New Japan’s biggest show of the year goes down tomorrow and it’s set to be a HELL of a show. You’ve got a main event that is sure to pull out all the stops as the company’s biggest young star Hiroshi Tanahashi takes on one of his mentors, All Japan president and IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Keiji Mutoh. There will also be two HUGE New Japan vs. NOAH matches and a rematch of the 10/13 Sumo Hall thriller between Yugi Nagata and Zero 1’s Masato Tanaka.
NJPW “WRESTLE KINGDOM III IN TOKYO DOME”, 1/4/09 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Dome
0. Mitsuhide Hirasawa, Kazuchika Okada & Nobuo Yoshihashi vs. Milano Collection AT, Minoru & Taichi Ishikari
1. Wrestle Kingdom Grand Opening VIENTO DORADO: Mistico, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Averno, Jado & Gedo
2. Jushin Thunder Liger 20th Anniversary Match: Jushin Thunder Liger & Takuma Sano Pro Wrestling NOAH vs. Wataru Inoue & Koji Kanemoto
3. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title ~Tread on!!~: Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Alex Shelley TNA Wrestling & Chris Sabin TNA Wrestling
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title ~Ballistic interception~: Low Ki (c) vs. Tiger Mask
5. Fighting Holdings Competition: Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Kurt Angle TNA Wrestling & Kevin Nash TNA Wrestling vs. Giant Bernard, Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii & Karl Anderson
6. World Heavyweight Title ~Crusade for Justice~: Yuji Nagata (c) vs. Masato Tanaka ZERO1-MAX
7. New Japan vs. NOAH Battle Tendencies ~the invasion~: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Jun Akiyama Pro Wrestling NOAH
8. IWGP Tag Team Title - Hardcore Rules: Togi Makabe & Toru Yano (c) vs. “Team 3D” Brother Ray TNA Wrestling & Brother Devon TNA Wrestling
9. New Japan vs. NOAH Battle Tendencies ~the encounter~: Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Mitsuharu Misawa Pro Wrestling NOAH & Takashi Sugiura Pro Wrestling NOAH
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Muto All Japan (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
According to Dave Meltzer’s report, Sting retained his title in the 8 man tag match.
It was one of those matches where everyone hit their finishers until Joe went for a muscle buster on Sting, but Nash hit Joe with a low blow and Sting pinned Joe with the Scorpion death drop.
Also, Kurt Angle pinned Rhino, who was hospitalized this weekend allegedly for high blood pressure. Al Snow came out to distract Mick Foley. That should lead to Angle vs. Jeff Jarrett next month.
In the feast or fired match, Homicide, Hernandez, Curry Man and Jay Lethal got the four briefcases. They only opened one on the show and the other three are to be opened up on Impact. Lethal opened his briefcase and received a tag title shot.
News and notes from MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling …
- Jeff Hardy wasn’t allowed to board a flight back to his hometown after Tuesday’s Smackdown tapings because he was intoxicated. I guess it’s a lesser of possible evils from him, but it’s just mind boggling how he keeps screwing up right after WWE forgives him from his previous mistake. For those that don’t remember, he was going to win the ladder match at this year’s Wrestlemania which would’ve given him another title chance, and possible title run sometime this summer. But he failed another drug test and was suspended. He’s scheduled to be in the Smackdown main event at the upcoming No Mercy PPV. He’s even on the poster. Let’s hope this dude gets his act together because in the ring, he’s a great entertainer.
- Kazuo Masaki defeated Joe Riggs last night in the main event of Strikeforce at the Mansion II, their second Playboy Mansion show in two years. Lightweight Mitsuhiro Ishida, the first man to beat Gilbert Melendez, won in the first two minutes, beating Justin Wilcox with an arm bar. Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson defeated Ashe Bowman, which could set up a rematch with Melendez somewhere down the line.
Tomorrow night, we have two fairly decent sized title fights.
Juan Manuel Marquez and Joel Casamayor are fighting for the lightweight champion with Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest underneath. Marquez is coming up to lightweight, hoping to secure a third fight with Manny Pacquiao and faces the lineal champion in Casamayor. Casamayor could possibly get a fight with Pacquiao if he’s impressive in victory.
Of course, that’s after Pacquiao’s big fight with Oscar De La Hoya at the end of this year.
Mora and Forrest are fighting for Mora’s newly won junior middleweight title, which he beat Forrest for earlier this year. Forrest looked well on his way to beating up the smaller Mora, but about mid way through, the fight changed and Mora looked quicker, slicker, and just outpointed him the rest of the way. All of a sudden, Forrest looked all of his 37 years old. It will be interesting to see which Forrest we’ll get because we know which Mora we’ll get. He’s always been “The Latin Snake”. Will Forrest be “The Viper” though?
Also, TNA has a PPV this weekend. No Surrender features a four way for the belt between Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, and Booker T. They are teasing a Jeff Jarrett return, and if you go to TNA’s website they are also teasing Mick Foley. Foley left WWE last month after his contract ran out. He was Jim Ross’ Smackdown announcing partner and said that part of his reason for leaving was because of Vince McMahon yelling at him through his headset.
If they waste Foley’s return without using him to sell the show, it’s a huge mistake.
Though UFC and WWE are no where to be found this weekend, it’s still going to be a pretty good weekend of action.
Every week I will try look at Raw, ECW, TNA, and Smackdown and give my thoughts. These are just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen, just my thoughts.
Random wrestling thoughts for the week of July 21, 2008:
Raw
After all the great work that Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels did last night, the Raw show opens with Kane and his bag. Great, just great.
It appalls me how much JBL is pushed considering that with his back injury, he’s one of the worst wrestlers in the company. I know he can talk, but if when he gets in the ring, I want to fast forward, what good is that?
What a shitty opening segment.
Paul London is out to face Lance Cade. Where’s London’s big, huge bodyguard? Wait, that’s Brian Kendrick.
Every week I will try look at Raw, ECW, TNA, and Smackdown and give my thoughts. These are just my thoughts ladies and gentlemen, just my thoughts.
Random wrestling thoughts for the week of July 14, 2008:
Raw
If Stephanie and Shane wanted to get this message across of unity, shouldn’t they be telling the wrestlers instead of the fans? And shouldn’t they also abolish all heels?
Having Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels open the show fighting, but near the end of their battle, proved that Raw can be unpredictable, but I wanted to see all of it, not just the tail end.
What a bad boyfriend John Cena is.
It’s actually a great heel move to both save your girl and get an Intercontinental Title shot out of it, but it kind of makes the babyface look dumb.
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