Ian Hamilton checks in for the first of two Road to Tokyo Dome shows, featuring the United Empire up against young lions in singles matches, along with Suzuki-gun in the main event.
Quick Results
Satoshi Kojima, Togi Makabe & Tiger Mask pinned Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd in 8:57 ( ½)
Juice Robinson & Toa Henare pinned Yujiro Takahashi & KENTA in 11:10 ( )
Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi & Hiroyoshi Tenzan pinned Yoshinobu Kanemaru, El Desperado & Minoru Suzuki in 10:28 ( ¾)
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens pinned DOUKI, Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi in 8:32 ( ¾)
Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan & Will Ospreay pinned Tomoaki Honma, Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi in 14:12 ( ¼)
Jay White, EVIL & Dick Togo pinned BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA in 17:36 ( ¼)
We’re at Korakuen Hall for this one – and while Kevin Kelly is actually in Japan, he’s on quarantine so we’ve only got live commentary in Japanese. But first, a truncated highlights video for 2020…
Recommended matches
Jay White, EVIL & Dick Togo vs.Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
Report
The show started with a highlight video from all the major NJPW shows in 2020. This was slick and well done.
Tiger Mask, Togi Makabe & Satoshi Kojima defeated Yota Tsuji, Yuya Uemura & Gabriel Kidd (8:57)
This was Tiger Mask s comeback match after being sidelined for most of the year with diverticulitis. I am happy to report that his entrance music still rules. This was a nice showcase for the New Japan dads.
Uemura and Makabe started the match with a mat wrestling clinic. Uemura shot for a double-leg takedown and got it. He tried a single-leg, but Makabe blocked. Makabe did some chain wrestling.
We look at New Japan s road to the Tokyo Dome and the first group of major shows in 2021 as the lead story in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
We look at the realities of business, the set up, the announced matches, and the last few shows leading up to the Dome events. We also have complete coverage from the Budokan Hall show and Super J Cup.
The new issue also covers:
TLC show, Smackdown live and taped shows, new television shows being considered, WWE Network special offer, Bill Goldberg talks who he d like to wrestle, details on a new contract negotiation, more about wrestlers being sent for regular training, upcoming NXT matches, Hall of Fame, injury updates, new signing, new TV show, international ratings, how WWE & AEW fare compared to sports programming, new TV character identified, WWE market value and the most-watched shows on the WWE Network.