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Pantoja’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Review

May 1, 2022 | Posted by Kevin Pantoja
NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Image Credit: NJPW
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Pantoja’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022 Review  

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022

May 1st, 2022 | Fukuoka Dome in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka | Attendance: 8,162

I haven’t been enthused by New Japan in 2022 but this show looks big on paper and they’ve announced the BOSJ blocks so we’ll see how it goes.

BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Shiro Koshinaka vs. Taichi, TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr.This was supposed to be Fujinami teaming with LIJ but he unfortunately has COVID. The mystery replacement turned out to be Shiro Koshinaka, another legend. For the most part, this was a fun little opener. The main roster guys all performed well. BUSHI took the heat as expected and Shingo came in with the hot tag though it was more mild than anything else. The Suzuki-Gun contingent got going after clearing the ring and Taichi was left with Shingo, who had just beaten him for the KOPW trophy the other day. Taichi used the Gedo Clutch to not only get the three count but to demand the referee count longer, getting about a six count. The whole thing went 10:15. After the bell, Taichi seemed to want a shot at the trophy again, which Shingo seemed to accept. [**½]

Hiromu Takahashi vs. YOH

Their BOSJ match last year ended in just four minutes (***) but they met again in the finals and had a banger (****¼). This works as a preview for this year’s tourney. Commentary suggested that a loss for YOH could keep him out of the tournament. Man, wins and losses don’t matter in this company. They kicked this off with some intensity including trading chops. YOH had Hiromu scouted, countering the sunset flip bomb off the apron into a rana. Back inside, they were spent because of how quickly they were working. Hiromu survived whatever YOH could throw at him as the two just traded bombs. Hiromu hit Time Bomb and then added Time Bomb #2 to win in 9:59. That ruled, though the finish felt a bit too abrupt. [***½]

Tanga Loa vs. Yujiro Takahashi

Oh, I am not looking forward to this. WAIT NEVERMIND PIETER IS HERE. There was bad blood here due to all of the Bullet Club shenanigans in recent months. The fight started in the aisle and when Tanga got the upper hand, SHO arrived to jump him and even take out Jado. In the ring, Yujiro kept on the offensive but Tanga was able to hit things like a Jackhammer to stay alive. They actually had solid back and forth but we got more nonsense from SHO and the others to make this worse. Tanga cleaned house and survived Pimp Juice before winning with a move that I don’t know the name of. I likely would if I watched more New Japan. The match went 11:33 and was inoffensive but not anything I’d consider good. Tanga picked up the NEVER 6-Man Title afterward. [**]

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Six or Nine [c] vs. DOUKI and Yoshinobu Kanemaru

Everything else on this card is a title match. Damn, it’s my two least favorite Suzuki-Gun members. I honestly don’t have much t say about this match because it was wildly average and bland in every way. Other than Taguchi’s ass getting exposed, there’s likely nothing in here that I’ll even remember in a couple of hours. It was like a Billy Gunn match in that way. Team Six or Nine retained in 9:10. They didn’t do anything bad in this match but it was just really bland and basic. [**¼]

IWGP Tag Team Championship: The Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb [c] vs. Bad Luck Fale & Chase Owens vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI

I’m so out of it on this company that I don’t remember the titles changing hands. Apparently Fale was allowed to pick the stipulation for this and it’s basically a tornado tag. That worked for this match as it let things move quickly and kept someone in the action at all times. Without many lulls, this was entertaining and had someone different in there doing their thing at nearly every moment. The crowd and commentary got hyped for Cobb facing off with Fale though it felt more to me like when two random giants do this in WWE. I mean, is anyone REALLY clamoring for Cobb/Fale? In the end, Fale launched Owens off the top for a Rocket Launcher Elbow Drop to give us new champions again after 9:42. That was a fun little tag. Better than I expected. [***]

During intermission, we got our BOSJ Blocks.

A Block – Hiromu Takahashi (3-time winner), Ryusuke Taguchi, YOH, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taiji Ishimori, SHO, Clark Connors, Alex Zayne, Ace Austin (!), and Francesco Akira

B Block – Master Wato, Robbie Eagles, BUSHI, DOUKI, El Desperado, El Phantasmo, Titan, TJP, Wheeler Yuta (!) and El Lindaman

Honestly, love the new names being included and guys like Austin and Yuta. I’d swap TJP out for almost anyone but I really wish Dante Martin got that slot. He’s far better, would make it two AEW guys, and he’s not really doing anything in AEW for now while his brother is out.

NEVER Openweight Championship: EVIL [c] vs. Tama Tonga

Like the earlier GOD/House of Torture match, this started in the aisle as Tama met EVIL out there. That set the tone for this as it felt like a straight up fight between two guys who don’t like each other. Like, I appreciated that you could feel the hatred which can be difficult to get across. We got some of the usual outside interference stuff that bogged this down. Tama blocked a low blow and I liked how smart he came off at points because he’s a guy who cheated al lot during his career. He wasn’t going to fall for the tricks. Tama thought he won by submission but it was just Dick Togo ringing the bell. Tama weathered the storm of more antics before winning with Gun Stun in 13:25. I’m not a Tama fan by any means but he’s a step up from how bad EVIL has been for about two years. [**¼]

Post-match, Tama didn’t get to celebrate as Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows showed up in Bullet Club shirts to jump him. Remember when they got to WWE and everyone said WWE misused them without realizing that they weren’t really a top-tier team? Tanga Loa tried to make the save but was also taken out.

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado [c] vs. Taiji Ishimori

There’s a lot of potential here as these guys usually deliver the goods together. I immediately got interested as I love some good limb work and Ishimori targeted Desperado’s arm. From arm wringers to submissions to a vicious sounding shoulder thrust into the ring post, Desperado was in clear trouble. However, when Ishimori did a shoulder block, he banged up his own already injured knee. I feel like you don’t see that enough. Someone in control only to make a mistake on their own that changes the tide. He couldn’t take full advantage but this opened the door for Desperado to get going. This really got going late and the final five minutes or so were fantastic. I came in not expecting a title change at all since Ishimori had no real momentum but they had me into this. They traded big blows and counters before Ishimori used the Bone Lock to make Desperado tap at the 14:40 mark. That was a hell of a match. You can see where they’re going with this BC stuff. [****]

IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Two of the best in the world and they haven’t met in singles action in several years if I’m right. Ishii gave this an instant spark by slapping Tanahashi on a break and the Ace did it right back to him. Tanahashi chose to taunt after offense, so Ishii kicked him and that triggered a long forearm strike exchange. Tanahashi grounded Ishii and worked the Cloverleaf before firing off some really stiff shots. He added a sick suplex that Ishii somehow stood up on, only for Tanahashi to do the same back to him. This was a case of two guys who weren’t going to be denied in their quest for gold. It managed to be an epic without ever feeling like two guys were trying to put on an epic. That’s so important because so many guys fall into that trap these days. Tanahashi kicked out of the Vertical Drop Brainbuster and that felt like a big deal since it rarely happens. Protecting finishers is important *coughDestinocough*. Tanahashi finally outlasted Ishii and won with High Fly Flow in 23:30. An absolute classic between two of the greatest to ever do it. [****½]

Tanahashi had a post-match promo interrupted by Chase Owens. He talked some smack as a dude in a Bullet Club vest and a mask snuck in behind Tanahashi. He planted Tanahashi with Pulp Friction and revealed himself to be Juice Robinson, now with the Bullet Club. He left with the title.

IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada [c] vs. Tetsuya Naito

Imagine booking this AGAIN after doing it in February, when it was already too soon to do it again. Gedo a wild man with no fresh ideas. I can’t bring myself to care about this as my love for Naito faded after Gedo made the awful decision to have him lose in 2018 and waited two more years to put him on top. Anyway, this was another Naito/Okada match where they didn’t really do anything to wow me. Don’t get me wrong, this was still very good but it’s like we’ve seen it too many times without many alterations to the formula. This was a case of them moving things pretty slowly in early stages and doing the Okada formula. Lots of stuff that didn’t matter early on, done in a way that screamed “WE’RE GOING 30+ MINUTES” and it only became interesting in the final 8-10 minutes. The one thing that managed to change up a bit was to have them dig deeper into their movesets since they know each other so well. The finishing sequence highlighted that and it ended with the Rainmaker in 34:12. It was good but yeah, it’s next to impossible to really get captivated by their matches anymore. [***½]

After the bell, Jay White made his return and laid out Okada, posing with the title and Bullet Club. You can tell what’s next and this was the Bullet Club trying to return to form after years of being beyond stale. I do need Jay White to save us from another lame Okada title run though.

8.0
The final score: review Very Good
The 411
I don’t love/care about Bullet Club much anymore but they were set up mostly nicely here. There’s nothing particularly bad on the card, several good matches, and a couple of great ones. Throw in the setup for future shows and this is the most intrigued I’ve been in this company in a long time.
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