabama slam on the floor. Cody rolls him back in, lays the boots to Finlay and follows with a gourd buster. Finlay fires up with forearms, hits the clothesline and then follows with the running uppercuts and covers for 2. Cody fires back with the drop down uppercut, but Finlay then cradles him for 2. The snap slam follows for another 2. Cody follows with rights, but Finlay counters the disaster kick, but falls down, and then hits a neck breaker, that was rough. Finlay follows with a dead lift German for 2. They trade rights, Finlay counters cross Rhodes and follows with a running uppercut, off the ropes and caught with cross Rhodes and Cody wins. Cody defeated David Finlay @ 7:40 via pin [**] This was flat and completely unspectacular; it felt as if they never got locked in to a smooth gameplan. Nothing to see here.

– Post match, Cody asks for someone bigger and stronger.

Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA vs. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi: Juice & KUSHIDA are coming off losses to Naito & Takahashi in title matches. Naito and KUSHIDA to begin, KUSHIDA sends Takahashi to the floor and they brawl into the crowd, as he looks for revenge from that sub-two minute loss. Naito joins in and attacks KUSHIDA and then returns to ringside. Takahashi drags KUSHIDA back to the ring and allows Naito to work him over. Takahashi back in and works some rapid-fire offense on KUSHIDA, leading to a near fall. KUSHIDA looks to fire up on Naito, but Naito rakes the eyes; KUSHIDA avoids the corner dropkick attack as Takahashi sends Juice to the floor. KUSHIDA hits the handspring double back elbow. He tags Juice back in, he attacks Naito right away, hits the cannonball and heads up top and hits the high cross for 2. Naito fights off the suplex, but Juice hits a neck breaker and Russian leg sweep. Naito blocked the senton with his knees, attacks the knee of Juice and then hits a tornado DDT for 2. KUSHIDA gets the tag as does Takahashi. They brawl back and forth, hip toss, cartwheel and a dropkick by KUSHIDA. KUSHIDA then sends Naito to the floor, and counters the sunset bomb to the floor with an arm bar. Juice hits the spinebuster on Naito, and KUSHIDA hits a senton of the top onto both Naito & Takahashi. Back in and KUSHIDA attacks the arm of Takahashi, but Naito takes out Juice on the floor; Naito in and plants KUSHIDA with a German to save Takahashi. LIJ double team KUSHIDA, Takahashi hits the running DVD to the corner, and hits KUSHIDA with the time bomb for the win. Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi defeated Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA @ 9:10 via pin [***] Good match, with LIJ showing the superior teamwork and Takahashi continuing to make KUSHIDA his bitch. It will be interesting to see if the BOTSJ is the KUSHIDA redemption tour.

– BOTSJ will include: KUSHIDA, Desperado, Jushin Liger, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, Ricochet, Will Ospreay, Hiromu Takahashi, BUSHI, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, Marty Scurll, ACH, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Volador Jr., Dragon Lee.

A Block: Jushin Liger, Ricochet, Dragon Lee, Will Ospreay, Marty Scurll, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Hiromu Takahashi.

B Block: KUSHIDA, Desperado, Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi, BUSHI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Volador Jr, ACH.

– The BOTSJ starts on May 17th.

『BEST OF THE SUPER Jr.24』豪華出場メンバーが決定！
世界最高峰！ジュニアの闘いを制するのは？！#njpwworld でトーナメント戦を全試合配信！
登録&視聴▷https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#njbosj #njpw pic.twitter.com/fulnxQbU91

— njpwworld (@njpwworld) May 3, 2017

– War Machine has some new entrance gear.
https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/859708175968292865

IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Champions War Machine (Hanson & Rowe) defending against Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima and Guerillas of Destiny (Tonga & Loa): After some arguing, everyone brawled to start things off. War Machine controlled early, working over the Guerrillas, they then went face to face with Tenzan & Kojima; TenKoji then took control, working over Rowe with chops and strikes. The double teams followed, Kojima hit the rapid-fire chops to both, ran wild and headed up top but Loa cuts him off and slams him to the mat. Tonga was rumored to have a bad arm injury, but his arm isn’t wrapped like the other day, so hopefully good news. The Guerrillas sent War Machine to the floor, and kept the heat on Kojima. Loa got a bit too over confident, and ate a Kojicutter as Hanson tagged in. Hanson ran wild with the running corner clotheslines as Romero files for gimmick infringement. The Guerrillas quickly fought back, hitting top rope head butts and splashes on Hanson for 2. Hanson then made the big comeback, tagging in Rowe. He and Rowe battled back and forth, Rowe blocks the gun stun, Tenzan tags in and lays in the chops on Rowe. The suplex followed for 2. Kojima in as they double-team Rowe, and Kojima hits the jumping kokeshi and Tenzan hits the falling kokeshi for 2. Rowe fights off the TenKoji cutter, but runs into the Tenzan mountain bomb; he then locks in the anaconda vice, but Hanson makes the save. The Guerrillas pull Tenzan to the floor, and then fight off the pop up powerslam spot and it breaks down. TenKoji cutter on Tonga connects, Kojima looks for the lariat but it’s countered by the knee strike. Hanson hits a dive on the Guerrillas, Tenzan takes out Rowe and heads up top but Hanson makes the save; War Machine hits fallout and retains. Champions War Machine defeated TenKoji & The Guerrillas of Destiny @ 11:51 via pin [***¼] Good match with a really fun closing stretch, TenKoji have been great in helping to get War Machine over; the right team won, the right team lost and they set up the next program post match. Good deal.

– Post match, the Guerrillas lay out War Machine to set up the next tag title program.

NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Title Match: Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet defending against SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI: The champions have matching “Taguchi Japan” jackets. SANADA’s hair is amazing as always, tall enough to talk with God. EVIL and Tanahashi to begin, they work some standing switches and then stand off. BUSHI gets in a cheap shot on Tanahashi, Taguchi then returns the favor and pulls the hair of EVIL. Tanahashi takes control, hitting a high cross and arm drag. Taguchi and SANADA tag in and Taguchi is afraid that SANADA will tie him up in a ball as usual. Taguchi messes around, allowing SANADA to attack. Taguchi avoids the drop kick, tries to tie up SANADA, but BUSHI makes the save. Ass attacks by Taguchi, he calls the plays and they all attack SANADA with ass attacks. SANADA then slams Tanahashi and Ricochet into Taguchi’s ass, and he then realizes he’s alone in the ring with LIJ. They swarm him and lay the boots to him. To the floor we go, SANADA works over Taguchi in the ring and BUSHI hits the missile dropkick and chokes out Taguchi with his shirt. SANADA avoids the ass attack and ties up Taguchi in a ball and dropkicks him in the ass. SANADA and EVIL work double teams. EVIL rakes the eyes, but Taguchi hits a big lariat and tags in Ricochet. He runs wild off of the hot tag, hitting a series of kicks and then sending EVIL into SANADA. The springboard uppercut follows. Tanahashi tags in, Ricochet sent to the floor, as EVIL hits Tanahashi with a superkick. They trade strikes, but EVIL hits the clothesline, but Tanahashi attacks the legs and locks in the cloverleaf. The champions all lock in submissions, but LIJ escapes. Sling blade by Tanahashi to EVIL, up top and the high fly flow eats knees. Taguchi tags in, runs wild with ass attacks, but finally misses, allowing SANADA to kick him in the face, lung blower by BUSHI and that gets 2. BUSHI to the ropes, but Ricochet makes the save and it breaks down into the big move buffet, SANADA takes out Ricochet as Taguchi wipes out EVIL and everyone is down. Taguchi hits do don on BUSHI for 2. The champs clear the ring and Taguchi has the ankle lock on BUSHI, but BUSHI rolls Taguchi into the ref for the ref bump. Taguchi taps BUSHI but there’s no ref. MIST by BUSHI and he cradles Taguchi for 2. BUSHI hits MX off the ropes but Tanahashi & Ricochet make the save. BUSHI hits MX off the top and Taguchi is done. SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI defeated Champions Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Ricochet@ 15:55 via pin [***½] An overall very good match with great energy and pacing. They had some great near falls down the stretch, and LIJ with the titles plays better for me.

Kenny Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii: Ishii charges Omega at the bell and takes the fight to Omega, hitting a German and a powerbomb for a near fall. Omega avoids the sliding lariat and takes a powder to the floor. Ishii follows, they brawl on the floor and Ishii teases a one winged angel, but Omega escapes. Omega fires back with a running dropkick, and Omega hits an apron bomb for a count out tease. Omega looks for the rise of the Terminator dive, but gets cut off. They fight over a suplex, rights by Omega follow and then V trigger and the snapdragon suplex and another V trigger connects for a close 2. Omega looks for the one winged angel, but Ishii escapes and hits a lariat. They trade strikes, Omega then hits chops and a DDT. Omega lays the boots to Ishii, but Ishii calls for more. Omega is more than willing to dish out more punishment. The neck breaker follows, and Omega covers for 2. Omega as been focusing on the neck ever since the DDT, trying to ground down, Ishii, ho really has no neck. Omega slows the pace here, continuing to attack. Ishii fires up with chops, but Omega cuts him off with the boot and leg lariat. Omega starts to slap away at Ishii, but he’s just getting pissed. Omega spits at him, and Ishii just starts to walk through strikes and misses a charge, but comes back with a powerslam. Omega fights off a suplex, but Ishii hits the Saito suplex for 2. Omega then hits the Finlay roll and moonsault combo for 2. Omega up top, but Ishii cuts him off and follows him up. They battle for position, and Ishii hits the superplex for a near fall. Omega hits the RANA and Ishii rolls to the floor. Omega follows, sending Ishii into the crowd. Omega then wipes out Ishii with a high cross, over the barricade from the top rope, almost over shooting him.

https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/859724104177508353

Omega back to the ring. Ishii follows, Omega up top and hits the missile dropkick and powerbomb for 2. Ishii avoids the V trigger, but Omega counters a German and hits the running high knee for a great near fall. They trade counters, and Ishii decapitates Omega with a lariat. Omega cuts off the lariat attempt, but Ishii counters V trigger and hits a head butt and another sick lariat for a great near fall.

https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/859724830303592449

Ishii looks for one winged angel, but hits a shoulder breaker instead and then the sliding lariat for another great near fall. Omega counters the brain buster and hits the reverse RANA. V trigger by Omega, the lariat follows but only gets 2. Big neck breaker by Omega, I like that he keeps going back to the neck. V trigger, one winged angel countered by a REVERSE RANA BY ISHII! Fucks sake. Huge lariat again by Ishii gets a great near fall. Enziguri by Ishii, but Omega lights him up with strikes. Ishii fires back, but runs into the knee and again. BRAIN BUSTER by Omega fo2 2; one winged angel gets Omega the win. Kenny Omega defeated Tomohiro Ishii @ 24:00 via pin [****¾] This was an excellent match, playing well off of their previous encounters, and the fact that they knew each other so well> Omega survived the early onslaught by Ishii, and Ishii put in another tremendous performance in a loss, but even so had the crowd with him the entire way. Awesome stuff by both guys, putting in a great physical, back and forth match, with some amazing near falls down the stretch and I love them stealing each others signature stuff; this was on par with their New Japan Cup performance, which was also pretty amazing. This blew away everything else on the card with ease.

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Bad Luck Fale: Owens & Yujiro are out with Fale, Gedo is with Okada. Fale easily over powered Okada early, and then worked body strikes to the champion. Okada manages to send Fale to the floor, Okada tries a high cross to the floor, but gets caught and slammed to the floor. Fale teases the bad luck fall on the floor, but Okada escapes. Fale then posts him, tosses Okada into the crowd and puts the barricade back in place, looking to trap Okada. Okada makes it back and breaks the count. Fale then stands on the back of Okada as he rolls back in the ring. Fale then slowly attacks the back, using his weight advantage. Okada looks to fire up but runs into a huge backdrop; Fale covers for 2. he then works the bear hug and then slams Okada to the mat, he covers for 2. Okada then counters the corner splash with the boots and then hits a desperation DDT. Okada kips up after a delay, looks to slam Fale, but Fale stops that. Okada then hits a running elbow and as Fale rebounds off the ropes finally gets the slam. Okada clotheslines the big man to the floor, hits a running boot and sends Fale over the barricade; Okada follows with running high cross over the barricade. Back to the ring they go, Okada up top and leaps over Fale, and looks for the tombstone, but Fale counters and hits a big shoulder block. The Samoan drop follows for 2. Fale works the bear hug, but Okada escapes and sort of hits a DDT. They trade strikes, but Fale keeps dropping Okada with one shot. Okada keeps challenging Fale to bring the fight and then follows with a shotgun dropkick. Okada his heavy rain, heads up top and the elbow drop connects. Fale counters the rainmaker with a bear hug and then hits the corner splash and running splash for 2. Fale then hits the grenade for 2. Fale teases the tombstone, but Okada escapes and hits the dropkick. Okada back up top and hits a missile dropkick. Okada then hits the tombstone, but Fale cuts off the rainmaker with a lariat counter. Fale then follows with a big spear for a near fall. Okada escapes bad luck fall, hits the dropkick but runs into a lariat. Tombstone by Fale for a good near fall. Bad luck fall countered into a RANA by Okada, and then the rainmaker follows. Okada keeps wrist control, pulls Fale up and hits a second rainmaker. Okada then hits a German, hangs on and rolls into a third rainmaker for the win. Champion Kazuchika Okada defeated Bad Luck Fale @ 21:46 via pin [***½] This was the typical Okada vs. Fale match, which isn’t bad thing because Okada works well to his strengths. Okada sold well, made Fale look like a monster, they had some good teases and near falls and then made his comeback to slay the beast. It comes off as a bit disappointing because the match prior to it was so great, but it worked as part of the journey back to Okada vs. Omega.

– Bullet Club arrives to check on Fale as Okada celebrates his victory. Okada then calls out Omega, and Omega returns to the ring. They have a stand off, Omega plays to the crowd and then bails. And there’s out next title program, as expected.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia!”

7.2

The final score: review Good

The 411

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2017 was a good show, with the typical skippable but solid undercard and very strong second half, including the must see Ishii vs. Omega rematch. If short on time, pick it up starting with Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi vs. Juice Robinson & KUSHIDA…