Taichi is going home…with the Never Openweight Championship.
It took almost all of Suzuki-gun but Taichi defeated Chaos’ Hirooki Goto at Destruction in Beppu to claim the title.
It is Taichi’s (Taichiro Maki’s) first singles title in New Japan Wrestling. He has held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship twice, once with Taka Michinoku and once with Yoshinobu Kanemaru. Kanemaru was at ringside for the match along with Taichi’s valet, Miho Abe.
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Taichi’s valet, Miho Abe, is overcome with joy. Photo: NJPW.
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Before the bell rang, Taichi was having some fun flexing before the cameras. Taichi played mind games from the start, staying in a corner and ducking out on Goto. As Goto stomped around like a caged animal in the ring, Taichi continued to walk around outside. Angering Goto, Taichi ducked his body in and out of the ring. Goto finally sat down in the middle of the ring with his arms and legs crossed. Goto dared Taichi to enter the ring. When he did, Goto lowered the boom with punches and kicks. Taichi slid under the bottom rope and outside. Goto shrugged his shoulders and rolled his eyes.
Taichi rolled Miho Abe into the ring. As Red Shoes asked her to leave, Taichi attacked Goto from behind hurling him to the floor where Kanemaru relentlessly beat on him. Goto reversed an Irish Whip throwing Kanemaru into the steel fence. Taichi snuck up labeling Goto in the head with a chair then choked him with it.
Taichi took the fight into the crowd throwing Goto into the audience, rows of chairs. Another chair to the head had Goto crawling back to the ring. Goto made it back in at 19. Red Shoes stopped Taichi from hitting Goto with the Never Openweight title. Taichi threw it over the top rope. Taichi choked Goto into the ropes, stomped his back and shoved him. An irate Goto got back to his feet chopping Taichi in the chest.
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Goto is ready to end the match but Taichi has other ideas. Photo: NJPW.
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Out on the floor, Taichi smashed a chair over Goto’s back as Miho Abe distracted Red Shoes again. Goto fought off a powerbomb to snap suplex Taichi on the ramp. Kanemaru ran over and he got snap suplexed too.
Goto almost sent Taichi night-night with a sleeper as Miho screamed on the outside pounding the mat. Goto attempted a GTR, however, Taichi grabbed a hold of Red Shoes. Kanemaru attacked. Everyone hit the mat hard. Goto clotheslined Kanemaru and tossed him out of the ring. El Desperado ran down to the ring, punching and kicking Goto which makes you wonder where the Chaos members are to back up Goto. Goto clotheslined him over the top rope and to the floor. Yoh, Sho and Rocky Romero finally show up to contain the Suzuki-gun members.
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Goto refuses to give up. Photo: NJPW.
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Goto ripped the microphone stand out of Taichi’s hands and dropped him with a Ushigoroshi and a Shoten-Kai. Goto went for an assured pinfall but Red Shoes was still unconscious on the floor. A head butt to the chest rocked Taichi. Taichi kicked out of a reverse GTR.
Takashi Iizuka is next to storm the ring wearing his Iron Glove. Goto punched him off the ring apron. Taichi kicked Goto in the “lower abdomen” and almost pinned him. Goto kicks out of a super kick and a Last Ride. Taichi pins Goto seconds later with his Air Raid Crash.
In other matches:
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Minoru Suzuki gets put through a table. Photo: NJPW.
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Yuya Uemura, Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata defeated Yota Tsuji, Satoshi Kojima and Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Tsuji submitted to Nagata’s Nagatalock.
Ren Narita and David Finlay beat Shota Umino and Toa Henare. Finlay put Umino away with the Stunner.
Ayato Yoshida defeats Takashi Iizuka via disqualification. Iizuka punked out Yoshida with the Iron Glove.
Ryusuke Taguchi, Kushida, Tiger Mask and Jyushin Thunder Liger beat Chaos (Sho, Yoh, Rocky Romero, Will Ospreay). Tiger Mask pinned Rocky Romero with a Tombstone Piledriver.
Suzuki-gun (The Killer Elite Squad: Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer) defeated Chaos (Chuckie T, Beretta). Archer pinned Beretta with the Killer Bomb. Archer chokeslammed Young Lion Ren Narita after the match.
Suzuki-gun (El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Bushi, Sanada, Evil). Zack Sabre Jr. pinned Evil with a bridge.
Juice Robinson, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe and Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Chaos (Jay ‘Switchblade’ White, Toru Yano, Kazuchika Okada, Yoshi-Hashi. Jay White mistakenly hit Yoshi-Hashi. Robinson pinned Yoshi-Hasi with Pulp Friction.
Tetsuya Naito beat Minoru Suzuki with Destino.