NJPW Summer Struggle results: Final build to Jingu Stadium
Recommended matches —
- Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & DOUKI
- Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Report —
Korakuen Hall was again the venue for the second straight night.
Yota Tsuji defeated Yuya Uemura (9:12)
This was a well-worked opener and the crowd was into it. They built the match around Uemura selling his abdomen.
Uemura opened up with some Ricky Steamboat arm drags. Tsuji cut him off and worked over the abdomen. Uemura came back with uppercut forearms. Tsuji hit a dropkick to the abdomen and used a spear for a near fall.
For the finish, Tsuji busted out a giant swing before using a crab. Uemura fought the hold for a long time before tapping out.
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima & Tomoaki Honma (9:46)
This was not good but it was relatively short.
Nagata and Goto started off. Nagata hit some kicks and went after Goto’s left leg. Honma jumped in for some comedy spots. He missed three consecutive kokeshis. YH and Ishii entered to do some trios spots with Goto.
Kojima and Ishii tagged in for some spots. Kojima hit his machine gun chops. Ishii hit a powerslam and both tagged out. Honma and YH tagged in. Honma hit a bulldog before missing a fourth kokeshi.
Honma’s teammates cleared the opposing apron and helped Honma hit a kokeshi for a near fall. Honma hit a diving kokeshi for another two count.
Ishii and Goto got in for a triple team on Honma. Honma stumbled after taking two lariats and YH missed whatever move they had planned.
YH used the butterfly lock and Honma tapped out.
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The teams continued brawling after the match. Ishii and Nagata went at it. YH and Kojima traded strikes. The brawl was worse than the match for YH who did not have a good night.
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Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & SHO defeated Yujiro Takahashi, Gedo & Jado (12:08)
I never need to see Okada and Yujiro in the same ring together after today. This feud has been detrimental to both guys and a waste of Okada. I understand keeping him away from the title picture while you build EVIL but this has been worst feud of the year stuff.
Jado and Okada began. Okada and SHO hit some comedy elbows to Jado’s back. SHO got a tag and got cut off. Bullet Club worked SHO over.
Okada got a hot tag and got a near fall on Yujiro with a back elbow. Yujiro hit a German and got a near fall as Yano saved. Did Okada really need Yano to save him from Yujiro?
SHO tagged back in and Jado nailed him with a kendo stick. Jado tried to use the stick a second time but Yano hit a low blow. Yano exposed a buckle and blocked a Gedo brass knuckles shot with the corner pad before sending Gedo into the buckle.
SHO used a backstabber and applied a cross armbreaker and Gedo tapped out.
Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & DOUKI (9:19)
Suzuki-gun tried an attack before the opening bell but it backfired. Shingo sent Suzuki into the barricade. DOUKI missed an enzuigiri on BUSHI in the ring.
Desperado helped DOUKI cut BUSHI off and DOUKI hit an enzuigiri on the second try. Suzuki beat Shingo down on the outside before tagging in to torture BUSHI. Shingo tried to save but got dropped by one Suzuki forearm strike. DOUKI continued to beat down BUSHI before BUSHI hit a rana and both tagged out.
Shingo and Suzuki tagged in and delivered an awesome preview of their NEVER title match coming up Saturday. They beat the hell out of each other. Suzuki went for a Gotch-style piledriver but Shingo blocked. Shingo missed a sliding lariat. Suzuki got a choke and went for the Gotch again but Shingo hit a DVD.
Desperado and SANADA tagged in for a preview of the KOPW match on Saturday. Desperado shoved the ref and hit a right hand to SANADA. DOUKI got a tag and hit Daybreak for a near fall.
Suzuki and Shingo jumped in and continued brawling. SANADA used a moonsault press to set up Skull End on DOUKI. DOUKI tried to reverse and cradle SANADA but SANADA kept the hold and used a spinning Skull End for the submission.
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Suzuki and Shingo had a pull-apart after the match. Suzuki went after Shingo with a chair. Shingo tried a headbutt before they were pulled apart.
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Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi & Master Wato (w/ Hiroyoshi Tenzan) defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (11:40)
Suzuki-gun attacked the babyfaces as they made their entrance. Kanemaru hit a drive-by kick on Wato and knocked Tenzan off the apron. Suzuki-gun commenced with an extensive beatdown on Wato.
Wato came back with a dropkick and Taichi and Ibushi got tags. They traded kicks. Ibushi got the best of the exchange and Tanahashi demanded a tag. Tana missed a second rope senton and Taichi tagged Sabre.
Sabre and Tanahashi both fought for a backslide. Sabre eventually settled for a cobra twist. Wato made the save and broke the hold.
Sabre and Taichi tried their tandem dragon screw move on Tanahashi but Ibushi saved. Tana and Ibushi hit Sabre with a tandem dragon screw instead.
They did some cool twists and turns as they neared the finish. Kanemaru tried to hit Tanahashi with a whiskey bottle but Wato saved. It looked as though Kanemaru was done for after taking a springboard forearm from Wato and a Kamigoye from Ibushi.
Tanahashi went up top for High Fly Flow. Sabre and Taichi tried to shove him off but Ibushi and Wato held them away and Tana hit High Fly Flow for the pin.
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Tanahashi & Ibushi and Sabre & Taichi jawed at each other after the match but there was no further physicality.
Tanahashi and Ibushi did a full 1987 Hogan must pose routine in the ring before leaving.
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EVIL & Taiji Ishimori (w/ Dick Togo) defeated Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi (11:58)
When you are only doing six match shows and a third of the matches have this constant ref bump, heel manager interference, tag partner distracts the ref while the other partner cheats stuff, it really wears out its welcome.
Hiromu and Naito tried an immediate double team on EVIL but their plan was thwarted by Dick Togo. Togo exposed a buckle and EVIL and Ishimori took turns sending Naito into it.
Naito managed a tag to Hiromu. Hiromu hit a flying headscissors and a shotgun dropkick off the apron. Ishimori came back and hit a sliding German on Hiromu.
EVIL and Naito tagged back in. Naito used a crucifix hold. Togo jumped on the apron and took the referee, then distracted Naito. Naito hit a dropkick in the corner on EVIL. Naito went for a top rope frankensteiner but Togo pulled him off while EVIL took the referee.
EVIL hit a German for a near fall. Naito hit a swing DDT into a double down. Hiromu got a tag and hit EVIL with a shotgun dropkick. EVIL blocked a Dynamite Plunger but Hiromu hit a lariat.
Hiromu and Naito hit tandem dropkicks. Naito and Ishimori brawled to the floor. Hiromu went for Time Bomb but EVIL blocked. Naito tried to help Hiromu but he got hit with a shotgun dropkick by mistake.
Ishimori used a mistica on Hiromu, then took the ref. EVIL hit Hiromu with a chair, then hit Everything is EVIL for the pin.
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EVIL taunted Naito after the match. Togo attacked Naito from behind and choked him out.
EVIL closed the show with a promo.