Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Tama Tonga – NEVER Openweight Championship Match

Tama Tonga is your new NEVER Openweight Champion. Courtesy: NJPW.

Tama suplexes Shingo around but Shingo sits right back up no-selling it all until the third suplex stuns him. A Stinger Splash by Tama only makes Shingo sit up and take notice. He fires back with a haymaker and clothesline combination. Shingo smashes his own head into the turnbuckle pad. Shingo splashes Tama on the floor.
Tama lays Shingo out with a neckbreaker from the top rope. Shingo blocks Tama’s attempt at a Supreme Flow from the top rope. Shingo turns it into a Superplex.

Tama transforms a Made in Japan into a Tongan Twist. Tama lands the Supreme Flow from the top rope for just a two count. Tama signals for the Gun Stun. Shingo shrugs it off powerbombing Tama.
Tama spins end over end after Shingo’s Pumping Bomber. Shingo goes for Made in Japan but Tama hits the Gun Stun out of nowhere. Tama cannot capitalize on the move and make the cover though.

A furious Shingo kicks out at one after a Sunday Bloody Sunday from Tama. The crowd is shocked when Tama kicks out after receiving a Gun Stun, a Pumping Bomber and Made in Japan from Shingo.

Shingo batters Tama until he falls to his knees. Tama turns a Made in Japan into a Styles Clash and another Gun Stun. Shingo barely kicks out. Tama pins Shingo with PST.  Thus far, this is the best match of the night.

Winner: …and new NEVER Openweight Champion, Tama Tonga

Rating: 8 / 10


Before the next match starts, Nick Nemeth (Dolph Ziggler) and Ryan Nemeth take their VIP seats at ringside to watch the tag match.


Bishamon (IWGP) vs. Guerrillas of Destiny (Strong Openweight) – Winners Takes All tag team match

Clear the runway. ELP is coming in for a landing. Courtesy: NJPW.

ELP blocks Shoto by sending Bichamon into each other. Goto gives the gigantic Hikuleo a Ushikoroshi. ELP frees Hikuleo though with a super kick to the jaw. ELP splashes Hashi on the floor as Hikuleo chokeslams Goto. ELP climbs on Hikuleo’s shoulders for the Super Thunderkiss ‘86. Goto kicks out though. ELP hits the CR3 on Goto. Hikuleo flies off the top rope for his version of the Thunderkiss ‘86 for the pin.

Winners: …and new IWGP Tag Team Champions,  Guerrillas of Destiny.

Rating: 7.5 / 10

Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. El Desperado – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match

Hiromu doesn’t even get his intricate robe off before Desperado splashes him on the floor. Back in the ring, Hiromu dares Desperado to drop another elbow on his neck. Desperado obliges.

Desperado follows up a running clothesline in a corner with a slam but Hiromu counters with a shotgun drop kick in the ring and then off the apron sending Desperado over the ringside barricade. Hiromu then just threw Desperado over another.

Desperado follows up a spinebuster with a stretch muffler. Hiromu makes it to the ropes though.

Desperado begins working over Hiromu’s knee damaged from the stretch muffler. Hiromu backdrops out of a Pinche Loco attempt. A wheelbarrel flatliner has Desperado clutching at his left eye and face. Desperado puts Hiromu into the stretch muffler and tries to transition to Numero Dous. Hiromu sits up though and counters with a destroyer.

Desperado slips out of a Time Bomb escaping to the top rope. Desperado slams Hiromu down from the top rope to the mat below. Desperado is clutching his own neck as well. Desperado gets to his feet and just lays in haymaker after haymaker. Hiromu fires back with some super kick and a lariat. Desperado puts an end to the back and forth with a Pinche Loco.

Winner: …and new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, El Desperado.

Rating: 8 / 10

Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley vs. David Finlay – Three-way match for the inaugural IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship

Moxley comes down with a red mask and leather jacket on looking like the DC hero, Red Hood. As per their deal at the press conference, Moxley and Ospreay attack Finlay right out of the gate stomping him and choking him into a corner. The chops were next with Moxley and Ospreay taking their turns.

Finlay attempted to battle back but decided to take a hike slipping through the ropes to the floor. Ospreay and Moxley followed him out with Moxley giving Finlay an atomic drop on the fence. Ospreay and Moxley battled Finlay into the crowd.

Ospreay devastated Finlay with a neckbreaker on a steel barricade. Finlay finally got some offence in slinging Moxley into an equipment case and dropping Ospreay on his throat on a barricade. Moxley put an end to that flurry with a snap suplex on the floor. Moxley set-up a table on the floor. Moxley and Ospreay slammed Finlay through the table.

With Finlay incapacitated, Ospreay and Moxley looked at each other and decided to settle things in the ring. Ospreay and Moxley threw forearms at each other, trading suplexes and clotheslines as well. Moxley trapped Ospreay in a corner and rained down haymakers on him. Moxley blocked an Oscutter suplexing Ospreay to the canvass.

Moxley backdropped Ospreay on the ring apron. Finlay reentered the fray pushing Moxley head-first into a steel post and then using his shillelagh to drop Ospreay with a neckbreaker on the apron. Moxley returned to the ring bleeding from his forehead. Finlay laid Moxley in the ropes raking his forehead over and over again.

Ospreay bounced off the ropes nailing both Finlay and Moxley with kicks. Moxley reached under the apron pulling out chair after chair and throwing them into the ring. One hit Ospreay in the head.

Coughlin IS the table. Courtesy: NJPW.

Moxley picked up a chair throwing it in Finlay’s face. Moxley put two chair back-to-back but Finlay slammed him onto them instead for a two count. Finlay turned his attention to Ospreay smashing a chair over his back.

Later on, all three men threw punch after punch at each other in the middle of the ring. Finlay spit at both Ospreay and Moxley giving them the finger. Finlay bounced between Moxley and Ospreay’s fists.

Alex Coughlin and Gabe Kidd hit the ring choking out and punching out Moxley and Ospreay. Moxley and Ospreay fought off Finlay and the War Dogs. Moxley laid out Coughlin and Kidd on two tables so that Ospreay could splash them from the top rope. Kidd went through his table but Coughlin was stuck halfway through his.

Moxley stopped Finlay from nailing him with his shillelagh dropping him with two Death Riders. Ospreay flew across the ring with a Hidden Blade for a one count on Moxley. Ospreay hit Moxley with another Hidden Blade and a Stormbreaker. Finlay though snuck back into the ring getting a two count with Oblivion on Ospreay.

David Finlay is your first-ever IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion. Courtesy: NJPW.

Finlay drove his knee into the back of Ospreay’s head and pinned him with a second Oblivion. The crowd rained down loud boos on Finlay. Finlay then had some words with the former Dolph Ziggler at the VIP area.

“You are talking to me for some reason? You think you deserve to talk to me?” asked Nick Nemeth getting in Finlay’s face.

“You think you deserve to be in my presence?” asked Finlay shoving Nemeth. The two then began brawling all the way to the backstage area.

Winner: …and first-ever IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, David Finlay.

Rating: 8 / 10

Kazuchika Okada vs. Bryan Danielson

Winner: Kazuchika Okada

Rating: 9 / 10

Sanada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match

Winner: …and new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Tetsuya Naito.

Rating: 9 / 10

 

4.5

Wrestle Kingdom 18 Summary

The show started out even-paced with some well-produced, well-executed matches and went into overdrive once Shingo and Tama began their war. That was the turning point taking Wrestle Kingdom 18 from being a decent show to a stellar one. The final two matches will be remembered for some time to come not just because of who was involved but because of what thought, effort and storytelling they put into those matches.