New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/1/2022 50th Anniversary Event

New Japan Pro Wrestling 3/1/2022 50th Anniversary Event

They had a little legends ceremony before the show.

Suzuki-gun (Taichi & TAKA Michinoku) & Minoru Tanaka vs. BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori)

Minoru hits a hard spin kick to Ishimori early. He grabs his nose and slaps it. Minoru then dropkicks him and standing moonsaults him. Fale throws Tanaka into the rails then ELP twists Taka's nipples. He then does it to Minoru.

Minoru is put in the tree of woe and takes some dropkicks. Fale stands on Minoru's back and his partners jump on his back to make it worse. Minoru hits his minoru special armbar but ELP breaks it up quick. Taichi hits some Kawada kicks on Fale then some leg kicks. Fale elbow drops Taichin for 2. Taichi hipthrows Fale then gets punched in the gut.

Taka puts ELP in just facelock and ELP gets out. He then hits a running knee and gets his facelock interrupted again. Taka pokes Ishimori in the eyes then ELP enzugiri's him. ELP top rope splashes Taka and wins it.

This was short and not super interesting. It just had the usual ELP heel stuff. Tanaka looked really really good here for his age and should probably get a main roster spot off this one alone. 

Suzuki-gun (DOUKI, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) vs. STRONGHEARTS (CIMA, El Lindaman & T-Hawk)

Do Stronghearts get around or what? You have to give it to them for finding ways into every promotion in Japan. I have no idea why they are here, but I'm not complaining.

Hawk gets triple stomped to start and then gets the edge on a 3v1. Hawk hits some chops on YK then Linda top rope dropkicks YK. They then knock their opponents off the apron.

Cima slingshot sentons YK then does a roll into a figure four variation. YK then gets a triple basement dropkicked.  Hawk and YK botch some tilt-a-whirl move then YK suplexes Hawk. Despy spinebusters Linda then they trade forearms.  Linda hits a big release backdrop then an impressive over the shoulder throw. Despy then does a very weird looking abdominal stretch bomb.

Cima hits a big dropkick on Douki and Cima drops double knees on him. Douki top rope double stomps Cima then Douki slingshot ddt's Cima. Hawk hits a reverse slam into a nice german from Linda. Linda then tope con hilos YK and Despy. Douki takes a reverse razor's edge then Cima drops double knees on him from the top to win.

This was short but it was fine. The Stronghearts looked good like they usually do and I was surprised they went over here.

Kosei Fujita, Satoshi Kojima, Yuto Nakashima & Yuji Nagata vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb & Will Ospreay)

Everyone fights to start. Os and Nagata trade forearms and Henare pulls Yuto outside then kicks him. Khan camel clutches Yuto then Cobb deadlift picks up Yuto and throws him. Henare hits some hard kicks to Yuto's back. Henare and Yuto trade hard forearms then collide heads.

Kojima machine gun chops Cobb and Os then Nagata does the same to Khan and Henare. Kojima ddt's Cobb and Cobb hits a spin cycle backdrop. Khan mongolian chops Kojima, then Kojima gives him some back and cutters him.

Fujita his some dropkicks on Khan. Khan takes some corner charges then Khan gets crabbed while Os is crossfaced. Khan double suplexes both young lions then claw slams Fujita for the win.

This was a short one. There were a lot of people involved in this and a couple of people didn't get much in before it endedup. Nothing wrong with it though.

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano), Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma) & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & Tetsuya Naito)

Everyone fights in the ring to start. Makabe double clotheslines Naito and Hiromu. Yano takes off a corner pad and sends Naito into it. Yano then goes into the exposed buckle. Hiromu hits some hip attacks on Yano and gets Shiro mad. Shingo hits his opponents on the apron then Sanada puts Yano in the paradise lock, but Shiro breaks it up.

Shiro gets in and butt bumps Sanada then Hiromu, Sanada and Bushi are thrown into his butt. Shiro then apron butt bumps Sanada. Shiro top rope butt bumps Sanada and hits a few more hip attacks. Ishii and Shingo shoulder battle and Shingo knocks him down and slams him. Shingo hits the punch and chop combo on him in the corner then Ishii hulks up and hits his own.

Ishii runs him over with a shoulder and the two trade forearms. Ishii hits a big powerslam on him then suplexes him. Shingo takes a sandwich lariat then is catapulted into the exposed buckle. Shiro butt bumps him and Honma falling headbutts him. Honma hits a stiff lariat on him then gets one back.

Honma takes a 4-man basement dropkick then a sliding lariat. Ishii and Shingo hit forearms then Bushi topes Ishii. Honma and Shingo trade forearms then Shingo hits a big lariat for 2. Shingo then hits a last of the dragon on Honma and wins it.

This was a fun little match. Shiro hit his spots and we got a nice battle between Shingo and Ishii which carried this.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kazuchika Okada & Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.) & Yoshiaki Fujiwara

Zack and Okada mat wrestle to start. Suzuki comes in and hits Okada in the back as he decides who to tag to. Okada ends up tagging anyway though and Fujinami gets in. Fujinami headscissors him and they trade leg locks. Fujiwara gets in and slaps Suzuki for not tagging him in when he wanted to. Suzuki slaps him then gets slapped back. Fujiwara goes for his armbar and Tana hits the ropes.

Fujiwara punches and slaps him then Okada drops Fujiwara with a forearm. Okada tries to headbutt him but ends up hurting himself over it then Fujiwara headbutts the rope connector, showing how hard his head is. Fujiwara hits a headbutt then Okada tags to Fujinami. Fujinami takes Fujiwara down then Tana and Fujiwara trade shots. Fujiwara headbutts him and tags to Zack. Tana takes some wristlocks then Zack armbars him. Fujiwara holds down Tana's leg when he tries to ropebreak so Zack can continue. Suzuki joins in and all 3 work on him.

Tana senton tomico's Zack from the 2nd rope and Zack cobra twists him. Tana goes for a jumping elbow but is caught with an armbar. Tana and Suzuki trade forearms then Tana hits a twist and shout. Fujinami and Tana hit dragon screws then Okada neckbreakers Suzuki over the shoulder. Suzuki and Fujiwara double headbutt Okada then the three heels hit fujiwara armbars. Suzuki PK's Okada then slap flurries him. He sleepers him but Fujinami dragon sleepers Suzuki then throws him into a sling blade from Tana. Okada spinning tombstones Suzuki then Suzuki chokes him.

Okada and Suzuki blow a dropkick spot and do it again then Okada hits a rainmaker and wins it.

This was a fun little legends match. They tried to get the older guys involved without them getting hurt and did an okay job of it. The legends got to hit some of their signature spots and everyone went home happy.

Overall thoughts: I skipped two matches but it was a fun show with mostly all tag matches. The legends main was fun for what it was and I enjoyed the rest of what I saw. It wasn't an event that really counted for storyline purposes.