Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson (Bullet Club) vs Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto and Gedo (CHAOS)
The Bullet Club’s line-up in this match looked really strong on paper and they didn’t disappoint. The only amongst the Bullet Club brethren without a title was leader Kenny Omega who’s going to face Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 11 for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Will Ospreay and Nick Jackson started us off in this one with Ospreay’s superior speed giving him the edge early on. Some of the stuff that Ospreay’s does is so hard to describe with words.
Ospreay countered everything Nick Jackson threw at him which only frustrated Jackson and led to him tripping over the bottom rope and falling on his face. He then tagged Kenny Omega in Ospreay tagged in Okada. Omega saw Okada and tagged in Adam Cole. As Okada turned to face Cole Omega attacked him from behind.
Okada was taken off guard for a second but fought back both Cole and Okada, sending Omega reeling to the outside and grounding Cole, before tagging in Goto. The Young Bucks hit Gedo with a double Superkick and had all four CHAOS members on the outside before hitting four stereo Tope Suicidas. They then isolated Gedo in their corner and worked on him.
Gedo finally tagged in Goto who went to work on ROH World Champion Adam Cole, hitting him with a lariat. He went to follow it up with a reverse vertical suplex but the Bucks hit him with a double Superkick. Ospreay then hit the Bucks and Cole with a triple Pelle kick which he followed up with a dive to the outside.
Omega and Okada were men left in the ring after this and Okada hit Omega with a modified White Noise and went to the top rope but Nick Jackson sprayed him in the face with hairspray. Ospreay then hit a Spanish fly after which Okada got Omega in position for a Rainmaker Clothesline. Okada missed and the Bucks hit him with a double Superkick. Following this, the Buller Club members hit Okada with a quadruple Superkick. They followed it up with another quadruple Superkick on Gedo.
Omega followed it up with an attempt to finish Okada off but he countered with an attempted tombstone. Omega reversed this and went for one of his own as Okada reversed once again and went for a Rainmaker Clothesline which Omega reversed with a knee to the face. He followed it up with a One-Winged Angel for the win.
Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson (Bullet Club) def. Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto and Gedo (CHAOS)
With Okada laid out in the middle of the ring, the Bullet Club boys posed over him as he writhed around on the mat.
Katsuyori Shibata vs EVIL (for the NEVER Openweight Championship)
EVIL and Shibata’s rivalry has been brewing since EVIL attacked Shibata from behind after a match last month.
Shibata and EVIL traded blows early on before the action spilt to the outside. EVIL tangled Shibata’s arm into a steel chair before smashing it into a ring post. Shibata managed to avoid the 20-count by a few seconds after finally untangling himself from the chair.
EVIL tried repeated kicks to Shibata’s injured shoulder but he just ‘hulked up’ and took the fight back to EVIL – literally kicking the wind out of him before both men just hit each other repeatedly with kicks and strikes which EVIL followed up with backdrop, followed with a Superkick to the gut followed by a knee to the face for a nearfall.
A frustrated EVIL then hit a sitout Powerbomb, only to get another nearfall. EVIL then signalled for the kill but Shibata unexpectedly hit him with an STO as both men went down and traded punches on their knees.
Shibata then locked in the sleeper and hit an overhead suplex just as EVIL was fading. EVIL rolled outside and hit Shibata with the championship belt while the referee was distracted. He then rolled Shibata into the ring and hit Shibata with a steel chair but only got a nearfall. Undeterred, he then hit Shibata with a modified Rock Bottom for then pinfall.
EVIL def. Katsuyori Shibata
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Sanada
Grizzled veteran and fan favourite Hiroshi Tanahashi took on Sanada next. This rivalry dates back to the G1 Climax tournament where the younger Sanada had gotten the win.
The match started with a lock up but quickly devolved into fast paced action. Sanada, over 6 foot 3 inches, dove over the top rope and performed hurracanra with ease and is clearly a future star. He delivered a hurracanrana to the ramp early on in the match and Tanahashi barely managed to escape the 20-count.
The two of them matches each other move for move, repeatedly kicking out of the best that the opponent had to offer. It was akin to Tanahashi seeing a younger version of himself in the ring with him and going all out to prove that he could still perform at the highest level.
Tanahashi hit a Slingblade on the apron and followed it up with a frog splash to ringside. However, Sanada just wouldn’t lay down and hit back with a pinning German Suplex, missing the 3-count by a second. Sanada followed it up with a modified sleeper on Tanahashi who barely managed to break out of it – the crowd going wild throughout.
Sanada then went for a moonsault which Tanahashi dodged. With Sanada on the ground, Tanahashi tried to hit another Frog Splash and this time Tanahashi missed. With Tanahashi laid out, Sanda went for a moonsault but had to try and land on his feet when Tanahashi moved away and the awkward landing jarred his knee.
Tanahashi immediately went to work on the knee with a Dragon Screw followed by a Texas Cloverleaf. Sanada struggled but finally managed to reached the rope. An undeterred Tanahashi went for a Frog Splash but was met by Sanada’s knees.
Sanada and Tanahashi then traded repeated forearms to the face before Tanahashi hit a modified Twist Of Fate followed by a Slingblade for the nearfall. Tanahashi then finally hit the Frog Splash before going to the top rope again and hitting a second one and finally getting the win.
Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Sanada
Tetsuya Naito vs Jay Lethal (for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship)
Naito and Lethal’s rivalry began while they tagged in a match against the Bullet Club. Naito and Lethal had a disagreement on the night before Naito abandoned Lethal and left him at the mercy of the Bullet Club.
Jay Lethal wasn’t pulling any punches tonight and started the match with three Tope Suicida’s to Naito, which drove Naito right into the ringside barrier. Lethal then followed it up with a quick pinfall attempt.
Naito, the overwhelming crowd favourite, responded by sending Lethal crotch first into the top rope before taking him outside and repeatedly driving Lethal’s back into the metal barrier.
Lethal responded with offence of his own but Naito, who doesn’t play by the rules, clawed at Lethal’s eyes to stay on top of things but it didn’t last long as a flurry of chops and kicks from Lethal drove Naito back before he hit Naito with a cutter for the 2-count.
Naito then reversed an Irish whip attempt to ground Lethal in the corner before hitting a basement dropkick from the apron. Naito followed it up with a modified triangle hold but Lethal managed to reach the ropes.
Naito then looked to explode out of the ropes with a clothesline but Lethal caught him dead in his tracks and hit him with a backbreaker into a reverse STO. He followed it up with a modified Death Valley Driver, sending Naito neck first into the mat before picking him up and propping him on the top rope. Naito countered the backdrop but Lethal hit him with a dropkick to stop him dead in his tracks.
Lethal the hit a superplex as the crowd exploded when Naito kicked out at 2, with the Naito chants filling the arena once again. Lethal looked to finish Naito off with a Lethal Injection but Naito dodged and hit Lethal with a Tornado DDT before hitting a dropkick from the top rope.
Naito then propped the former ROH World Champion on the top rope and hit a hurracanrana. Naito then went for the cover but Lethal kicked out at 2 and a half.
Lethal and Naito then traded blows till Naito hit a vertical suplex for another two count. Lethal then hit a modified reverse Death Valley Driver and followed it up with a Crossface. Naito looked like he would tap for a second but eventually crawled to the ropes. Lethal then hit Naito with a vertical suplex right into the apron which he followed up with a diving elbow drop from the top rope for yet another nearfall.
Lethal then channelled Michael Elgin as he hit the Buckle Bomb followed up with a sitout Powerbomb, only to get another nearfall. Lethal then went for a Lethal Injection but Naito countered with an elbow which Lethal countered with a forearm.
Lethal looked to take the opening with a Lethal Injection but Naito countered and hit his finisher, the Destino, for the win.
Tetsuya Naito def. Jay Lethal
Tanahashi came out after the match to challenge Tetsuya Naito to a match at Wrestle Kingdom 11, which he duly accepted.
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