NJPW Power Struggle put fans and the promotion on the road to not only Wrestle Kingdom but also Wrestle Dynasty…but in the laziest way possible. Power Struggle literally consisted of wrestler after wrestler just interrupting someone’s victory celebration and demanding a bout at either upcoming show. NJPW is definitely sleepwalking its way to January as the comatose bookers have totally put the promotion on cruise control. They have booked both shows with such little imagination and with such little effort.
Kenny Omega made his return addressing the crowd after the IWGP Tag Team Championship match. Omega is still recovering from a very serious form of diverticulitis. Omega couldn’t even speak at first as the crowd wouldn’t let him with their cheers.
“I wasn’t sure I was going to be here but NJPW made an announcement so here I am!” he began. Omega said he sat down with Hiroshi Tanahashi and they had a great chat. The Ace commented that if Kenny Omega is back and can wrestle he should wrestle one of the young wrestlers here on the roster.
“Not a bad idea but there was another idea. I was very sick but I am getting better. In just a little bit I will be able to wrestle again. ” said Omega. He reminded everyone that he is a full-time member of AEW but would like to come back to NJPW.
“I don’t know when that would be but how about January 5th?” he asked about NJPW Wrestle Dynasty and testing himself against a new, rising star in NJPW.
That brought a big cheer from the crowd.
“NJPW is still the King of Sports and the best professional wrestling on the planet and it still is one of my favourite places in the world because Japan is still home and NJPW is still home,” he said in English.
Backstage, Kenny Omega was confronted by Gabe Kidd and the two got into a brawl.
In the finals of the Super Junior Tag League tournament it was TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita) versus Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira). The match was one of the best tag matches of the year. It certainly stole the show. Fujita and Akira started things off with a frantic pace. Eagles, one of the best of his generation, holds onto Catch 2/2 so that Fujita can leap onto them on the floor. TJP catches Akira and sends him flying onto TJP for a flying drop kick. He flipped him into Fujita for a flying head scissors too. The tide began to turn against Catch 2/2 as TMDK cornered Akira. They double slammed him hard to the mat. Eagles accidentally ran into Fujita knocking him off the apron. They hit the Leaning Tower on Eagles but Fujita made the save. TJP tossed Fujita out of the ring. Akira ended super kicking TJP in the face as Eagles ducked. Eagles and TJP went counter for counter attempting to roll each other up. Eagles won that battle and the match for his team. TMDK now have a IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom against whomever are the champs at the time. Right now, that is Kushida and Kevin Knight.
The current champions came to the ring. They accepted TMDK’s challenge but wondered where Catch 2/2 went?
“They beat us,” said and admitted Kushida.
Catch 2/2 returned to the ring. Knight proclaimed they would see both teams at Wrestle Kingdom. The crowd clapped. Drilla Maloney and Clark Connors attacked everyone with steel chairs.
“We have chewed up and spat out every tag team here!” argued Maloney saying there was no Wrestle Kingdom without The War Dogs.
I think we can see where this is heading.
David Finlay successfully defended the WGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Taichi. Part way through the match Sanada came down to ringside to join Taka Michinoku in cheering on Taichi. Gedo tried to interfere but Taka got ahold of him. Taichi lifted Finlay up for Black Mephisto. He had Finlay pinned but Sanada pulled the official out of the ring shocking everyone. Taichi is confused and thinks it was Gedo. Sanada makes things very clear taking off his Five Guys jacket revealing a Bullet Club War Dogs t-shirt underneath. Finlay knocks out Taichi with his shillelagh. Finlay pins Taichi with Overkill. The crowd boos.
Taka demands to know what is up with Taichi. Gedo hits him from behind with the shillelagh and Sanada kicks him in the “lower abdomen”. Sanada beats the snot out of Taichi, he has to be dragged, carried back to the dressing room.
Yota Tsuji makes his way down to the ring. Tsuji makes the challenge against Finlay for Wrestle Kingdom.
Perhaps the worst IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since Jon Moxley, Zack Sabre Jr., beat Shingo Takagi to retain the title. Shota Umino came out to make his challenge for the title at Wrestle Kingdom. Sabre accepted but then…Ricochet’s music played. Sabre Jr. looked up the rampway. Ricochet stumbled and fumbled as he entered the ring from behind. Ricochet gave Sabre a flying clothesline off the top rope. Ricochet congratulated Sabre on his big title win.
“I want that power,” said Ricochet to Sabre about his championship. He claimed to still be the “f—–g man” in NJPW despite only winning tag team championships in NJPW when he was there from 2013 to 2017 before he left for WWE. Despite not having the status to demand anything Ricochet challenges Sabre to a match for the championship at Wrestle Dynasty. Umino chases Ricochet off. Zack welcomes Ricochet’s offer though one wonders why when there are others in NJPW who would not only make a better champion but also a better challenger.
NJPW Power Struggle Results
Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori) versus Intergalactic Jet Setters (Kevin Knight and Kushida), Katsuya Murashima, Paris De Silva and Jude London
Man, the Bullet Club is like nWo Silver or Bullet Club Lite now. Anyone and everyone can be a member of Bullet Club it appears. Who is the leader? David Finlay? Then why isn’t he seen everywhere as that, speaking out as that, taking control as that. If he is the leader he is the worst leader they have ever had. He is transparent and invisible. The bell rings and some head to the floor to brawl. The Velocities double-team Ishimori. They even come out on a back and forth with Connors and Moloney dumping them into each other. Knight does well against Connors until he is gored out of his boots. De Silva plants Ishimori with an impressive round the world DDT. Naturally, Katsuya Murashima is the predictable sacrificial lamb here. He takes a Hit and Run from Connors and Drilla, a corkscrew splash off the top rope from Robbie X, a Bloody Cross from Ishimori, a No Chaser from Connors, a Drilla Killer from Drilla and a piledriver from Kidd. Kidd finally pins Katsuya. Yes, I did get some sadistic pleasure from watching that Young Lion get destroyed.
Winners: Bullet Club War Dogs (Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, Drilla Moloney, Robbie X and Taiji Ishimori)
Dragon Dia, Ryusuke Taguchi, Tomoaki Honma and Toru Yano versus Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi)
Another talent, among many NJPW has dropped the ball on is Toru Yano. He used to be a lead figure, a comedy figure and now he is in limbo like so many in NJPW. He just floats around just like LIJ now. As Naito takes his entrance gear off Taguchi picks up his belt off the mat and puts it on around his waist. Naito throws his dress shirt at him. Taguchi eventually takes the belt off dumping it on the floor. Tsuji crotches Taguchi on the top rope. He shakes the ropes sending Taguchi for a ride. Bushi stomps on Taguchi’s “lower abdomen”. Naito has some trouble keeping up with Dia. He even managed to 619 Naito. Naito puts Yano in a figure four while Hiromu puts Honma in a Boston Crab for the win.
Winners: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Yota Tsuji, Bushi and Hiromu Takahashi)
Hiroshi Tanahashi and Boltin Oleg versus House of Torture (Evil and Ren Narita)
Oleg has really improved this year. He could be in the main card mix as a solo talent sooner rather than later. Sho, Dick Togo, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Yujiro Takahashi attack Tanahashi and Boltin from behind as they are making their ring entrance. The Ace is rolled into the ring and amazingly after what just happened the official calls for the bell to start the match. Evil works over The Ace’s knees with his Scorpion Death Lock. Evil refuses to let the hold go even when The Ace reaches the ropes until he is given a four count to do so. Narita stomps on the knee and puts on a Boston Crab. The Ace is whipped into an exposed turnbuckle. Evil and Narita won’t let The Ace tag out. They continue to punish his knee. Oleg is tagged in. He bulldozes Evil, Narita and other House of Torture members who want to interfere with massive shoulder tackles. Narita kicks Oleg into the official. The House swarms Oleg. Togo hits his chop from the top rope to the “lower abdomen” of Oleg. The Ace comes back to life taking out all of The House with Dragon Screw after Dragon Screw. Evil grabs The Ace as he heads to the top rope. Oleg is clobbered by The House. Narita rolls up Oleg for the pin.
The House beatdown Oleg and The Ace after the match. Evil tells The Ace his career will end at Wrestle Kingdom.
“You should be grateful that I am one who is going to finish it off,” Evil laughs.
Dick Togo hands Evil a pair of scissors. Jado tries to help The Ace. He gets attacked too. The fight or should I say beatdown heads to the floor while Narita lays out Boltin in the middle of the ring. Jado and The Ace are dragged to the back. TMDK’s Ryohei Oiwa enters the ring confronting Narita. He threatens to take away NJPW World Television Championship from him. Jeff Cobb arrives. He shoves Oiwa out of the way and slaps, shoves Sho around. Cobb and Oiwa get into a shoving match while Narita takes a powder.
Winners: House of Torture (Evil and Ren Narita)
Shota Umino versus Sanada
Sanada fights off Umino’s attempted suplex on the floor to give him a Magic Screw off the apron and onto the floor. Sanada drags Umino past the security barrier throwing him into the first three rows and then into the first eight rows of seats. Sanada puts Umino in the Skull End on the floor. Umino is back into the ring at eighteen. A Tornado DDT stops Sanada’s momentum. Umino DDTs Sanada on the apron. A very slow, stagnant bout. They get into a forearm battle. He jumps back up from Sanada’s Shining Wizard with a Slingblade of his own. Sanada blocks the Death Rider rolling up Umino for a two count. Sanada hits the Shining Wizard again. Umino pins Sanada with a Death Rider.
Winner: Shota Umino
TMDK (Mikey Nicholls and Shane Haste) (c) versus The United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Henare) – IWGP Tag Team Championship Match
The United Empire just tear apart Hate in the middle of the ring. Haste fires back at Henare who just stands there and takes it all asking for more. Haste even hurts his own knee striking Henare. Nicholls headbutts Henare and ends up busting his own head open. Khan fights out of TMDK’s finisher. Nicholls is pinned with The Imperial Drop.
Winners: …and new IWGP Tag Team Champions, The United Empire (Great-O-Khan and Henare).
TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita) versus Catch 2/2 (TJP and Francesco Akira) – Super Junior Tag League Finals
Winners: TMDK (Robbie Eagles and Kosei Fujita)
Douki (c) versus Master Wato – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match
Wato was defeated by the Douki-Chokie. El Desperado arrives. He loves the division and lays out a challenge to Douki for the Tokyo Dome, Wrestle Kingdom. Douki accepts.
Winner: …and still IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Douki.
David Finlay (c) versus Taichi – IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship Match
Winner: …and still IWGP Global Heavyweight Champion, David Finlay.
Zack Sabre Jr. (c) versus Shingo Takagi – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Match
Takagi was pinned with the Sabre Driver.
Winner: …and still IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Zack Sabre Jr.
