New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to the Fukuoka Convention Center in Fukuoka, Japan today for their annual Wrestling Dontaku event. The show will be broadcast live on New Japan World featuring English commentary by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis, and Wrestlezone will have complete up-to-the minute coverage of the entire event, kicking off at 4:00 a.m. EST.
In the main event, Kazuchika Okada puts the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line against the big man of Bullet Club, Bad Luck Fale, for his fifth title defense in what has been one of the greatest defending championship runs in the history of the promotion. The show will also see a return to the New Japan Cup, as Bullet Club leader Kenny Omega takes on the “Stone Pitbull” Tomohiro Ishii in a rematch from their spectacular bout in March.
Cody Rhodes also returns to New Japan for the first time since February, while War Machine defends the IWGP Tag Team Championships in a triple threat against both Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima) and the Guerrillas of Destiny.
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NJPW Wrestling Dontaku Results
Fukuoka, Japan
May 3, 2017
Report by Mike Killam for Wrestlezone.com
1. Hirai Kawato & Yoshitatsu vs. Katsuya Kitamura & Tomoyuki Oka
This aired for free as the pre-show match on New Japan World. They went about 8 minutes, with Kitamura and Oka dominating throughout. Commentary really put over how bad Yoshitatsu would look if he managed to lose this match – maybe they should book him against Kitamura in a singles match, with the loser staying in the Dojo? Just an idea. The two big men trampled through Kawato early on, then did the same to Yoshi, who used a classic Young Lion single crab, much to the eye-rolling of Don Callis. The finish came when Kawato took out Oka with a springboard dropkick, and Yoshi put Kitamura in a kneebar and forced him to tap out. Winners: Hirai Kawato & Yoshitatsu
2. Will Ospreay & Yoshi-Hashi vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
A short but enjoyable opening match where the theme was clearly beating up Yoshi-Hashi to build up hot tags for Ospreay, who the crowd was really excited to see. As such, YH took the brunt of the damage as Bullet Club worked him over in their corner, taking cheap shots when they could. Ospreay came in at the end and hit a perfect Sasuke Special taking out Takahashi, and YH countered a package piledriver into his Karma submission for the win. Will Ospreay & Yoshi-Hashi
3. Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask W & Togi Makabe vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata
Tiger Mask and Liger started things off, going back and forth with their signature spots. Nakanishi tagged in and threw him around like a sack of potatoes, growling at the referee who ran for the hills. Nagata came in and put a stretch on Tiger to slow things down, until he turned it around into a Tiger Driver. W got the hot tag and cleared the apron, chopping down Nagata and hitting him with a standing moonsault for two. He threw some kicks and the big man threw some much more effective kicks right back at him. Eventually Makabe and Nakanishi tagged in and slugged it out like gorillas. Nakanishi turned a mounted punches spot into a powerbomb and the obligatory six-man brawl broke out. The two Tigers hit pele kicks on Liger and Nagata, before diving to the floor to take them out. Makabe hit the King Kong knee drop on Nakanishi, and that’s all she wrote! Pretty fun undercard match, for what it was. Winners: Tiger Mask, Tiger Mask W & Togi Makabe
4. Hirooki Goto, Toru Yano, Jado, Rocky Romero & Beretta vs. Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, El Desperado & TAKA Michinoku
Suzuki-Gun attacked before the bell and it spilled out to ringside. All five babyfaces attacked Kanemaru, then Desperado, then Michinoku in 5-on-1 assaults. Jado threw chops at Kanemaru and kept doing Ric Flair “woo’s” because this match is completely unhinged. Suzuki hasn’t even been to the ring yet, as he’s busy attacking the ring crew, while hitting Goto with chairs the entire time. To make matters more ridiculous, Yano tagged in and did his shtick with all of SKG, until Minoru finally tagged in and scared him away. Goto and Suzuki went right after each with elbows before Goto stomped about 27 mud holes into him in th ecorner; Suzuki just got right back up and started throwing elbows again. Suzuki countered the Ushigoroshi and Goto countered a sleeper hold. The heels swarming Goto, until Yano made the save and they changed targets. A ten-man brawl broke out with bodies flying everywhere. The finish saw Michinoku take the Ushigoroshi for the pinfall. Winners: CHAOS
5. Cody Rhodes vs. David Finlay
They started slow, jockeying for position with side headlocks into the ropes. Cody caught him with a stiff right hand, but Finlay slapped him across the face. Finlay got sent to the floor and Rhodes jumped off the top rope, but landed on his feet and blew a kiss to the Japanese commentary table. That would be a theme throughout the match, with Cody in control throughout while mocking his opponent and the fans. He hit a big Alabama Slam on the floor to a sick thud, rolled him back into the ring and stomped away at Finlay’s arms and legs while stalking him. The former Young Lion fought back with right hands as Cody was taunting, then a short-arm lariat. Cody did the drop-down Goldust strike setting up for his finisher, but Finlay reversed into a nearfall. There was a bit of a botch with Finlay trying to reverse a Disaster Kick, but he hoisted him back up and hit the Celtic Cross for another nearfall. He went up to the top rope and tried for a diving uppercut, but Cody caught him with the Cross Rhodes for the pinfall. Winner: Cody Rhodes
After the match Cody got on the mic and said that he took New Japan from an island show to a global show. He calls himself wrestling royalty, and tells management to send him someone bigger and stronger to fight, so he can show the crowd what they already know – that “the worst nightmare happens with your eyes open, and it’s me”.
6. KUSHIDA & Juice Robinson vs. Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
KUSHIDA has gone crazy after his recent two-minute loss to Takahashi, attacking the champ as soon as the match starts and brawling with him into the fans. Naito followed them as KUSHIDA was bouncing Hiromu off everything imaginable, and slammed him hard into the concrete. The heels took him back to the ring and slowly picked him apart, alternating in with quick tags. After a few minutes he fought back and took down both men with a double handspring and made the hot tag to Juice, who fired up with corner lariats and cannonballs. He hit a huge crossbody off the top rope for two, then blocked a lariat and caught Naito with a neckbreaker. The IC champ connected with a tornado DDT and both men tagged, with the juniors going right after it trying to murder each other. KUSHIDA hit a cartwheel dropkick then took out Naito with another handspring kick, Minoru tried for his sunset powerbomb flip to the outside, but KUSHIDA countered into an armbar on the apron! Naito tried to break it up but Juice laid him out with a spinebuster, then held both guys while his partner took them out with a swanton bomb to the outside! He rolled Hiromu back into the ring and locked in the Hoverboard, but Naito broke it up with a German suplex. Juice took stereo superkicks from LIJ and Hiromu put KUSHIDA away with the Time Bomb. Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon
INTERMISSION
It’s time to find out who will be in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament! For those who have never seen it, it’s just like the G1 Climax but for the juniors stars. There are two blocks, and everyone in each block will face off in singles matches for points, with the winners of each block facing each other in the final round.
BLOCK A
- Jushin Thunder Liger
- Ricochet
- Dragon Lee
- Will Ospreay
- Marty Scurll
- Taichi
- TAKA Michinoku
- Hiromu Takahashi
B BLOCK
- Tiger Mask
- Ryusuke Taguchi
- KUSHIDA
- Volador Jr.
- ACH
- Yoshinobu Kanemaru
- El Desperado
- Bushi
7. Hanson & Ray Rowe (c) vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tanga & Tanga Loa for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
Bullet Club starts the match but both teams work together to clear them from the ring. Tenzan and Rowe collide like rhinos as Kojima lights up both men with machine gun chops. Tanga Loa threw Kojima off the rope and worked him over, slowing things down and alternating in and out with his brother. Eventually he drops Loa with the Koji Cutter and makes the hot tag to Hanson, having no alternative, and the big man levels GoD with big right hands and a long series of running splashes, back and forth in the corners. For a very large man, he has some impressive cardio! He lays both out with lariats and makes the tag to Rowe, who goes back and forth with Tama throwing big right hands. War Machine tries for Fallout, but Loa knocked Hanson off the tope rope to save his partner. Tenzan tagged in and… There was an error with my World feed and it won’t let me go back, so this will be updated later. Winners and Still Champions: War Machine
8. Ricochet, Ryusuke Taguchi & Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI for the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championships
There’s some serious animosity between EVIL and Tanahashi to kick things off. Taguchi gives Sanada the run-around while they’re trying to lock up, so the challenger just kicks him. Taguchi connects with a hip attack and clears the ring, and the champions take turns all hitting Sanada with hip attacks. The captain goes to the top rope and waits for his team to throw Sanada into his rear, but turns around to see all three opponents waiting for him for the 3-on-1 assault. He’s got no help as Tanahashi and Ricochet are thrown into the barricades outside. Bushi takes advantage of a ref distraction to choke him with his shirt, and LIJ have their way with him alternating in and out. After several minutes of this, Taguchi takes down EVIL and makes the hot tag to Ricochet. He hits a springboard corkscrew elbow on Bushi, flips under a lariat into flash kicks on all three, sends EVIL crashing into Sanada, and takes down the big man with a springboard uppercut.
Tanahashi finally tags in and goes right after EVIL, drops him with a dragonscrew, and the champions put all three challengers in Texas Cloverleafs. Tanahashi hits the Slingblade and goes up top, but EVIL gets his knees up to block the High Fly Flow. In comes Taguchi to hip attack everyone. He does his Nakamura taunts – always a mixed reaction, and deservedly so – but is caught by a series of signature moves from all of LIJ. This leads to the obligatory spot fest with bodies flying everywhere, crashing and burning, until all six guys are down. Taguchi hits a facebuster but the pin is broken up. Tanahashi and Ricochet fly to the outside to take out the troops as the leader has Bushi in the ankle lock. He’s tapping out, but the referee is down on the floor. Taguchi goes to check on him but turns around into the poison mist, Bushi rolls him up, but the champ kicks out at two-and-three-fourths! Bushi hits him with the Codebreaker off the top rope! 1…2…Tanahashi flies out of nowhere to break it up! Bushi hits the top rope Codebreaker for a second time. 1…2…3. Winners and New Champions: Los Ingobernables de Japon
9. Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kenny Omega
Ishii goes right after him, connecting with rights and lefts, a big lariat and a thunderous powerbomb for a very close two-and-three-quarters in the first 30 seconds of the match. He follows up with a sliding lariat and follows Omega to the floor, actually tries for a One Winged Angel, but settles for a big back body drop. Kenny comes out of nowhere with a running dropkick, then powerbombs the big man hard onto the apron rolling back in at 15; Ishii barely makes it back in before 20, and immediately rolls outside clutching his back. They fight back and forth trying to suplex each other over the ropes, and Omega breaks it off to hit the V-Trigger, followed by a dragon suplex for two. Ishii counters a One Winged Angel attempt and lays him out with a stiff lariat as both men go down. It’s been maybe seven minutes and they look like they’ve been going to war for half an hour.
Kenny lays in a series of hard chops, Ishii roars back at him, and the Bullet Club leader immediately drops him with a DDT. He follows up with kicks to the damaged back and shoulder in the corner, hits a neckbreaker and goes into a half nelson on the mat, raking away at the eyes in the process. Ishii tried to fire up but got caught with a series of lariats and the Kotaro Krusher. Kenny makes the mistake of getting frustrated, slapping away needlessly on his opponent and spitting in his face. Ishii slowly rises and just takes chops to the chest and elbows to the face without budging an inch. The Stone Pitbull spits right back at him and catches Omega with a snap powerslam, followed by a back suplex for two. Again Kenny slaps him in the face, but this time he hits a rolling fireman’s carry into the moonsault. Ishii catches him on the top rope and the two brawl for position, the big man hitting a superplex, into a spinning back fist. Omega counters a lariat with a snap Frankensteiner out of nowhere, sending his opponent to the floor and over the barricade. He gets that look on his face and starts measuring the distance, then throws caution to the wind and throws himself with a springboard crossbody out of the ring, over the barricade and crashing to the floor! Both men slowly hobble their way back, entering the ring at 19.
Kenny goes to the top rope and hits a missile dropkick to the back of the head, followed by a sit-out powerbomb for a nearfall. He calls for the finish but Ishii counters the V-Trigger, Kenny counters a suplex, Ishii counters a suplex, and Kenny hits the V-Trigger for two-and-three-quarters! Once again he tries for the One Winged Angel, and once again Ishii shakes him off and connects with a massive lariat; both men down. They slowly get to their feet and Ishii throws a sick headbutt, then connects with another huge lariat – 1…2…Omega kicks out! Ishii picks him up into the One Winged Angel, but transitions it into a Ushigoroshi! 1…2…Omega kicks out! He chases him into the ropes for another lariat, but Kenny hits him with the V-Trigger. Another V-Trigger! One Winged Angel attempt coming, but Ishii counters with A REVERSE RANA!? Another lariat connects. 1….2… OMEGA. KICKS. OUT. They pull themselves back to their feet and start trading hard chops. Ishii tries for yet another lariat but is caught with a high knee, then another high knee. Kenny hits a huge Brainbuster, lifts him up, and finally drops him with the One Winged Angel. 1…2…3. Winner: Kenny Omega
10. Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Bad Luck Fale for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi are in the corner of the Underboss, while Gedo is out managing the champion. Okada starts throwing right hands at the start of the match, ducking under clotheslines. He hits a splash to the corner, but Fale isn’t effected and drops him with a right hand to the gut. Okada fires back and sends Fale to the floor, but is caught on an outside dive and dropped hard on the floor. The Bullet Club heavy opens a ringside gate and tries for the Bad Luck Fale, but the champ fights out of it, only to be slammed into the ring post. The brawl continues outside the ring, with Fale ripping apart sections of the barricade and burying Okada under them, then heads back to the ring and tries to win via count-out; the champ barely makes it back, and is immediately met with kicks from the big man. The slow, methodical assault continues for several minutes with Fale picking his spots, working on the back of the champion using all his weight. He tries to fight back with punches, but is sent flying with a big back body drop. Every time Okada kicks out of a pin, he has to lift the full weight of the Underboss in order to do it, tiring him out even more. He hits a DDT out of nowhere, and after laying dead on the mat does his signature kip-up, firing up on the big man with rights and lefts. He foolishly tries to lift Fale but settles for chopping him down with running elbows, then surprisingly gets him up for a body slam! Okada clotheslines the challenger over the ropes to the floor, following up with a big boot that sends him crashing to the concrete outside the barricade. He walks away to the other side of the ring, then gets a running start and launches himself over the barricade to take Fale down into chairs with a flying crossbody!
Eventually they crawl their way back to the ring, and Okada is up first with a series of running uppercuts. He tries for the Tombstone but Fale easily gets out of it and levels the champ with a shoulder tackle, followed by a Samoan Drop for two. Fale signals for the Grenade but it’s countered, and both men end up crashing to the mat in a half-connected attempt at a DDT. They go back and forth with Fale only needing one hit for every four or five of Okada’s. The champ fires up time and time again, chipping away at this tree of a man, but every time he does he gets leveled with a punch that rocks him. He explodes with a shotgun dropkick that sends Fale into the corner, then hoists up the big man and connects with Heavy Rain, followed by his signature top rope elbow drop. Okada signals for the Rainmaker, but Fale picks him up and rams him into the turnbuckles, destroying him with a corner splash, then a running splash for a nearfall. Fale tries for the Grenade again, this time connecting, but he only gets two-and-a-half. Not content he goes for the stollen Tombstone, but Okada counters and hits the standing dropkick!
The champ slowly pulls himself to the top rope, connecting with a missile dropkick, but he damages his back in the process. He manages to hit a Tombstone Piledriver, but when going for the Rainmaker Fale lays him out with a brutal lariat. Fale stalks him and connects with a monstrous spear! 1…2… Okada gets his shoulder up. It’s time for the Bad Luck Fale, but the champ breaks out of it and hits another dropkick, but yet again is taken out with a lariat. Fale hits the Tombstone Piledriver, crossing the arms like the Undertaker for the 1…2… Okada barely kicks out! Once again he goes for the Bad Luck Fale, but Okada counters into a hurricanrana to save himself, ducks under a lariat, and connects with the Rainmaker! He holds onto the wrist, rolls the challenger back to his feet, and connects with a second Rainmaker. The champ signals for the end, doing one last Rainmaker pose, picks up the big man, but Fale ducks under it, only to get thrown with a huge German suplex! Okada hung on to the wrist! 1…2…3! Winner and Still Champion: Kazuchika Okada
After the match arena officials hand Okada his title and a large banner for his victory. All of Bullet Club comes out and helps carry Bad Luck Fale to the back, but the champion gets on the mic and yells for… KENNY OMEGA! The Bullet Club leader makes his way back to the ring, and Okada raises the championship into the air as Kenny stares him in the face. The fans start chanting for Omega, who gives Okada the Bullet Club guns and leaves the champion in the ring.
Okada wiped his sweat with a Bullet Club flag and threw it back at his greatest rival. He cut a post-show promo and officially confirms that it will be Kazuchika Okada vs. Kenny Omega II at Dominion for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship!
