By Chris Vetter, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrisvetter73)
New Japan Pro Wrestling “Blue Justice XV”
January 19, 2025 in Chiba, Japan at Sakura Civic Gymnasium
Streamed live on New Japan World
Yes, many of us long-time wrestling fans remember first seeing Nagata compete in WCW for about a year in the late 1990s. This show has Japanese-only commentary; I believe English will be dubbed in at a later date. This is a small gym with most fans seated on the floor, along with an upper deck that has maybe eight rows. The crowd is maybe 1,000.
* The only news entering this show is that EVIL has ‘quit’ NJPW after the Battle in the Valley event in California. We’ll see how long his exodus lasts … and if anyone misses him while he’s on hiatus!
1. “United Empire” Jakob Austin Young, Great-O-Khan, and Francesco Akira vs. Shota Umino, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima. So… Shota goes from working the Wrestle Kingdom main event to being in the opening match with the Young Lions? Jakob and the more slender Young Lion, Kato, opened at the bell. The babyfaces quickly took turns working over Jakob in their corner. On the floor, O-Khan whipped Shota into the guardrail, and the UE kept Kato in their corner. Jakob hit some European Uppercuts. Umino got the hot tag at 5:30 and hit a basement dropkick on O-Khan.
Umino hit an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall. Murashima finally got a hot tag, and he hit a Bulldog Powerslam on Akira at 9:00, and the Young Lions hit stereo dropicks on Akira. Murashima applied a Boston Crab, but O-Khan broke it up. However, Akira hit a superkick, then a Buzzsaw Kick to the head for a nearfall, then the Fireball (running double knees to the back of the head) to pin Murashima. Good Young Lions match.
Jakob Austin Young, Great-O-Khan, and Francesco Akira defeated Shota Umino, Shoma Kato, and Katsuya Murashima at 11:08.
2. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Robbie Eagles, Kosei Fujita, and Ryohei Oiwa vs. Yoh, El Desperado, and Tomoaki Honma. Desperado and Fujita shoved their respective title belts into each other’s face, and those two opened and traded mat holds. Eagles entered at 2:00 and twisted Despe’s left arm. Yoh tagged in and bodyslammed Eagles. TMDK dropped Honma so he accidentally hit a Kokeshi on Yoh. TMDK began working over Yoh in their corner. Eagles and Yoh traded some good offense. Despe and Kosei tagged back in at 7:00 and traded chops. Honma entered and hit a double Flatliner move. He hit the Kokeshi on Oiwa at 10:30! Oiwa hit a discus clothesline but it only staggered Honma. He hit a running clothesline for a believable nearfall. Oiwa then nailed the discus clothesline to pin Honma. Better action than expected; Kosei and Oiwa bring it every night.
Robbie Eagles, Kosei Fujita, and Ryohei Oiwa defeated Yoh, El Desperado, and Tomoaki Honma at 11:43.
3. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito vs. Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Naito once again took forever to disrobe; he is already having slogs of matches, and working with two guys in their 50s won’t help. LIJ worked over Kojima at the bell. Tenzan choked Hiromu on the mat. Naito hit a Rude Awakening standing neckbreaker on Satoshi at 3:00. Tenzan got a hot tag and hit his Mongolian Chops on Naito, then a suplex for a nearfall at 5:30. Kojima hit his rapid-fire chops in the corner on Naito. He hit a Koji Cutter on Hiromu. Hiromu hit a Death Valley Driver on Kojima for a nearfall. Naito hit an enzuigiri on Kojima, and Hiromu immediately rolled up Kojima for the pin. Blah. Naito is just downright awful right now.
Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito defeated Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan at 9:55.
4. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Sanada and Taiji Ishimori vs. “Just 4 Guys” Taichi and Taka Michinoku. With Douki joining Yuya Uemura on the disabled list, J4G is just a sad, sad faction now. All four immediately began brawling and it went into the crowd; I’m not sure if we had a bell but I started my stopwatch at first contact. Okay, there is the bell at 1:00, as Taiji grounded Taka in the ring, as everyone was watching Sanada and Taichi fight in the crowd. (Their singles feud is about three months late; this should have happened when Sanada left the group to join BCWD!) The heels stomped on Taka in the ring as this has settled down into a regular tag match.
Taiji twisted Taka’s left arm. Sanada hit a plancha to the floor. In the ring, he placed Taichi’s feet on the top rope and hit the Magic Screw neckbreaker at 6:30, then a dropkick. Taichi fired back with a clothesline, and they were both down. Taka tied up Sanada’s head on the mat and cranked back. Sanada hit a low blow mule kick on Taka, then a Shining Wizard. He applied Skull End (dragon sleeper), fell backwards to the mat with it locked in, and Taka tapped out. Decent action. This Sanada-Taichi stuff just frustrates me because this should have been a hot match in December with the payoff at Wrestle Kingdom.
Sanada and Taiji Ishimori defeated Taka Michinoku and Taichi at 8:50/official time of about 7:50.
5. “Los Ingobernables de Japon” Bushi, Yota Tsuji, and Shingo Takagi vs. “Bullet Club War Dogs” Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Clark Connors. Shingo and Drilla got in each other’s face before the bell, as they have an upcoming singles match; they opened against each other and traded shoulder tackles and forearm strikes. Kidd entered and hit a clothesline that dropped Yota at 4:00. A good exchange here between Yota and Kidd, and Yota hit a headbutt that dropped Gabe. Yota hit some backbreakers over his knee and stomped on Kidd’s head at 6:30. Yota hit a Mark Andrews-style Stundog Millionaire and they were both down.
Bushi and Connors tagged in for the first time, and Bushi hit his dive through the ropes onto Clark at 8:30. In the ring, Clark hit a powerslam on Shingo; Shingo hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker over his knee. Moloney grabbed Bushi, nailed the Drilla Killa (swinging piledriver) and scored the pin. That was really good action, as expected.
Gabe Kidd, Drilla Moloney, and Clark Connors defeated Bushi, Yota Tsuji, and Shingo Takagi at 11:16.
6. “The Mighty Don’t Kneel” Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson vs. “Bishamon” Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi. Goto just earned a title shot, and he opened against champ Sabre. Zack hit some European Uppercuts. Hartley (he’s a big, thick bald Australian) entered at 3:30 and hit a suplex on Y-H. Goto and Sabre traded forearm strikes, and Sabre hit a Pele Kick to the left shoulder at 8:00. Hartley got back in and hit a Stinger Splash, then a clothesline for a nearfall. Goto hit his own clothesline and they were both down. Sabre snapped Yoshi-Hashi’s neck between his ankles, and Hartley hit a massive senton for a nearfall at 10:30. Goto hit a running clothesline in the corner on Hartley, and he nailed his neckbreaker over his knee on Sabre! Hartley hit forearm strikes on both Bishamon members. However, they hit the Shoto team slam on Hartley, with Yoshi-Hashi making the pin. Good action.
Hirooki Goto and Yoshi-Hashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and Hartley Jackson at 11:36.
7. Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano vs. “House of Torture” Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Nagata came out last and got a big pop. Again, no sign of EVIL. Sho got on the mic before the match and I’ll pretend he’s talking about EVIL’s absence, but it looks like he’s belittling Nagata, based on Yuji’s reactions. All eight brawled at the bell. Oleg hit a splash to the mat on Sho. Tanahashi hit a second-rope twisting crossbody block at 1:30. Yano tagged in and immediately removed a corner pad, and he playfully slapped Yujiro on the back of the head. Nagata and Ren brawled past the guardrail and into the crowd, and Ren shoved the edge of a chair into Yuji’s throat.
Meanwhile in the ring, Yujiro whipped Yano into the exposed turnbuckle and got a nearfall at 4:00. Ren choked Yano on the mat. Yuji got the hot tag at 6:30 and hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Ren, then some spin kicks. He hit an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall and applied a Fujiwara Armbar, and rolled his eyes back, but Yujiro made the save at 8:30. Tanahashi entered and hit a flying forearm, then his second-rope somersault senton for a nearfall. Sho hit a spear on Tanahashi. Both Sho and Ren grabbed one of Hiroshi’s legs and twisted it. Ren went for Double Cross, but Hiroshi avoided it, hit a Twist and Shout neckbreaker, and they were both down.
Boltin got back in at 10:30 and he battled Kanemaru. He applied a bearhug, but Kanemaru escaped. Boltin flipped Kanemaru around in his arms and hit a gut-wrench suplex. Such power! Sho hit a headbutt on Yano’s groin. Kanemaru missed a spray of alcohol on Yuji. Oleg nailed the Kamikaze (forward Finlay Roll) to pin Kanemaru. Acceptable match; it didn’t overstay its welcome, but I have to admit I’m shocked that Nagata didn’t get the pin. The HoT scampered to the back.
Yuji Nagata, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Boltin Oleg, and Toru Yano defeated Sho, Yujiro Takahashi, Ren Narita, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 13:09.
* Nagata got on the mic and spoke to the crowd.
Final Thoughts: A solid return to action after the New Years trio of shows, re-emphasizing we are moving forward with feuds like Yota-Kidd, Shingo-Moloney, Sabre-Goto and Sanada-Taichi. Nothing must-see here, but you can’t go wrong with the LIJ vs. Bullet Club six-man tag. Sabre’s tag takes second. I’ll go with the Eagles’ six-man tag for third.
The usual problem with NJPW — Naito is really not over right now, and too many guys in their late 40s or 50s competed on this show. David Finlay Jr., TJP, Tomohiro Ishii, El Phantasmo and Jeff Cobb are noticeably absent. The injuries to Callum Newman, Henare, Taichi and Yuya Uemura are really starting to take a toll on an already thin roster. Oleg is so strong, so powerful, and he keeps spinning his wheels carrying Tanahashi and Yano to passable matches.
Naito isn’t over? He might not be at his peak wrestling but go to any NJPW show in Japan and he’s basically the only guy that is over. There’s a reason he’s having to keep wrestling while he can barely see. I’m not a ticket sales guy, but it’s pretty common knowledge that when Naito is in big matches, people turn up.