New Japan Pro Wrestling 6/12/2022 - NJPW Dominion 6.12 In Osaka-Jo Hall
I saw the top 5 matches here. I may check out another one, just there's only so much time.
NEVER Openweight Title Match - Tama Tonga (c) vs Karl Anderson
Tama running dropkicks KArl as he enters and pounds on him. Karl then is lariated over the top. They fight outside and Tama has his head banged off the ramp and is slammed on it. Karl then gets thrown into the rails and is suplexed on the floor. Karl then stunners him over the top rope. Doc Gallows then gets involved and messes up a chokeslam on the apron on Tama.
Tama gets dropkicked off the apron and Karl pounds on him as he gets back in. Karl sentons him. Tama and Jado push Doc into the post outside then Karl crossbodies Tama on the inside. Tama is thrown into the buckles and rebounds with a lariat on Karl. Tama hits a nice dropkick on Karl and corner splashes him.
Karl spinebusters Tama for 2. He goes for another and gets ddt'd. Karl then ligerbombs him for 2 and Tama reverse ddt's him. Tama and Karl trade shots and Karl sitout tombstones him for 2. Tama death valley drivers him then top rope splashes him for 2. Doc walks right in the ring and Tama cutters him then Karl cutters Tama for the win.
This was a good match but the interference and outside shenaningans added nothing as usual. They both worked fast paced here and the two just matched up really well. It was far better than I had expected and they brought the action from the start.
NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling Title 10 Minute Unlimited Pinfall Scramble Match - Shingo Takagi vs Taichi
Basically, when the wrestlers tried to pin each other, the 1, 2 and 3 counts added up. Whoever had the most counts at 10 minutes won. This is what I believe is becoming a new form of pro wrestling that I'm calling, "Game Wrestling". This stuff is technically wrestling, but it also has some game elements to it. Pure-J does matches that I would categorize as this as well including a match where you have to force the opponent to land on a circular pad and you have to not knock over a fake tree in the middle of the ring. They can be entertaining, but if the purpose isn't really to pin, submit or KO someone, I'm not sure if it's wrestling.
It's hard to review this due to the way it is set-up, but they kept it fast paced and they kept it interesting. The pinfall counts obviously counted and it's interesting to see wrestlers deal with a situation where you just can't take a 2 count without the match being affected.
I think whether I like it or not, these kinds of matches are going to continue to play a role in wrestling as people care less and less about it resembling a real contest. I don't think it's particularly a good thing, but since it can save wrestlers from taking losses and can fill a bunch of time, it seems like it will inevitably be used more and more.
Interim AEW World Title Eliminator Match - Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Hirooki Goto
Tana comes back with a flying forearm then hits his 2nd rope flipping senton for 2. Tana dropkicks Goto i nthe knee then gets backdropped. He then gets back up and dragon screws him. They trade forearms then trade slaps. Goto hits his ushigoroshi and puts him on his shoulders just to get a sling blade. Goto gets him stuck on the middle rope and elbow slices him.
Tana slaps him then hits a sling blade for 2. Tana then top rope crossbodies him and hits a high fly flow for the win.
It was a little rushed for them and wasn't a classic or anything. It was far from the best thing they could do but it was okay.
IWGP United States Title Match - Will Ospreay vs SANADA
Will hits a nice spinning backbreaker on Sanada for 2 then chinlocks him. They trade forearms. Will hits a handspring into a backflip and Sanada dropkicks him in the knee. Sanada atomic drops him then paradise locks him. Will then gets out and handspring corkscrew backflip kicks him. Will then hits a beautiful corkscrew moonsault off the top to the floor.
Back in and Will springboard forearms him for 2. They trade forearms and Will high kicks him. Sanada blocks his Os cutter then Will dropsaults him. Will hook kicks him then gets a 2 count with an Os cutter. Will puts him on his shoulders for something then Sanada flips out of it and hurricanrana's him in a cool spot.
Sanada hits a TKO then tiger suplexes him for 2. Will puts his knees up for Sanada's moonsault then hits a running hidden blade for 2. Will pops him up into a bad forearm then hits a hidden blade elbow. Will then hits the stormbreaker for the win.
While there wasn't any big story here, I thought the moves looked good and the action was really crisp and fast. I ended up enjoying this one and thought they did a good job here without falling into the trap of overdoing it. Them also only having about 12 minutes kept it on track.
IWGP Title - Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White
Jay goofs around early then bangs Okada's head off the buckles and chops/stomps him. Okada neckbreakers him and sliding dropkicks him. Jay goes outside and goes back in, catching Okada with a DDT as he chases him. Jay then throws Okada into the rails. Jay then chokes him with the ring skirt as he yells at the crowd to cheer for Okada.
Jay hits some chops on the inside here. Jay tries a bunch of pin attempts that won't work, then Okada gets up and forearms him. Okada then facekicks him. Okada ducks his clotheslines and back elbows him. Okada ddt's him. Okada flapjacks him.
They go back outside and Jay is thrown into the rails then facekicked over the rails. Gedo jumps Okada which the ref doesn't see somehow then is thrown over the rail with Jay. Okada then jumps over the rail with a crossbody on Jay. Okada goes for a tombstone outside but is pushed into the rails. Jay then single underhook suplexes Okada into the rails outside. They somehow both avoid getting counted out during all of this, despite being out there for multiple minutes.
Jay hits a twister brainbuster for 2 on the inside. Jay slaps the back of his head around and then flatlinters him, then follows it up with a deadlift german suplex. Okada then takes a hard ride to the outside over the top. Okada gets put into the rails and then gordbustered on the apron. Jay then uranage's him on the inside.
Okada comes back with a top rope dropkick. Okada then shotgun dropkicks him and top rope elbows him. White comes back with a dragon screw leg whip then reverse figure fours him. Jay then switches to a texas cloverleaf and Okada rope breaks. Jay hits some chops then takes a big Okada dropkick. Jay pushes himself and Okada into the ref and a chair is brought in. Okada gets the chair and kicks it out.
Jay gets rammed into Gedo then Okada money clips him. They trade forearms and White sleeper suplexes him. Jay then leg clutch backdrops him for 2 then hits some short arm suplexes. Okada his a stiff short arm lariat then Okada spinning tombstones him and spinning lariats him. Okada hits another dropkick and sit out drivers him for 2. Jay then hits a blade runner and wins it.
I didn't like this. It went on forever and there wasn't much of a story except for Jay being a heel. We also had to get a ref bump in there and had to ignore countout rules to really complete this one.
Overall thoughts: I liked what I saw except for the main. Osperay has been impressing me lately and Anderson/Tonga was far better than I expected.
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