NJPW 3/26 results

[Guest Black Tiger]

From Stuart over at SSS

 

1. Tatsumi Fujinami Return Match: Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Osamu Nishimura went to a draw (15:00) when the time limit expired.

2. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue beat Katsuhiko Nakajima & Taiji Ishimori (10:54) when Kanemoto used a moonsault press on Ishimori.

3. Tiger Mask, El Samurai & Masahito Kakihara beat Masked CTU-L, Masked CTU-T & Masked CTU-G (10:45) when Samurai used a chickenwing armlock on CTU-T.

4. Yutaka Yoshie & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Togi Makabe & Ryushi Yanagisawa (7:13) when Tanahashi used a sliding-style front cradle on Yanagisawa.

5. IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Tournament - Semi Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Manabu Nakanishi (12:17) with the Anaconda Cross.

6. Young Lion Cup - Final: Hirooki Goto beat Hiroyuki Ito (9:55) with the Go To Heaven.

7. Ron Waterman & Minoru Suzuki beat Kensuke Sasaki & Takashi Iizuka (14:03) when Waterman used a Tiger Driver on Iizuka.

8. Tsuyoshi Kosaka beat Yuji Nagata (4:41) by TKO.

9. IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Tournament - Final: Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Masahiro Chono (19:02) with the Anaconda Cross.

10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Satoshi Kojima  © vs. Shinsuke Nakamura went to a draw (60:00) when the time limit expired (1st defense).

 

The Tenzan fan in me is happy that he's getting the title shot. If this turns out to be the final revival and Tenzan gets an established title run, then it'll be worth it. But past booking shows that Tenzan ususally gets the title until they have another brilliant idea, and then go back to him when it goes up in smoke. First reign was cut short for the Nakamura experiemnt. The second for the Sapp, the third one for the double titles. Plus going back to Tenzan is just moving backwards. Just like Kawada's win over Misawa in '98. In six months where was the Triple Crown? Right back on Misawa.

 

Provided he does win the title, it'll be Tenzan's revival and getting back his three biggest jobs in recent memory. His win over Chono was Chono's first singles loss in seven months.

 

Kojima and Nakamura going sixty isn't something I think I need to see. Hell, I love Tenzan and Tenzan vs Kojima going 59 wasn't something I thought I needed to see. If Kojima is going to job the title to Tenzan at the Dome (which is where it looks like the booking is going) then I'd think Kojima should have gone over clean here. Kojima is going to have to do a couple jobs in the Carnival as it is. So he'll need to look strong himself.

[Nevermortal 0]

Interesting booking here. If Koji is going down for Tenzan, what's the purpose of Nakamura not laying down for him? NJ has such a ridiculously huge boner for Nakamura. I'm all about Tanahashi, however. What a sexy man.

[Sass 0]

Yeesh, Nakamura wrestling for 60 minutes? That's like filling the Kool-aid with cyanide.

 

Kojima *should* have gone over Nakamura in like 2/3's of that time if he's going to job the title to Tenzan at the next Dome show. Hopefully, if he wins, this title reign will be undisturbed for Tenzan, who finally get's his revenge against Kojima. There's a wonderful storyline there that just got muddled up with this Nakamura draw nonsense. Inoki must have slapped Nak 7 times in the face for good luck.

[Vyce 0]

I got an unsettled stomach from reading the results of the main. Nakamura going all 60 with Kojima is just wrong.

 

NJ has such a ridiculously huge boner for Nakamura.

 

Yes.

 

And while Nak doesn't really.....offend me or anything, I'm really, really apathetic towards him, so the god-pushes don't do it for me.

 

I'm all about Tanahashi, however. What a sexy man.

 

 

He is pretty dreamy. Look at those pecs!

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I would rather Kojima job the IWGP Title to Tanahashi than Tenzan to be honest.

[Sass 0]

Let Tanahashi be the one to dethrone Tenzan if/when he get's the title as a shifting of generations match or something. Just give Tenzan a good run with the title this time and not let him get eaten up by some washed up MMA goon. Then let Tanahashi run roughshod over the past generation (Chono, Nagata, Nishimura, etc.) and throw in some credible looking tough gaijin's his way and watch him grow to be big.