Here are results for this morning’s Togi Makabe 20th Anniversary show. There’s not a lot to talk about, but overall it was a solid show with some build towards the New Japan Cup.
A nice tribute video started us off, highlighting Makabe’s career starting from 1997, when he made his debut against Shinjiro Ohtani, to winning the G1 in 2009 as well as winning the IWGP title the following year.
“Immigrant Song” played for what I’m pretty sure was the first time ever on NJPW World as Makabe came to the ring. They aired a video where Akira Maeda and Kazuyuki Fujita said what I’m sure were nice things about him. Riki Choshu came out in person to hand him flowers.
Tomoyuki Oka defeated Henare
This was stopped due to injury. Henare suffered some sort of injury to the ankle a few minutes into the match that was severe enough for it to be stopped. Hopefully nothing too serious.
Gedo & Jado defeated Taka Michinoku & Desperado
A lot of this was nothing early. The work was fine, but the crowd was just kind of there. Things picked up a bit when Jado went for the crossface, but Michinoku countered with one of his own. Gedo broke up Michinoku’s which allowed Jado to sink his back in for the win.
Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi & Takashi Iizuka defeated Katsuyori Shibata, Tiger Mask, Jushin Thunder Liger & Yuji Nagata
Shibata and Suzuki brawled around the ring early. A lot of work on the faces led to a big Yuji Nagata comeback that people were into. Shibata and Suzuki were in and did some great submission work.
Suzuki wore Shibata down with forearms. Shibata came back with a kick but Suzuki grabbed his leg and took him down with a leglock. Kanemaru and Tiger Mask were in as Iizuka distracted the ref with a chair. All of Suzuki-gun held the babyfaces down as Kanemaru pinned Tiger Mask with a top rope DDT.
Kanemaru ripped off Tiger Mask’s mask after the match, I guess because he’s mean. Suzuki cut a promo after the match berating Shibata, but Shibata came in and beat him up until the rest of Suzuki-gun came in and cleared house.
Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, David Finlay & KUSHIDA defeated BUSHI, SANADA, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
Lots of good tags and interactions with one another here. There were a lot of interactions between Takahashi and Taguchi, as they are the next junior heavyweight title program. Finlay, who is returning from injury, had his arm worked on a lot during the match. It boiled down to Robinson and BUSHI, with Robinson getting the win with the Pulp Friction.
Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Manabu Nakanishi
Okay match, though it was nothing special. Pretty solid for the most part. Nakanishi had control of Okada for a long time, even putting him in the torture rack. He scored a lot of near falls, but fell to an Okada dropkick, then ate the Rainmaker.
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma defeated Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
Yano jumped Makabe on the outside and choked him with a chair. He had the momentum until Makabe started mounting a comeback. He traded a lot of offense with Ishii. Honma also worked with Ishii a lot. Yano low blowed Makabe and hit the press powerbomb but Makabe kicked out to a big pop.
Yano and Ishii tried to use Makabe’s trademark chain against him, but he broke free and smacked both of them with it while the referee was down on the outside. Makabe gave Yano the spider German suplex then flew off with the King Kong Knee Drop for the win.
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