By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Shingo Takagi’s 20th Debut Anniversary Event”
September 7, 2024 in Yamanashi, Japan at I Messe Yamanashi
Streamed live on New Japan World
This show has Japanese-only commentary. Notably absent is Yuya Uemura, who will be out of action for at least six months. Also notable is that Tomohiro Ishii is back. (It means that the segment that aired on Collision on Friday, where Jericho had a chair over Ishii’s head, was likely taped last week.)
This is a large auditorium room with all seating on the floor. Attendance is maybe 600.
1. Daiki Nagai vs. Masatora Yasuda. These are two new Young Lions. At first glance, Yasuda is taller and has a better physique. The sides of Daiki’s head are shaved. Basic standing switches and mat reversals. Nagai worked a hammerlock and kept Yasuda grounded. Yasuda hit a dropkick for a nearfall at 9:30, then a bodyslam for a nearfall. He was going for a pin when we reached the 10-minute mark. If you didn’t know how this was ending, you don’t follow NJPW closely. Okay match.
Daiki Nagai vs. Masatora Yasuda ended in a time-limit draw at 10:00.
* There was a ceremony for Shingo Takagi and he was presented with a plaque.
2. “United Empire” Callum Newman and Francesco Akira vs. Shoma Kato and Riiita. My first time seeing Riiita, who has shaggy brownish hair and gold trunks (so he’s not a Young Lion in basic black gear). Akira is clean-shaven and looks a little different. Newman walked over to Riiita and pretended he couldn’t see him as he looked straight ahead; Riiita might be 5’2.” Akira opened and knocked Riiita down with a shoulder tackle. Riiita did some quick reversals and he ran from Akira, and he hit a huracanrana. Shoma tagged in at 2:00; Akira hit a basement dropkick on him in the corner. Riiita got in and chopped Callum, wo no-sold them. Riiita hit a huracanrana. Shoma and Akira got back in at 6:00 and they traded forearm strikes. Akira hit a spin kick to the head and a faceplant, then the Fireball running double knees to the back of the head to pin Shoma.
“United Empire” Callum Newman and Francesco Akira defeated Shoma Kato and Riiita at 8:39.
3. “United Empire” Henare and Jeff Cobb vs. Katsuya Murashima and Ryusuke Taguchi. Henare and Murashima opened, with Henare getting the better of a strike exchange. Cobb got in and beat up Katsuya. Katsuya hit a dropkick that staggered Cobb. Taguchi entered at 4:00 and hit some buttbumps on Cobb, and it just seemed to tick Jeff off. Taguchi finally hit a running buttbump that knocked him down. Cobb hit a bodyslam and a standing moonsault for a nearfall at 6:30. Henare tagged back in and continued to beat up Taguchi. Murashima got in and hit a dropkick on Henare. He went for a Boston Crab at 8:00 but Henare fought free. Henare hit a running penalty kick for a nearfall, then a jumping kneestrike to the head in the corner for the pin.
“United Empire” Henare and Jeff Cobb defeated Katsuya Murashima and Ryusuke Taguchi at 8:56.
4. Shota Umino and Jado vs. “House of Torture” Sho and Ren Narita. Shota hit a bodyslam and got a nearfall on Ren in the first minute. The HoT worked over Jado and tied him up on the mat. Shota got in and cleared the ring. Jado got back in and fought Sho, hitting a DDT out of the ropes for a nearfall at 7:30. Shota hit a dropkick on Ren and was fired up. Ren struck Jado in the head with his push-up bar, and Sho covered Jado for the pin. Dull match.
Sho and Ren Narita defeated Shota Umino and Jado at 8:57.
5. Tomohiro Ishii and Tomoaki Honma vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd. The Jericho-Ishii segment on AEW Collision was clearly pre-taped, as Ishii was here. He opened against Kidd. Lee kicked Honma in the back and the heels began working Honma over. Ishii got a hot tag at 3:30 and he cleared the ring. He hit a Saito Suplex on Kidd for a nearfall. Kidd hit a back suplex. Ishii hit a brainbuster and they were both down at 5:30. Honma tagged back in and dropped Kidd with a shoulder tackle, and he hit the Kokeshi falling headbutt. Lee hit a vertical suplex on Honma. Lee tossed Ishii to the floor and brawled with him at ringside. In the ring, Honma hit a leaping headbutt on Kidd for a nearfall. Lee hit a Helluva Kick on Honma, and Kidd immediately hit a running kneestrike to pin Honma. Better than expected.
Jake Lee and Gabe Kidd defeated Tomohiro Ishii and Tomoaki Honma at 8:20.
6. “Just 5 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Douki vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Taiji Ishimori and Gedo. Douki and Ishimori opened, but Taiji stalled on the floor. Taka entered and hit a basement dropkick on Ishimori’s face, then one on Gedo. Gedo and Taka brawled on the floor. In the ring, the BCWD worked over Taka. Douki got a hot tag and hit some dropkicks at 5:30. He hit a springboard double-back-elbow for a nearfall. Ishimori hit a handspring-back-spin kick on Douki. Gedo tagged back in and hit some jab punches on Douki. Douki applied the Douki Chokey on Gedo, but Ishimori made the save. Douki again applied the Douki Chokey, and this time Gedo passed out. This was bad.
“Just 5 Guys” Taka Michinoku and Douki defeated “Bullet Club War Dogs” Taiji Ishimori and Gedo at 7:55.
7. “House of Torture” EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Dick Togo vs. Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toru Yano. The HoT attacked and everyone immediately brawled to ringside. In the ring, the HoT whipped Yano into an exposed turnbuckle and they stomped on him, and they took turns working over Yano. Boltin finally got a hot tag at 4:30 and hit a bodyslam and a splash to the mat, and he whipped Yujiro around in his arms before hitting a gutwrench suplex. Oleg hit a double suplex.
Tanahashi entered and hit a flying forearm on Yujiro at 6:00. EVIL tagged in, and the heels worked over Hiroshi. Togo hit his knife-edge chop to Hiroshi’s groin, and EVIL applied a Sharpshooter on Tanahashi. Hiroshi hit a twisting neckbreaker. Tiger Mask got the hot tag at 8:00 and he battled Kanemaru. He hit a Tiger Bomb but Togo jumped in the ring and stomped on Tiger Mask. Tiger Mask hit a backbreaker over his knee. Kanemaru sprayed whiskey in Tiger Mask’s eyes, then he rolled him up for the pin. This really wasn’t good, either.
“House of Torture” EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Dick Togo defeated Tiger Mask, Boltin Oleg, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toru Yano at 9:45.
8. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita vs. “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young. I don’t think Jakob has been in NJPW before; in the past I’ve compared him to Drew Gulak. He opened against Kosei with some basic standing switches, and Jakob twisted the left arm. Sabre got in and hit some European Uppercuts. O-Khan entered and hit some Mongolian Chops on Fujita at 5:00. Sabre entered and tied O-Khan in an Octopus Stretch, then he applied a front guillotine choke, and a Pele kick to the shoulder, then a tornado DDT for a nearfall.
O-Khan tied up Sabre on the mat, and he applied an anklelock. He hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Zack and they were both down. Jakob entered and also hit a Dragonscrew Legwhip on Sabre. Kosei hit a missile dropkick on Jakob. Sabre snapped Jakob’s neck between his ankles. Kosei hit a plancha to the floor on O-Khan. Meanwhile, Sabre hit a running kick to Jakob’s chest at 11:00. Jakob applied an Octopus stretch. However, Sabre dropped to the mat, tied Jakob into a pretzel, and Jakob tapped out. Sabre and O-Khan continued to jaw after the bell. Easily best match of the show.
“The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Kosei Fujita defeated “United Empire” Great-O-Khan and Jakob Austin Young at 11:33.
9. Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Yamato vs. Yota Tsuji, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiromu Takahashi. Yamato is a surprise mystery partner for Shingo. Shortly before the G1 began, we had a nearly identical all-LIJ matchup and it was rather dull and stayed in second gear, so let’s hope this one is better. Shingo and Tsuji opened. Bushi and Hiromu entered at 3:00 and they avoided each other’s offense. Yamato then entered and traded offense with Naito. Hiromu entered and hit a shoulder tackle on Yamato at 5:30. Naito’s team began working over Bushi.
Shingo backed Tsuji into a corner and hit a series of chops and jabs at 9:30, then a suplex. Those two brawled to the floor and into the crowd. Back in the ring, Naito twisted Shingo’s left arm, and Tsuji kept working over Shingo. Tsuji slammed teammate Hiromu onto Shingo for a nearfall at 15:30. Tsuji hit some hard chops but it just fired up Shingo. Shingo hit some jabs and a clothesline, and he tagged in Yamato at 17:30. Yamato hit a suplex on Tsuji for a nearfall, then an enzuigiri. Hiromu hit a shotgun dropkick on Bushi. Bushi hit a rewind kick on Hiromu, and he applied a leglock.
Hiromu hit a clothesline on Bushi and they were both down at 21:30. Bushi hit a dropkick on Naito. Shingo got a hot tag and battled Naito, hitting a DDT and a sliding clothesline for a nearfall at 23:00. Shingo accidentally hit a shoulder tackle that hit Yamato! Yamato and Shingo began shoving each other! Yamato hit a dropkick in the corner on Shingo. Naito got a jackknife cover on Shingo for a nearfall. Naito hit a tornado DDT, then a Destino for a nearfall. Shingo hit a double clothesline at 27:00. Shingo and Naito traded forearm strikes. Shingo nailed the pumphandle powerbomb for a believable nearfall, then a Pumping Bomber clothesline for a nearfall at 29:00. Naito hit a Destino on Shingo for a nearfall. Shingo hit another Pumping Bomber; the time limit expired during the pinfall attempt.
Shingo Takagi, Bushi, and Yamato vs. Yota Tsuji, Tetsuya Naito, and Hiromu Takahashi went to a time-limit draw at 30:00.
Naito showed off his title; will he eventually fight Shingo for it? Naito’s squad left. Shingo got on the mic and spoke to Yamato. Yamato also spoke, and they shook hands. There was a video montage of older (retired) wrestlers who I presume put Shingo over.
Final Thoughts: What a rough show. After coming off an excellent G1 tournament, with everyone so happy that Sabre got put over and won it, NJPW returned with a really flat show with a lot of matches with guys that no one cares about. David Finlay, El Phantasmo, TJP, Taichi, and Sanada were sorely missed, as of course the injured Uemura and Desperado. The main event did pick up in the final 10 minutes, but it was clear from the get-go that this was headed to a time-limit draw… just like the last all LIJ matchup from two months ago.
There were only a few good exchanges today — Sabre vs. O-Khan, Lee vs. Ishii, Shingo vs. Naito. But none of it really fit with the pieces put down at the conclusion of the G1, where it was made clear that O-Khan will get a match against Naito. I would like to see Yamato stick around, as the NJPW roster really felt short-handed on this show.
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