There was new episode last week because of Thanksgiving, but NJPW is back with two great episodes on AXS TV as we have the IWGP Tag Team titles being defended as Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma defend their belts against the sons of Haku; The Guerillas of Destiny! In our second episode KUSHIDA defends his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title against The Aerial Assassin, Will Ospreay and Katsuyori Shibata defends his NEVER Openweight title against the tough veteran, Hiroyoshi Tenzan!
Episode 1
Great Bash Heel (Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe) vs The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Roa) IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match
Roa and Togi start it off, locking up, but Roa shoves Makabe to the mat, showing off his strength then they lock up again, but Tama comes from behind and GOD double team Togi. GBH send GOD to the outside then beat on them around ringside, Tama sending Honma into the railing. Roa hits a scoop slam then a leg drop to Makabe for a quick 2 count, tagging in Tama who hits a series of elbow drops and gets two quick 2 counts out of it. Roa comes back in and GOD isolate Makabe in their corner, doing frequent tags in and out, stomping on him in their corner. GOD hit a double heat butt on Togi for a quick 2 count then Tama hits Makabe with a series of right hands, Togi telling him to keep hitting him then they exchange right hands before Togi drops Tama with a lariat, tagging in Honma. Honma drops both brothers and sends Roa to the outside as he whips Tama into the corner then hits a bulldog, missing a kokeshi then he and Tama run the ropes until Honma drops him with a lariat then Roa spears Honma out of no where. Roa stomps on Honma and hits a leg drop for a quick 2 count as we go to commercial.
Honma hits a kokeshi on Roa then tags in Togi who drops him with a clothesline then hits him in the corner with right hands repeatedly. Togi hits a series of German suplexes to Tama and sends him outside then a bridging German suplex to Roa for a quick 2 count. Togi goes for the King Kong Knee Drop, but misses then tags in Honma as Roa tags in Tama, Honma dropping him repeatedly then Tama hits a flapjack for a quick 2 count. GBH hit a double lariat then a variation of a Samoan drop then a kokeshi for a quick 2 count, GBH following up with splashes in the corner then go for the doomsday device, but Roa pulls Honma off the top rope. Roa whips Honma into the corner then he and Tama splash into him. Roa hits a spinebuster into a splash for a quick 2 count that Togi breaks up then hits GOD with a double clothesline. Honma and Tama exchange forearms then Honma hits a diving kokeshi off the ropes then one off the second rope, Honma goes for the one off the top rope, but Tama rolls out of the way at the last second. GOD hit a Samoan drop neckbreaker on Togi then a power bomb, reverse DDT combination for a close 2 count then a double double arm DDT for the pin and the win.
Winner: The Guerillas of Destiny via pinfall
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Michael Elgin & YOSHI-TATSU vs The ELITE (The Young Bucks (Nick & Matt Jackson) & Kenny Omega)
The ELITE beat on the faces before the match starts then Elgin hits a double suplex to the Bucks as soon as the match starts, the faces clearing the ring. They fight to the ramp then Nick comes off the top of the ramp with a swanton after making a Jeff Hardy pose then they fight around ringside. Kenny puts Elgin onto a luggage cart then a trash can on his head then wheels him down the ramp and Nick hits a superkick to him. Tanahashi takes out all three members of the ELITE then Kenny drops him with a V-Shot then the Bucks drop YOSHI on the apron. The ELITE hit RIse of the Terminator and take out all of the faces then Kenny rolls Tana back into the ring for a quick 2 count. Kenny hits a backbreaker then the Bucks hit a blockbuster for another quick 2 count as Cody Hall is taken out of the match on a stretcher as we go to commercial.
The ELITE isolate Tanahashi as it appears that Cody was injured when Nick dove out of the crowd over top the ramp. Matt puts a headlock on Tana, but he fights out then knocks Nick and Kenny off the apron before trying to tag in someone, but Kenny and Nick yank YOSHI and Elgin off the apron at the last second. Tana hits a jawbreaker on Matt then tags in YOSHI who drops both Bucks and Kenny then kicks Matt repeatedly for a quick 2 count. YOSHI hits a springboard shotgun dropkick to Matt for a quick 2 count then Nick accidentally superkicks Matt and then Elgin hits a double fall away suplex before YOSHI puts on a form of a kneebar. Kenny sprays all of the faces in the face with cold spray then Matt tags Kenny in, but Nick comes back in then Matt hits a springboard sit out facebuster on YOSHI then a tornado DDT to Elgin on the outside. Nick hits a swanton for a quick 2 count that Tana breaks up then Matt sends him to the outside, leaving The ELITE with YOSHI who gets hit with a triple superkick then Elgin and Tana spray Kenny and the Bucks as Kenny tries for a Styles Clash. Elgin hits a double German suplex on the Bucks then the faces splash into Nick repeatedly. Elgin sends Kenny to the outside then the Bucks hit a double superkick on Elgin then the Bucks go for a Meltzer Driver, but Elgin catches Nick in mid air then powerbombs him to the outside. Elgin hits a sit out powerbomb off the top rope for the pin and the win.
Winner: Team Tanahashi via pinfall
Episode 2
KUSHIDA vs Will Ospreay IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match
They exchange wrist locks then KUSHIDA does a bunch of transitions then puts on a side headlock that Will gets out of, only to be dropped then they flip around a lot. KUSHIDA drops Will with a dropkick then Will flips and does the same to him for a quick 2 count. They exchange strikes as JR and Josh make a Brexit joke then Will goes for the OsCutter, but KUSHIDA kicks him when he's upside down the KUSHIDA dives off the top rope and onto Will on the outside. KUSHIDA focuses on the left arm of Will as they get back into the ring, putting on a variety of arm locks on Ospreay before Will flips out of it then KUSHIDA puts him right back into it. Will goes for a springboard move, but cannot because of his arm then KUSHIDA focuses on his arm again until Will hits a dropkick as we go to commercial.
KUSHIDA stays focused on the arm of Ospreay then Will does a springboard move without using his arms then hits a springboard dropkick that sends KUSHIDA to the outside, Will hit a corkscrew moonsault onto KUSHIDA on the outside, landing on his feet then gets him back into the ring and hits a form of a double knee drop then a standing corkscrew senton for a close 2 count. Will goes for a RAINMAKER, but KUSHIDA counters into the Hoverboard Lock, but Will gets right to the ropes immediately. Will hits a jumping knee into a standing moonsault then a corkscrew splash for a quick 2 count then goes to the top rope, but KUSHIDA meets him and hits a flying armbar off the top rope, but Will gets his foot on the rope. KUSHIDA dropkicks the arm of Ospreay then they exchange strikes then forearms in the center of the ring, Ospreay hitting a Spanish fly for a very close 2 count as we go to commercial.
Will goes to the top rope then KUSHIDA meets him, but Ospreay slides out the back and hits a cheeky nandos then goes back up top and goes for a corkscrew moonsault, but KUSHIDA gets his knees up and rolls him up for a close 2 count. Will hits his spinning leg drop then KUSHIDA puts on an armbar in mid air then transitions to a triangle choke, but Will powers out and puts KUSHIDA on his shoulders, but KUSHIDA puts on the Hoverboard Lock for the tap and the win.
Winner: KUSHIDA via submission
Katsuyori Shibata vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan NEVER Openweight Championship Match
They start with a clean break then exchange strikes until Tenzan drops Shibata, but misses a kokeshi then Shibata misses a kick. Shibata hits a single leg takedown on Tenzan and focuses on his heel then puts a figure four leg lock on, but Tenzan gets to the ropes. Shibata stomps him in the corner and hits him repeatedly with forearms and kicks as Shibata pushes the referee away then hits a shotgun dropkick to Tenzan twice before Tenzan drops him with a head butt then mounts Shibata and head butts him repeatedly and finishes with his trademark Mongolian chops. Tenzan pounds on Shibata in the corner then drops him with a stiff clothesline in the opposite corner, following up with a suplex for a quick 2 count then transitions into an anaconda vice, but Shibata reverses it as we go to commercial.
Tenzan head butts and chops Shibata repeatedly then Shibata transitions into an armbar, but Tenzan gets to the ropes then Shibata kicks his chest and back. Tenzan hits a spinning wheel kick for a quick 2 count then puts on a cobra clutch then turns it into a neckbreaker for a quick 2 count. Tenzan goes to the top rope, but Shibata catches him and hits a powerbomb for a quick 2 count, Shibata going for a PK, but Tenzan is right up and Shibata is dropped with a head butt. They exchange head butts and Tenzan wins the exchange, dropping Shibata then goes for the cobra clutch again, but Shibata manages to get his foot to the ropes. Tenzan kicks Shibata in the head as he gets up then Shibata hits a scoop slam for a quick 2 count, following up with a rear naked choke then hits the PK for the pin and the win.
Winner: Katsuyori Shibata via pinfall
