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With Wrestle Kingdom 13 firmly in our rear view mirror, we’re moving on to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual February spectacular!
This year, New Beginning is split up into three shows, same as last year. All three shows, naturally, will air live and in full on NJPW World, so why not watch along with the best pro wrestling community on the internet?
Today’s action takes place in Osaka’s Edion Arena Osaka, kicking off at a brisk 3AM Eastern / 12AM Pacific, features Kazuchika Okada’s annual challenge match against Bad Luck Fale as well as Taiji Ishimori defending his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, and is headlined by Hiroshi Tanahashi defending his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against “Switchblade” Jay White.
Jushin Liger & TenCozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) over Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki, TAKA Michinoku, & Takashi Iizuka) by disqualification after Iizuka stops Suzuki from attacking Tenzan with a chair only to take the chair himself and attack!
A shot with the iron fingers follows as punctuation and Liger eats a beatdown as well. Iizuka destroys a t-shirt that Tenzan had been using to try and coax him into remembering their friendship and it’s all shockingly touching, really.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) over Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino by pinfall with the Magic Killer on Umino.
Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & Tetsuya Naito) over Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Taichi, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) by pinfall with Destino from Naito on Kanemaru.
Post-match, Naito and Taichi have a staredown chat over the ropes before the SZKG man leaves without incident.
BUSHI and Shingo go to leave... AND ROPPONGI 3K ATTACK THEM AND TAKE THE TITLES! They get in the ring and we get a promo back and forth that amounts to RPG3K issuing a challenge before the champs yank their title belts back.
Bullet Club (Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi) over Tomoaki Honma & YOSHI-HASHI by pinfall with the package piledriver from Owens on Honma.
Kota Ibushi comes out and cuts a promo. He says he’s here to talk about his neck and head and he’s really happy to be back here right now. He’s here in New Japan Pro Wrestling and not going anywhere! He announces he’s in New Japan Cup this year and he’s here to do his best!
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) over Most Violent Players (Togi Makabe & Toru Yano) by pinfall with a Gun Stun from Tonga on Yano after a ref bump and a low blow.
Post-match, Tama wails on Young Lions, his opponents, the Japanese commentary team, and basically anyone that’s at ringside with Jado’s kendo stick.
Taiji Ishimori (c) over Ryusuke Taguchi by pinfall with Bloody Cross to retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.
Post-match, Ishimori calls Liger out from his spot at the commentary desk! The legend answers and tells him he’s gonna regret offering the challenge for the title, because he’ll take it anywhere, any time!
Kazuchika Okada over Bad Luck Fale by pinfall with the Rainmaker.
“Switchblade” Jay White over Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) by pinfall with Blade Runner to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.
Post-match he talks about having had his last Young Lion match in this very city and that he said that this was his home and everyone in the back and the crowd were his family, well boy he was wrong. None of them think he deserves the belt or could make it to the top. We didn’t think he could beat Kenny, Tanahashi, or Okada, and he beat all of them before beating Tanahashi again just to silence any last bit of doubt.
He says he’s the champion in spite of us and intends to spit in our face metaphorically by holding the title. He doesn’t play by the rules, and it doesn’t matter because he’s the real IWGP Heavyweight Champion. He doesn’t do this for anyone but himself, Gedo, and Bullet Club, and it’s a new dawn for a new age.
He exhorts us to breath with him and tosses the mic down!
Enjoy the show!