10/09/04 Results

[DANGEROUS DAN]

Lifted from SSS:
NJPW "PRO-WRESTLERS BE STRONGEST", 10/9/04 (WPW/NJ+IWTV Internet)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
11,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. Young Lion Special Match: Naofumi Yamamoto beat Yujiro (9:21) with a crab hold.
2. Young Lion Special Match: Hirooki Goto & Akiya Anzawa beat Ryusuke Taguchi & Hiroshi Nagao (9:21) when Goto used a cross armbreaker on Nagao.
3. Masayuki Naruse beat Katsuhiko Nakajima (6:03) with the Crazy Cyclone.
4. Tomoaki Honma beat Toru Yano (10:10) with a Turmeric clutch.
5. Jushin Thunder Liger, Katsushi Takemura & Dick Togo beat Tiger Mask, Ultimo Dragon & Taiji Ishimori (12:43) when Liger used a brainbuster on Dragon.
6. Minoru Suzuki beat Manabu Nakanishi (9:01) with a cradle.
7. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Jado & Gedo (c) beat Koji Kanemoto & Minoru Tanaka (11:44) when Gedo used a Superfly splash on Kanemoto (3rd defense).
8. Katsuyori Shibata beat Genichiro Tenryu (4:45) by DQ.
9. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura beat Keiji Muto & Osamu Nishimura (21:25) when Tanahashi used an inside cradle on Nishimura.
10. Lumberjack Death Match: Masahiro Chono & Don Frye beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Yuji Nagata (22:43) when Chono used a Shining Yakuza kick on Nagata.
11. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kensuke Sasaki beat Kazuyuki Fujita (c) (2:29) by pinfall to become the 39th champion.

Reports were the fans were booing the results of the
Main Event.

[Hisaharu Tanabe]

Fujita had Kensuke in a ground sleeper. Kensuke did a bridge, but Fujita didn't release the hold and was counted three.

Sounds like a very stupid finish, but I wonder what else New Japan could have done take the belt from Fujita. Clean finish over Fujita by Tenzan or Tanahashi? Hard to imagine the fans (in Japan, I mean) would accept it.

BTW, Choshu came to the ring during the intermission and brawled with Nagata and others.

[source: SportsNavi]

[Haiku Warrior]

I had a feeling Sasaki might win (Fujita didn't seem like he wanted to be champ). But in just 2 minutes? Sasaki went longer with Sapp who can't work half as good as Fujita. At least the belt is back on a pro-wrestler.

Honma actually won. Or should I say Yano actually wasn't DQ'd.

I wonder how the Muto match went... that was the one I was looking forward to the most. To see him matched up with Nakamura & Tana will be sweet.

No Nagata heel turn but we did get to see Minoru Tanaka join CTU. I don't understand this one. But I guess it makes their Jr. Title match that much more interesting.

I'll pick this one up when it comes available at Highspots. Still disappointed with the main event. We should have seen more of these two.

[Luds]

This was somewhat of a shock, reading the results for this show I mean...

Is it that Fujita wouldn't let himself be pinned by Tenzan or someone else cleanly? So he asked for a stupid finish like this?

Is Fujita another tripl H?

[Sliced Bread #2]

Minoru Tanaka turned on Kanemoto and is now a member of CTU? Great, I just love Minoru... And now him joining CTU is alot better... Sasaki over Fujita in 2 minutes is really stupid... Seriously, I'm glad Sasaki won, but in 2 minutes? That's seriously stupid... I also would've loved to had seen Tanahashi pin Muto insteed of Nishimura...

[BusaLiger Dragon]

Im kinda confused but when did mutoh come back to nj? Whats the deal? I mean is he back for sure or are aj and nj working together again? sorry im so lost

[naturalbornmaster]

Im kinda confused but when did mutoh come back to nj? Whats the deal? I mean is he back for sure or are aj and nj working together again? sorry im so lost

Mutoh is not back in NJ. He was just there to celebrate his 20th anniversary. He is also pushing towards a singles match with Tanahashi. Both Mutoh and Tanahashi are disciples of Fujinami and Tanahashi is compared a lot to Mutoh. It's basically just a generations feud. Nishimura is a Fujinami disciple as well and that is why he was involved. As far as the NJ/AJ relationship, only Nishimura and Junji Hirata have been working AJ tours. Tanahashi is working the Mutoh 20th anniversary AJ tour throughout October. In fact he teamed with Mutoh and Nishimura in a six man tag on 10/11 at Korakuen Hall.
Check out puroresufan.com(Strong Style Spirit) for a cool picture of Muto and Tanahashi hitting a double "sandwich" Shining Wizard on Satoshi Kojima.

[edgehead1984]

Oh my, I missed a lot, this looks good cept the main event...Tanaka joining CTU...I can'T wait to see Chono's 20th anniversary

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Fujita had Kensuke in a ground sleeper. Kensuke did a bridge, but Fujita didn't release the hold and was counted three.

Sounds like a very stupid finish, but I wonder what else New Japan could have done take the belt from Fujita. Clean finish over Fujita by Tenzan or Tanahashi? Hard to imagine the fans (in Japan, I mean) would accept it.

BTW, Choshu came to the ring during the intermission and brawled with Nagata and others.

[source: SportsNavi]

And I thought the WWF/E title change between Bob Backlund and Diesel (Kevin Nash) was confusing. This is just plain awful.

And I will freely admit I truly did not see a Minoru Tanaka heel turn coming.

It seems like we have the nWo parts 2, 3, 4 and 5 Vs. New Japan.

[naterob2003]

I am not saying i am happy with this move... but the title had to come off of fujita. I hate that it had to happen like this. The most interesting part of all this is something that i think is crazy. Am i dreaming or doesnt kawada (triple crown champ) face kensuke (NEW iwgp champ) sometime later this month?? That will be crazy. NO way that they can let kensuke get beaten or even draw so i doubt the title will be on him very long. I also have a prediction that chosyu will join makabe's new group and somewhat be co leader.

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Just reading it makes me scratch my head and shake my head nate. This is even a new low for New Japan. This is basically something you'd see in the WWE, Vinne Mac style.

[Luds]

I sure hope they stop putting the title on non-fulltime-wrestlers. Especially the ones with attitude...

[Pheonix_Chi25]

Yeah (cough) Sasaki (cough) LOL

[Luds]

Dave Meltzer reported on his site that NJ's head booker, Fumihiko Uei resigned.

Gotta wonder if the outcome of the Sasaki match had something to do with that!

[naturalbornmaster]

According to Strong Style Spirit , The booking of the Sasaki/Fujita most likely was the cause for Uei's quitting. SSS also said he will probably go to
K-1, where he has connections. Now the question is who replaces him. I believe most likely it will be another Inoki stooge like Kusama. I wouldn't mind seeing Chono or even Choshu(if he does the good style of booking he did in the '90s and not the the horrible overpushing of Sasaki and his other power guys like in 2000). Both of them were pretty successful. I'd pick Choshu just to give someone else a chance with this roster. Chono had that chance and he wasn't as successful as was expected of him and thus quit. Choshu had success in the '90s when NJ was the best wrestling company in the world and hopefully he could do something in 2004.