NJPW results: Manabu Nakanishi retirement show
NJPW closed out four straight nights at Korakuen Hall with the Manabu Nakanishi retirement show taking place today.
Here are full results and match recaps:
TIGER MASK & GABRIEL KIDD DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI & YUYA UEMURA
Kidd shoved Tsuji before the opening bell, then those two started out, trading shoulder tackles and dropkicks. Tiger tagged in and nailed Tsuji with some stiff kicks and slaps.
The match built to a showdown between Tiger and Uemura. They did a cool spot where they applied and reversed cross armbreakers on each other. Uemura hit his double underhook suplex for a near fall. Tiger then hit the Tiger Driver for a near fall, then hit the Tiger suplex for the pin.
MINORU SUZUKI, TAICHI, EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU DEFEATED TORU YANO, COLT CABANA, RYUSUKE TAGUCHI & ROCKY ROMERO
This was virtually all comedy. Yano exposed a buckle and got sent into it. Cabana and Yano did some comedy rope-running. Taguchi gassed out doing forever clotheslines. Suzuki-gun turned it into their standard crowd brawl.
Taguchi pantsed Taichi, allowing Romero to get two close near falls. Taichi used an axe bomber for a near fall, then used the stretch plum to tap out Romero.
HIROMU TAKAHASHI, SANADA & BUSHI DEFEATED SHO, YOH & TOA HENARE
So, they pushed on commentary that in addition to wanting a title match against Naito, Hiromu now also has a pinfall win over one half of the Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
Almost immediately, Hiromu and BUSHI tossed YOH over the top to the floor, then worked over SHO. SANADA tagged in. SHO teased a couple of power spots, but SANADA was able to avoid being lifted. SHO hit a spear, then tagged out.
Henare fought for, then finally landed a vertical suplex. SANADA hit some signature offense, landing a dropkick to the knee, then a plancha. Henare came back on SANADA with a Samoan drop. SANADA tried a hurricanrana, but Henare blocked and then hit a powerslam.
Hiromu and YOH tagged in. They traded a series of hard chops. YOH scored a near fall off a cradle. BUSHI jumped in and helped Hiromu with a double wheelbarrow, which led to the pin. The crowd didn’t react because they didn’t buy that as a finisher.
JAY WHITE, BAD LUCK FALE, TAMA TONGA & TANGA LOA DEFEATED TOGI MAKABE, TOMOAKI HONMA, JUICE ROBINSON & DAVID FINLAY
Honma and White were the best part of this match by far.
Makabe and Fale began. Makabe quickly got cut off with a trip from the floor. They did a long countout tease. Bullet Club traded quick tags, working Makabe over. Finlay got a tag, then Finlay, Juice, Tonga and Loa traded back suplexes. Juice and Tonga hit a crossbody on each other at the same time.
White tagged in and Finlay nailed him with a backbreaker. Honma entered and they strongly teased an upset. Honma hit a bulldog, missed a kokeshi, then hit a kokeshi. Honma got a close two count on White before Bullet Club broke it up.
White hit a Blade Buster. Honma hit a diving kokeshi. He teased a kokeshi off the second rope, but Jado cut him off with a kendo stick shot. White then hit the Blade Runner for the pin.
TETSUYA NAITO, SHINGO TAKAGI & EVIL DEFEATED TOMOHIRO ISHII, WILL OSPREAY & YOSHI-HASHI
This is worth checking out just for the Ospreay and Shingo exchanges.
Shingo and Ishii picked up right where they left off two nights ago, beating the hell out of each other. Shingo and Ishii brawled into the crowd, then Shingo posted Ishii.
Shingo and Naito doubled up on Ishii on the outside. Back in the ring, EVIL, Naito and Shingo used quick tags in isolating Ishii in their corner. Ishii came back with a powerslam on Shingo, then tagged Ospreay.
Ospreay and Shingo had an electric exchange. Naito jumped in and Ospreay hit him with a backflip kick. Ospreay hit Pip Pip Cheerio for a near fall on Shingo. Ospreay and Shingo traded strikes. Shingo hit a pop-up Death Valley Driver.
The greatness continued as they did a series of counters and teases. Ospreay avoided a sliding lariat and hit a tiger wall flip kick. Shingo hit a huge lariat. This was great.
YH and Naito got tags. YH got a near fall with a neckbreaker. Naito hit a top rope frankensteiner. YH hit a sit-out powerbomb for a close two count. Ospreay jumped in and got hit with noshigami from Shingo.
YH kicked out of a Pumping Bomber and a Naito cover, then Naito hit Destino for the pin.
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A Nakanishi video package played. They spliced together highlights from his career with him speaking in present day, engaging in one of his monster morning breakfasts, where he eats a table full of food.
Riki Choshu joined the Japanese commentary table for the main event.
KAZUCHIKA OKADA, HIROSHI TANAHASHI, KOTA IBUSHI & HIROOKI GOTO DEFEATED MANABU NAKANISHI, HIROYOSHI TENZAN, SATOSHI KOJIMA & YUJI NAGATA
Nakanishi and Okada started off. Okada broke cleanly against the ropes after locking up. Okada teased stealing Nakanishi’s Argentinian backbreaker. Nakanishi tried to reverse into his own rack backbreaker. Nakanishi ducked a Rainmaker.
Nakanishi’s squad went 4-on-1 against Okada. Tenzan landed a headbutt. Nakanishi missed a charge and ran into Tenzan, allowing Okada’s team to turn this into a brawl on the floor. Okada sent Nakanishi into the barricade.
Back inside, Ibushi and Tanahashi hit Tenzan with Mongolian chops, which elicited boos for Tanahashi and Ibushi. The crowd was certainly playing their part to perfection.
Goto tagged in and used a chinlock. Tenzan blocked an ushigoroshi attempt, then hit a mountain bomb. Kojima tagged in and hit Goto with machine gun chops, then a Koji Cutter. Goto ducked a lariat and hit Kojima with ushigoroshi.
Ibushi and Nagata tagged in. Nagata hit a dropkick to the knee. Ibushi hit a high kick and used a standing moonsault for a two count. Nagata hit an exploder, then used Nagata Lock II, but Ibushi reached the ropes to force a break. Ibushi landed on his feet out of a suplex attempt, then hit a backflip kick.
Tanahashi tagged in and traded strikes with Nagata. Nagata connected on a double underhook suplex. Nakanishi got a tag and hit Tanahashi with chops. Tanahashi came back with a low dropkick.
Tanahashi tried a dragon suplex. Nagata jumped in to help, but accidentally caught Nakanishi with a boot. Nakanishi got mad at Nagata and put him in the Argentinian backbreaker.
Nakanishi teased a Hercules Cutter on Tanahashi. Tana escaped, then hit a dragon screw. Tanahashi’s squad went 4-on-1 on Nakanishi. Tanahashi hit a suplex, then went up top for a High Fly Flow. Nakanishi popped up, cut him off, then hit a superplex.
Nakanishi then hit a crossbody off the top for a near fall. Nakanishi’s team did a quadruple submission spot, then Nakanishi hit the Hercules Cutter for a two count.
Nakanishi teased a German on Tanahashi. Goto and Ibushi saved, then got hit with a double suplex from Nakanishi. Okada jumped in and hit Nakanishi with a dropkick. Tanahashi hit a slingblade for a near fall, with Nagata saving for Nakanishi.
Okada and Goto cleared the deck, leaving their team with a four-on-one edge. Goto hit a GTR on Nakanishi. Ibushi hit the Kamigoye. Okada hit a Rainmaker. Tanahashi then hit the High Fly Flow for the pin.
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After the bell, Nagata helped Nakanishi to his feet. Nakanishi shook hands with the winning team. Tanahashi and Nakanishi embraced. Tanahashi was in tears.
Tenzan cut a promo and presented Nakanishi with flowers.
Kojima cut a promo. He said in 25 years of knowing Nakanishi, he had never seen him mad or upset, and he had always been nothing but kind to him. He said their friendship will continue, then presented flowers.
Nagata cut a promo and said he’s always tried to follow Nakanishi’s example in wrestling, and as he moves on to his second life, Nakanishi will still be an example to all of us. Nagata then presented flowers.
The ring filled with members of the roster, led by Tanahashi. Tana presented some more flowers, then everyone posed for a photo.
Harold Meij and Naoki Sugabayashi entered and presented flowers. Seiji Sakaguchi, an NJPW founder, entered. He thanked Nakanishi, wished him the best, then presented flowers.
Hiroshi Hase entered. He said he sat ringside for the whole show. He put Nakanishi over and wished him the best. Choshu climbed into the ring. He cut a short promo echoing the same sentiments. Tatsumi Fujinami made his way to the ring for a promo and flowers.
Nakanishi cut a promo. He thanked the fans for coming. He said he went from the Olympics to NJPW, and thanked everyone for helping him along. He said he may be retiring, but he’ll always be a wrestler, he’ll die a wrestler.
The crowd stood for a ten bell salute. The ring announcer then read off Nakanishi’s career highlights, then offered him one final bow. Tenzan was crying hard at this point.
The roster climbed into the ring to throw Nakanishi in the air in celebration. They didn’t get much air on these throws. Nakanishi then led the crowd in a chant to close the event.
This was a wonderful ceremony.