NJPW Lion’s Gate Project 13 results: Shota Umino vs. Yoshida

At Tokyo’s Shinjuku Face, New Japan Pro Wrestling held their 13th Lion’s Gate Project show on Wednesday.

The main event saw K-DOJO’s Ayato Yoshida take on NJPW’s standout Young Lion Shota Umino, before a reported crowd of 364, in a building typically scaled to hold near 500, the smallest crowd to date for a Lion’s Gate Project event. 

Here are the results from the show:

Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura went to a time limit draw

The story here was that Tsuji couldn’t put Uemura away, and Uemura showed great fighting spirit. 

Uemura was the aggressor early, refusing to break cleanly against the ropes. They traded hammerlocks until Tsuji got a shoulder block takedown and worked a heel hook and a kneebar. Uemura did a nice job selling his leg. 

Tsuji continued working the leg, applying another heel hook. Uemura made a comeback, including hitting a sweet dropkick. He applied a Boston Crab, but Tsuji made the ropes, then came back with a dropkick of his own. 

They traded strikes, and Tsuji took control of the bout. Tsuji applied a crab, but Uemura survived — and the bell rang at the time limit. A nice simple match, with a good story and good selling. 

Ren Narita defeated Shunsuke Sayama

This was my first time seeing Sayama, who has worked some K-DOJO and Wrestle-1 shows. He did okay here, but it was clear that Narita was working down to Sayama’s current level. 

Narita gave Sayama a good bit of offense, as Sayama took roughly the first half of the match. Narita made a comeback with strikes and applied a crab, but Sayama reached the ropes. 

Sayama came back and hit a cool leg lariat, but his enzuigiri could use some work. They exchanged strikes until Narita decided he had enough, hitting a dropkick for a near fall. He followed with a crab, forcing the submission. 

Manabu Nakanishi & Toa Henare defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Dinosaur Takuma

Wrestling needs more dinosaurs. Not specifically more guys like Takuma, I just mean more dinosaurs in general. 

Speaking of dinosaurs, Nakanishi demanded that the referee inspect Takuma’s tail before the match. His gear has a tail, folks. This is real life. 

Takuma and Nakanishi started and Nakanishi no-sold all of Takuma’s offense. Henare and Tenzan tagged in, and business picked up slightly. Tenzan wasn’t in long. Henare and Nakanishi worked over the Dinosaur, and Nakanishi mocked Tenzan. 

Nakanishi missed the world’s slowest knee drop and ate a shoulder block, and Dinosaur made the hot tag to Tenzan. Tenzan hit a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Nakanishi swept the leg, hit a soft lariat on Tenzan, and a double sledge on Dinosaur, before tagging Henare. They did stereo Argentine Backbreaker Racks. 

Tenzan was able to make a tag to Dinosaur, who hit a cool standing front flip onto Henare for a near fall. He hit a spinebuster and made a cover, but Nakanishi made the save. While Tenzan and Nakanishi ambled to the floor, Dinosaur hit a falcon arrow for a near fall. 

Henare survived the Dinosaur’s wrath, then hit a pair of uranages for the pin. 

After the match, Tenzan shook hands with Henare and Nakanishi. Nakanishi then offered a handshake to Dinosaur. Dinosaur first offered his tail to Nakanishi to shake, then denied that as well. I give the post-match seven stars. I hope to see Dinosaur Takuma again soon. 

Yuji Nagata defeated Tomoyuki Oka

They traded headlocks and headscissors in the early going. Oka refused to break cleanly and hit some clubbing forearms. Nagata fired back with kicks, targeting Oka’s left leg. Oka sent Nagata into the corner and stomped a mudhole in him, but Nagata fired up, taking the action to the floor. Nagata hit some strikes in the crowd, but the small venue didn’t allow for too much outside brawling. 

Back inside, Oka made a comeback, hitting an avalanche and a side suplex for a near fall. He applied a chinlock and a camel clutch, but Nagata made the ropes. Oka fought for a gutwrench suplex, and finally got it. He used two variations of a crab, but Nagata again reached the ropes. 

Oka went for an Irish whip, but Nagata took his arm, and used a Nagata Lock, but Oka got his foot on the ropes, forcing a break. Nagata hit the Justice Knee, then hit an exploder for a near fall. 

Nagata used a crossface, but Oka reached the ropes. Nagata went for the Backdrop Hold, but Oka blocked it. They traded strikes until Oka gave out, and Nagata was able to hit a wheel kick, then the Backdrop Hold, and got the pin. 

This was as solid as you would expect. Nagata can still go, and Oka, in my opinion, is the best of the featured Young Lions and has an aura about him. 

Ayato Yoshida defeated Shota Umino

They traded hard palm strikes to the chest to start. Umino shoved down the referee and hit Yoshida with some short forearms in the corner and on the mat. Yoshida countered with a crucifix, hitting a series of elbows from that position.

Yoshida hit a flapjack for a near fall, then toyed with Umino, measuring some kicks and stomps to the back, then using a rear naked choke and a guillotine. They traded strikes, and Umino hit a dropkick, a forearm, a spinning back elbow, and a dropkick off the top rope as the momentum shifted his way. 

Umino used a crab, but Yoshida reached the ropes. He went for a deadlift suplex, but Yoshida countered with a series of knees. He went for a kick, but Umino caught it, got a takedown, and applied the crab again. The fans sensed a possible finish, but Yoshida finally reached the bottom rope. 

Yoshida hit a uranage for a near fall, then hit a series of knee lifts. He bounced off the ropes, but right into a spinebuster from Umino. Umino went up top and hit another top rope dropkick for a near fall, then a bridging German for another. 

Umino hit the ropes, but ran into a jumping knee strike from Yoshida. They traded strikes from their knees, selling exhaustion. They climbed to their feet and continued to trade, until Yoshida got an underhook and applied a rear naked choke from a back mount. After a struggle, Umino reached the ropes. 

Yoshida hit a pair of kicks, earning a one count and a two count, respectively. He then hit a high kick and a high angle suplex to pick up the victory. 

This was a good main event, but Yoshida is lacking something. His intensity level was not on par with Umino’s, and the match lacked a really hot closing sequence. 

All in all, this was a fun, easy to watch show.