Fighting Spirit: A New Japan Alternate Universe (And More)
Aug 15, 2018 13:12:46 GMT
bxnes likes this
Post by CP Munk on Aug 15, 2018 13:12:46 GMT
New Japan Pro-Wrestling
December 12, 2004
New Japan completed it's touring year with a bang today at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, drawing a great crowd of 9,000 fans and completing a very successful trio of big shows to finish the series. The Keiji Mutoh era has arrived... again! Mutoh became a 3-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion (4 if you count his reign as Great Muta) in another terrific main event, defeating Kensuke Sasaki ! The two were very evenly matched coming into this one, tied at 1-1-1 this year, so it was always going to be close.
The regular army gathered in the ring post-match, congratulating Mutoh on his win. Black New Japan then appeared, and Masahiro Chono provoked Mutoh, saying he isn't worthy to lead the company and wants to take the belt from him. Riki Choshu also appeared and challenged Mutoh, prompting Mutoh to say he'd receive challenges from either one. Looks like Chono vs. Choshu on 1/4 could be a #1 contender match.
Backstage, Mutoh received the customary waterfall of beer, and thanked everyone. He said that no matter how much his body aches, which it does (especially his neck) after the month he has had, he will never lose his soul. He fought through today's pain with the energy given to him from fans, and said his reason for living in 2005 would be to raise the worth of the title again.
Junior ace Minoru "Heat" Tanaka, made a successful V11 defense of his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title today, about one year after he took the belt, defeating first time challenger, Wataru Inoue. In recent title matches, he has wrestled without the mask ("Heat" has to defend the title, since that persona won it), but today he wore a new mask. To counter CTU's presence, Wataru brought Kanemoto, Tiger, and El Samurai to the ring with him, and it turned out to be a clean fight.
Junior ace Minoru "Heat" Tanaka, made a successful V11 defense of his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title today, about one year after he took the belt, defeating first time challenger, Wataru Inoue. In recent title matches, he has wrestled without the mask ("Heat" has to defend the title, since that persona won it), but today he wore a new mask. To counter CTU's presence, Wataru brought Kanemoto, Tiger, and El Samurai to the ring with him, and it turned out to be a clean fight.
Tiger Mask grabbed the microphone post-match and issued a challenge for the title. If you recall, after winning the Best of the Super Jr. (and pinning Heat twice in the tournament), he got a title shot, but it was pretty much ruined by a CTU sneak attack as he was entering the ring, which left him fairly easy pickings for Heat (and this was probably part of the CTU MASTER PLAN~!). Tanaka called Tiger a "monster cat" and rejected his challenge, saying he would face off against former WWE Cruiserweight Champion, James Gibson, in a match likely to be announced shortly for the Tokyo Dome.
Another highly praised show today, although not as much as Osaka last night. Both shows received high grades and were considered good ways to finish the year, especially with the IWGP2 returning home, which gave 2004 a happy ending.
NJPW, 12/12/04 (WPW/NJ+IWTV Internet)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
9,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
1. Naofumi Yamamoto beat Yujiro (8:06) with a crab hold.
2. El Samurai & Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Katsushi Takemura & Ryusuke Taguchi (11:55) when Nakajima used a German suplex hold on Taguchi.
3. Toru Yano beat Hiroshi Nagao (5:27) with a scrap buster.
4. Jado & Gedo beat Masahito Kakihara & Masayuki Naruse (12:35) when Gedo used a Complete Shot on Naruse.
5. Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa beat Tatsutoshi Goto & Hiro Saito (11:22) when Otani used a Cobra Hold on Saito.
6. Riki Choshu beat Togi Makabe (3:52) when Choshu used a Scorpion Deathlock on Makabe.
7. Manabu Nakanishi beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (13:13) when Nakanishi used a Hercules Cutter on Tanahashi.
8. Yuji Nagata, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima beat Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton & Shinsuke Nakamura (17:13) when Tenzan used a moonsault on Norton.
9. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Heat (c) beat Wataru Inoue (18:51) with a cross armbreaker (11th defense).
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Mutoh beat Kensuke Sasaki (c) (31:38) with a Shining Wizard to become the 40th champion.
NJPW, 12/12/04 (WPW/NJ+IWTV Internet)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
9,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy
1. Naofumi Yamamoto beat Yujiro (8:06) with a crab hold.
2. El Samurai & Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Katsushi Takemura & Ryusuke Taguchi (11:55) when Nakajima used a German suplex hold on Taguchi.
3. Toru Yano beat Hiroshi Nagao (5:27) with a scrap buster.
4. Jado & Gedo beat Masahito Kakihara & Masayuki Naruse (12:35) when Gedo used a Complete Shot on Naruse.
5. Shinjiro Otani & Tatsuhito Takaiwa beat Tatsutoshi Goto & Hiro Saito (11:22) when Otani used a Cobra Hold on Saito.
6. Riki Choshu beat Togi Makabe (3:52) when Choshu used a Scorpion Deathlock on Makabe.
7. Manabu Nakanishi beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (13:13) when Nakanishi used a Hercules Cutter on Tanahashi.
8. Yuji Nagata, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima beat Masahiro Chono, Scott Norton & Shinsuke Nakamura (17:13) when Tenzan used a moonsault on Norton.
9. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Heat (c) beat Wataru Inoue (18:51) with a cross armbreaker (11th defense).
10. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Mutoh beat Kensuke Sasaki (c) (31:38) with a Shining Wizard to become the 40th champion.
ROSTER
Sekigun
Blue Wolf
Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroyoshi Tenzan -- IWGP Tag Team Champion
Keiji Mutoh -- IWGP Heavyweight Champion
Kensuke Sasaki
Osamu Nishimura
Riki Choshu
Satoshi Kojima -- IWGP Tag Team Champion
Takashi Iizuka
Togi Makabe
Tomohiro Ishii
Toru Yano
Yuji Nagata
Yutaka Yoshie
Junior Sekigun
El Samurai
Hiro Saito
Jushin Liger -- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion
Katsuhiko Nakajima
Katsushi Takemura
Koji Kanemoto
Masahito Kakihara
Masayuki Naruse
Ryusuke Taguchi
Shinjiro Otani
Tatsuhito Takaiwa
Tatsutoshi Goto
Tiger Mask IV -- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion
Black New Japan
Manabu Nakanishi
Masahiro Chono (leader)
Scott Norton
Shinsuke Nakamura
Togi Makabe
Toru Yano
CTU (Control Terrorism Unit)
Kendo Kashin (leader)
Minoru Tanaka -- IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion
Jado
Gedo
Makai Club
Katsuyori Shibata
Kazunari Murakami
Minoru Suzuki (leader)
Mitsuya Nagai
Tadao Yasuda
Young Lions
Hirooki Goto
Hiroshi Nagao
Naofumi Yamamoto
Yujiro
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This is going to an alternate universe thread following New Japan from late 2004 to whenever I stop. From this point on I will be posting videos along with the cards. The cards will be made by me but the matches will be simmed. No Fujita or Lesnar this time around!
--Hashimoto was still fired from New Japan in 2000 and runs ZERO-ONE
--Otani and Takaiwa never left New Japan for ZERO-ONE
--Mutoh, Kojima and Kashin never left New Japan for All Japan
--All Japan folded after the Misawa exodus but essentially lives on as NOAH
--Makai Club never disbanded and lives on as a heel shooto stable led by Suzuki
