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Csonka’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (Night Two) Preview

May 3, 2019 | Posted by Larry Csonka
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (Night Two)

WELCOME back to column time with Larry! Today, I am going to discuss and preview the NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (Night Two) event, which is headlined by Okada vs. SANADA & Ishii vs. EVIL. So today, I will break down and preview the show; thanks for reading! It’s wrestling, we love it and will disagree. The only rules are “have a take, be respectful, and don’t be a dick.”

Shota Umino & Ren Narita vs. Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura: We start of with young lions action as senior lions Umino & Narita battle Tsuji & Uemura. Tsuji & Uemura have come along really well, growing as performers and constantly improving. These matches are usually good, and feature clean and crisp work so this should be a fun opener. I see the senior lions taking this one, with Umino likely picking up the win since he’s the top of the class right now. WINNER: Umino & Narita

Jeff Cobb, YOSHI-HASHI, Toa Henare, Tiger Mask IV, & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Taichi, Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado, & TAKA Michinoku: This will be the usual Suzuki-gun battling unified babyfaces match, and if I were a betting man and I am, I see Suzuki-gun attacking prior to the match to take their traditional advantage. This will feature the fallout of Cobb & Taichi from night one, as well as the rebuild of Suzuki-gun, who have very dominant on the Dontaku tour as they try to heat up Despy & Kanemaru again, while locking Suzuki into killer mode for the match they are building with Liger. Suzuki-gun wins here. WINNER: Suzuki-gun

Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, & Jushin Liger vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, & Jado: Makabe & Yano just lost the tag title shot at Hi No Kuni, while Liger is looking to be heated up for his feud with Suzuki. Jado fucking sucks and I know that it’s due to injury and old age, but he needs to not be working matches. I hope Liger shoteis him into an alternate reality and wins. WINNER: Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, & Jushin Liger

Hirooki Goto, Juice Robinson, Mikey Nicholls, & Tomoaki Honma vs. Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, & Hikuleo: Six of these men have been intertwined all tour long, working many tag matches, Juice defeating Fale to retain the US title, and then the Nicholls vs. Fale, Juice vs. Owens, and Goto vs. White singles matches at Hi No Kuni (Fale beat Nicholls & White beat Goto, while Juice defeated Owens). This feels like a chance for the babyfaces to get some revenge and pickup a win, following their overall disappointments at Hi No Kuni. Honma & Hkuleo are along for the ride, but I see a babyface win here. WINNER: Hirooki Goto, Juice Robinson, Mikey Nicholls, & Tomoaki Honma

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Kota Ibushi, SHO, & YOH vs. Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI, & Shingo: This is the continuation of the build to Naito & Ibushi’s rematch, which was amped up following Naito’s challenge and Ibushi demanding to be put against him for the rest of the tour. The LIJ vs. CHAOS/Ibushi matches really carried the tour in terms of consistent and quality wrestling, and that should continue here. LIJ has dominated in terms of wins, but I think that Ibushi & 3k pick up a needed win here. WINNER: Kota Ibushi, Sho, & Yoh

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Dragon Lee & Will Ospreay vs. Taiji Ishimori & X: This match feels designed to not only ass a great match to the card and introduce a new player, but to also kick off the hype for the best of super juniors tournament. The mysterious X will likely be El Phantasmo, who they have heavily hyped with video packages and noted that he’s joining Bullet Club. This is a huge opportunity for him, getting on the big show and into the best of super juniors tournament as well as Bullet Club. Also, he’s being set up to succeed on night one, teaming with Ishimori and getting to work against Lee & Ospreay, who are absolutely great opponents. Ishimori, Lee, & Ospreay have been having great years so far, and if Phantasmo can holdup his part of the match, this should be a banger. Ishimori & Phantasmo should win with Phantasmo picking up the pin to establish him ahead of the best of super juniors tournament. WINNER: Taiji Ishimori & X

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Big Tom Ishii vs. EVIL: This is a big match, not only in terms of possibly setting up a new IWGP Title challenger, but also in terms of giving EVIL a big win in a great match. These two have had outstanding interactions throughout the Dontaku tour, that have only added to the hype for the match. If they can again harness that shit kicking mentality they showed during the tour, this also has banger, in more ways than one, potential. This will most certainly feel more like a fight than a professional grappling contest, and I can’t wait. I’d love or Big Tom to win and move onto face Okada in the title match he never got following his huge G1 win over him a while back, but it feels like Ishii is here to deliver greatness and set up EVIL as main event ready. WINNER: EVIL

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IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against SANADA: While these two have had great matches in the past, and likely will again here, I am one of many not thrilled that they are going back to Okada vs. SANADA. It’s a lovely gesture that Okada respects SANADA and offered him another chance, but SANADA is 0-5 against him, and if he loses again, he’ll feel Lex Lugered. We just came off of Tanahashi & White winning the title and failing to successfully defend even once, a rare occurrence in the title’s lineage. One time in IWGP title history there was a run of three champions that failed to get a single defense, but I highly doubt that it happens here. I think that they are playing a very dangerous game with SANADA in terms of booking. Losing to the best/top guy isn’t in itself a bad thing, but if he goes 0-6 against him, you’re risking long-term if not permanent damage. But if SANADA isn’t winning, there is an alternative, and one some may not like. If you notice the undercard flying by with short matches, the booking of a draw maybe in play. I simply feel having Okada win the title only to lose it right back feels foolish, but even worse is having SANADA lose to Okada again. If SANADA isn’t winning I wouldn’t have booked the rematch so soon to avoid the issues. It would be an absolutely awesome surprise if he won and could lead to some interesting issues within LIJ, but I just can’t see them investing so much time into Okada vs. White, with Okada winning the title back, only to lose it right away. SANADA’s best bet is a draw, taking Okada to the limit and saving him from another loss. WINNER: Kazuchika Okada retains via draw

– End Scene.

– Thanks for reading.

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The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 16. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka is joined by Jeremy Lambert Jr III. Today, the guys will discuss the new video dropped by Jon Moxley/Dean Ambrose, Goldberg returning to get that sweet Saudi money, share thoughts on execution of NJPW’s Dontaku tour, look back on NJPW Wrestling Hi No Kuni, and then preview both nights of the Wrestling Dontaku closing events. The show is approximately 113–minutes long.

* Intro
* Dean Ambrose’s Future: 1:55
* Goldberg Returning For That Sweet Saudi Money: 12:10
* NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Tour & Wrestling Hi No Kuni Thoughts: 25:30
* NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Night One Preview: 36:00
* NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Night Two Preview: 42:50

You can subscribe and listen to the 411 on Wrestling Podcast via the
above player on Transistor, or on the following platforms:

* iTunes
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