08/28 Cage Deathmatch

[Luds]

It seems that the 08/28 Cage Deathmatch between Yoshihiro Takayama and Masahiro Chono will be for the IWGP Heavyweight title.

We can then expect Chono to defeat Takayama once and for all...


My G1 Predictions are making sense right now

Tenzan > Takayama in the G1 final
Chono > Takayama in the Cagematch

Tenzan > Chono on 01/04/04 for the IWGP Heavyweight Title!

[edgehead1984]

I hope Chono defeats Takayama.

[niniendo warrior]

I have already heard a lot of people hoping Takayama will lose to Chono for the IWGP strap... me included.

But I think either way, if Chono loses or Takayama loses... it won't hold bad for New Japan, because there is still the G1 winner who might face Takayama and 'avenge' the defeat of Chono... (Tenzan?)

Based on the Chono matches I watched at around 2000 something... (Chono v Mutoh, T2000 v BATT; and Chono v Nagata G1 Climax) I think Chono is never in good shape. Regardless of whether he captures the IWGP title or not... I think he should retire and just setup an IWGP tourney if he wins the title. It saddens me see Chono in this shape and although I'd like to see him continue to add more achievements, it might be better if the next generation took the mantle.

Still, the Cage match is a big event for NJ this month. Let's all hope that it comes out very good. Any predictions? I can't predict this one.

Do you guys think that this Cage Death Match, being patterned after the Hell in a Cell of the WWF, is a sign that Puroresu is slowly transforming to the gimmicky American Pro-wrestling?

[edgehead1984]

The card so far for this show which is a tentatively scheduled PPV

Yuji Nagata & Enson Inoue vs. Tadao Yasuda & Ryushi Yanagisawa
Manabu Nakanishi vs. Kazunari Murakami
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shinya Makabe
U-30 Openweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Makai #2
Cage Death Match - IWGP Heavyweight Title: Yoshihiro Takayama (c) vs. Masahiro Chono

The U-30 title match is also a Hair vs. Mask match.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Chono should finally rid Takayama of the IWGP Title once and for all.

[mrpayperview]

I totally agree with you, Chono will win

[edgehead1984]

It is a live PPV and here is the final card:

Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Hirooki Goto
Yutaka Yoshie vs. Blue Wolf
Jushin Thunder Liger, Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue vs. Tiger Mask, Heat & Masahito Kakihara
Shinsuke Nakamura 1st Anniversary "Muga" Match: Osamu Nishimura vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
U-30 Openweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Makai #2
Manabu Nakanishi vs. Kazunari Murakami
Yuji Nagata & Enson Inoue vs. Tadao Yasuda & Ryushi Yanagisawa
Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shinya Makabe
Cage Death Match - IWGP Heavyweight Title: Yoshihiro Takayama (c) vs. Masahiro Chono

[Mutoh-Mania]

Chono wins...LOL...why break a tradition

[niniendo warrior]

Results from SSS...

1. Ryusuke Taguchi beat Hirooki Goto (7:56) with a grounded headlock.
2. Yutaka Yoshie beat Blue Wolf (8:44) with a diving body press.
3. Tiger Mask, Heat & Masahito Kakihara beat Jushin Thunder Liger, Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue (9:25) when Heat used the Minoru Special on Inoue.
4. Shinsuke Nakamura 1st Anniversary "Muga" Match: Osamu Nishimura beat Shinsuke Nakamura (15:42) with a figure-four leglock.
5. Hair vs. Mask - U-30 Openweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) beat Makai #2 (11:10) with a Dragon suplex hold (2nd defense).
6. Manabu Nakanishi beat Kazunari Murakami (2:00) by DQ.
7. Tadao Yasuda & Ryushi Yanagisawa beat Yuji Nagata & Enson Inoue (7:10) when Yasuda used a Tiger Driver on Nagata.
8. Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Shinya Makabe (11:36) with the Anaconda Vice.
9. Cage Death Match - IWGP Heavyweight Title: Yoshihiro Takayama (c) beat Masahiro Chono (34:06) by KO (3rd defense).

It's Takayama vs Tenzan now...

[edgehead1984]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chono was supposed to win!!!

[Daishikaze]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chono was supposed to win!!!

I agree, If they want to drop it to Tenzen, I think it would be more significant if it was passed to him by his mentor, Chono. That is, if they want to drop it to Tenzen, who knows they might not.

[OldSchoolFan]

I saw a pic of the cage earlier and I wasn't impressed by it at all. I knew they wern't going to use mesh or anything but did they have to make the openings betweent the boxes big enough that i could fit out of em?!? Anyways If Tenzan doesn't beat Takayama I'm going to go head butt a wall, repeatedly.

[niniendo warrior]

I saw a pic of the cage earlier and I wasn't impressed by it at all. I knew they wern't going to use mesh or anything but did they have to make the openings betweent the boxes big enough that i could fit out of em?!? Anyways If Tenzan doesn't beat Takayama I'm going to go head butt a wall, repeatedly.

Agreed. The Cage may not be that good, I have never seen NJ use cages... so it must suck. Could you post the pic here for everyone to see?

I think having Takayama beat Chono only evens the score. This could be Chono's last IWGP title defense. And didn't he say he will quit from his booker position if he loses?

I think Takayama will beat Tenzan now. This will only even the score. Just like what they did with Chono. I'd love to see Tenzan be the IWGP champion. But wrestling is full of politics too. Takayama looks to be in a better spot to call the shots than EVEN Chono. This is obviously assuming an American Wrestling Fed setup. I don't know if it's similar in Japan. Afterall, Nakanishi was able to come crashing into NJ offices and he got the G1 spot. Good for him.

If Tenzan beat Takayama again, he did it in G1... then his win-loss record against Takayama will be up by 2 - 0? I think. Did he ever fight Takayama before G1? If he did, then Takayama might lose as this will yield a 2-1 record for Tenzan. Not too shabby for Takayama. But if it's 2-0... Takayama wouldn't like it.

So bottom line... my assessment... If Tenzan v Takayama fight record stands at 1-0... Takayama will win. If the record stands as 1-1... then Tenzan will win. Best of luck to Tenzan.

NJ was clever enough to let Takayama be the first to break the Anaconda vice hold... in the G1 as this will pose as a threat to Tenzan, being the first to break from the Vice.

[edgehead1984]

The record between the two stands at 1-1. Takayama over Tenzan in June, and Tenzan over Takayama during the G1.

[Luds]

The record between the two stands at 1-1. Takayama over Tenzan in June, and Tenzan over Takayama during the G1.

Wrong.

Takayama defeated Tenzan in last year's G1.

Takayama leads the series 2-1, Tenzan picking his win in their last match.