By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Royal Quest – Day 1”
Taped October 1, 2022 in London, England at Crystal Palace Indoor Arena
Available on New Japan World
The show has finally been released to the public after being taped over two weeks earlier. This is a fantastic crowd. Kevin Kelly and Chris Charlton provided English commentary, and they said this is a sellout. Late in the show, Charlton said the attendance was 2,137. This building is large with a high ceiling. The lights are on so you can see everyone. They stressed how these two shows are “three years in the making” after pandemic-related delays.
Unfortunately, travel issues caused by Hurricane Ian caused Jonah to miss these shows.
* The show opened with a video package, showing Hikuleo turning on Jay White and the Bullet Club and siding with his brother, Tama Tonga. The package also shows the feud between FTR and Aussie Open.
1. Gabriel Kidd defeated Dan Moloney at 9:17. Moloney, who is of average size and physique with short black hair, had a handful of NXT-UK matches. Kidd is a recent Young Lion grad who has taken time off to deal with some mental health issues, so it’s great to see him back in the ring and I wish him well. Charlton noted both men are only 25 years old. Kidd invited Moloney to hit punt kicks to his back at 4:00. Kidd hit a second-rope moonsault for a nearfall.
Moloney hit a nice enzuigiri, the a double stomp to the chest. He hit a piledriver, but Kidd rolled to the floor; Moloney hobbled on his knee. Back in the ring, they traded hard chops and Kidd hit a brainbuster for a nearfall at 9:00. Kidd then hit a mid-ring piledriver for the clean pin. Good opener.
2. Michael Oku and Ricky Knight Jr. defeated Great-O-Khan and Gideon Grey at 12:16. Grey spoke on the mic and introduced his parter, GOK. Charlton noted that Oku and Knight have been great foils for Will Ospreay this year. Oku is the talented, Black high-flyer, think a taller Lio Rush. The faces worked over O-Khan early. Oku hit a head-scissors takedown at 2:30. O-Khan took control and hit a series of Mongolian Chops on Oku. Grey tagged in at 5:30, after Oku was exhausted, beat up, and down, and the crowd booed him.
Knight made the hot tag at 8:00 and he beat down Grey. Knight put both men on his shoulders and hit an impressive Samoan Drop. Oku hit a Fosbury Flop to the floor. Knight followed that up with a flip dive over a turnbuckle to the floor on everyone at 10:00. Knight hit a 450 Splash on Grey in the ring, and Oku immediately hit a frogsplash for a nearfall, but O-Khan made the save. Oku hit a springboard moonsault. Knight hit a piledriver on Grey for the pin. Good match.
3. Ava White & Alex Windsor defeated Jazzy Gabert vs. Kanji Winter at 6:16. I don’t know Ava White, who is tall and blonde; think a slightly heavier Charlotte Flair. Gabert, of course, had a run in NXT-UK and she’s quite tall; with pink here she is looking like a thinner Jessicka Havok. The heels worked over the smaller Kanji early on. Jazzy hit a Bulldog Powerslam. Alex Windsor hit a Shining Wizard running knee for a nearfall on Jazzy, Windsor hit a fisherman’s powerbomb on Kanji for the pin out of nowhere. Too bad because this felt like it was just getting going when it ended.
4. Hiromu Takahashi, Sanada, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado, and Douki at 14:24. Sabre got a huge homecoming ovation. Sabre and Naito have a number one contender’s match on the next show, and they were going to start, but Zack tagged out before they could lock up. Desperado and Hiromu traded good reversals, and the heels began working over Hiromu. Sabre tied up his wrist and fingers, and he applied an anklelock on the mat, but Hiromu reached the ropes at 6:00.
Hiromu hit a Falcon Arrow slam and made the hot tag to Sanada. Sabre and Sanada, who are quite familiar foes, traded rollups. Naito tagged and fought Douki. Douki hit a slingshot DDT for a nearfall, and he applied his “Douki chokey” Triangle Choke on Naito at 12:00. LIJ hit a series of moves on Douki, including Hiromu hitting a shotgun dropkick. Douki got a backslide for a nearfall on Naito. However, Naito nailed a piledriver, then the Destino flipping slam on Douki for the pin. Good match with great crowd heat.
5. Kazuchika Okada and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Zack Knight and Bad Dude Tito at 12:41. Knight replaced Jonah, who had hurricane-related travel issues. Charlton and Kelly compared Knight to Eddie Kingston. Tito and Okada started. Ishii tagged in at 2:00 and traded forearm shots with Knight, and I immediately get the Kingston comparison, as these blows are really stiff. Tito entered and hit a slingshot senton on Ishii at 4:30, and the heels began working over Ishii.
Ishi hit a suplex on Tito and they were both down at 7:00. Okada made the hot tag and brawled with Tito. Tito hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Okada hit a flapjack slam on Knight. Ishii now made the hot tag and nailed a hard clothesline in the corner on Knight. Tito hit a Blockbuster on Ishii. Knight hit a Buckle Bomb on Ishii. Okada hit a neckbreaker over his knee, then a dropkick. Ishii hopped in the ring and hit his brainbuster suplex on Knight for the pin. I really enjoyed that.
* Because of Jonah’s cancellation, it has left Ishii without an opponent for day 2 of this tour. Right on cue, Yota Tsuji hopped in the ring and stood toe-to-toe with Ishii, and we have a clear indication that is our replacement match.
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hikuleo, Tama Tonga, and Jado defeated Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, Jay White, and Gedo at 12:12. Karl and Tanahashi started. White and Tama entered at 2:00, and White jawed at him, but he tagged out to Gedo. Gedo and Jado brawled in the ring, and the heels began working over Jado. This crowd is hot and taunting White, who does a great job showing that it is irritating him. Hikuleo made the hot tag at 8:00 but the heels quickly took control of the action again. Karl and Gallows hit their team neckbreaker on Hikuleo.
Tama Tonga made the hot tag and hit a dropkick on White. He got quite a pop as he removed his vest and showed off his physique. Tama hit a Stinger Splash at 10:00 and a Bulldog Powerslam. Tanahashi entered the match and hit a Sling Blade clothesline on Gedo. Tanahashi nailed the High Fly Flow frogsplash on Gedo for the pin. A decent match that had great crowd heat.
7. Will Ospreay defeated Shota Umino at 15:30. Charlton pointed out that “Red Shoes” Umino (Shota’s father) is referee for the match, and he said this is only the second time he’s been ref in his son’s matches. The crowd really loved both guys, and they had an intense knucklelock tie-up. Shota hit a nice diving forearm for a nearfall at 3:30. Ospreay took control and hit some hard chops. Shota hit a fisherman’s suplex for a nearfall at 7:30.
Ospreay hit a plancha to the floor, then a top-rope flying forearm for a nearfall in the ring. He went for a flipping senton, but Shota got his knees up. However, Ospreay hit his jumping powerbomb for a nearfall at 10:00. Ospreay hit a mid-ring Spanish Fly, and they were both down. They traded forearm shots from the kneeling position. Ospreay hit the springboard Oscutter for a nearfall at 13:30. Shota hit a snap swinging neckbreaker for a nearfall.
Ospreay hit a pop-up European Uppercut then a jumping powerbomb, with Shota landing high on his neck. Ospreay jumped on him and hit several forearm shots to the back of the head, and the referee immediately called for the end to the match, as Shota was lying there defenseless. The crowd booed the quick ending. Charlton said the ref only called for the bell that quickly because he was protecting his son; Kelly cast doubt on Charlton’s statements.
8. “FTR” Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood defeated “Aussie Open” Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Titles at 31:52. Wow, this crowd is hot and behind both teams. Kyle and Dax started with an intense lockup. Davis entered and traded hard chops with Dax, and both were bleeding from the chest. Fletcher pulled Davis out of the corner, causing Cash to crash into the corner at 7:00. Aussie Open began working over Wheeler.
Wheeler hit a back suplex on Kyle, but Mark Davis cut him off from making the hot tag, and Mark hit a senton. Davis attacked Dax, and they brawled on the floor, as we have an “Aussie Open,” “FTR” alternating chants going. Cash dove for the hot tag at 12:30, but Mark yanked Dax off the ring apron to prevent it. Cash nailed a European Uppercut on Mark and finally made the hot tag at 14:00. Dax entered and hit a springboard crossbody block on Kyle Fletcher.
Dax hit a German Suplex on Fletcher, then a second and a third, for a nearfall. AO hit a team stunner move on Dax for a nearfall at 16:30. Cash dove through the ropes, barreling into AO, drawing a huge pop. Davis popped Dax in the forehead, and Dax was bleeding from above his eye. However, Dax hit a slingshot powerbomb for a nearfall on Fletcher at 21:00.
Cash hit a spike piledriver on Davis, but Fletcher made the save. The crowd chanted “fight forever!” Fletcher got the tag title belts and the crowd booed. Davis accidentally got hit with the title belt, and FTR got a nearfall. Fletcher hit a top-rope moonsault to the floor. Great-O-Khan is now at ringside as we hit the 25:00 mark. Davis was back in the ring and bleeding heavily from his forehead now. He traded chops with Dax, and both are clearly exhausted.
Dax and Cash applied simultaneous Sharpshooters; Kelly pointed out that Dax and Davis are the legal men. Fletcher slapped at his partner and wouldn’t let him tap out; Davis crawled and made it to the ropes. This is pretty epic stuff. The AO hit the “Big Rig” (FTR’s finisher!) on Dax, but Cash made the save at 30:00. All four got to their feet and traded blows. FTR then hit the Big Rig and pinned Davis. That was just amazing. “That was as good of a tag team match as I’ve ever seen,” Charlton said, and he’s seen a lot of wrestling!
* Dax got on the mic and joked that he can’t get a match from Tony Khan, and he called Aussie Open “the future of wrestling.”
Final Thoughts: Read what Charlton said because I can’t say it any better. These guys put on an excellent 30-minute match that never dragged and built wonderfully toward hot tags. A near flawless match. There will be a lot of discussion of whether this was best tag match of the year. While I liked FTR-Briscoes from April more, I won’t argue with anyone who puts this on top. It is that good.
Ospreay-Shota was really, really good, too. The big question is how much longer will New Japan leave Shota Umino, and to a lesser extent, Yota Tsuji, in England? Both could join the main roster and immediately be big impact players. New Japan definitely needs some fresh new upper-card talent, and these two would really help.
While no other matches really stood out, I liked what I saw of Zack Knight as a replacement. Nothing wrong with the women’s match; my only complaint is it was too short.
The show clocked in at just over three hours.
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