NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo live results: Three title matches
Three titles are on the line on night two of NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo.
In the main event, Hiromu Takahashi defends the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against YOH.
In the semi-main, Zack Sabre Jr. defends the NJPW World TV title against Tomohiro Ishii.
Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI defend the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team titles against TMDK’s Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls in the night’s other title match.
A series of tag team matches round out the undercard:
- Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, SANADA & BUSHI
- Tama Tonga, Hikuleo & Jado vs. Jay White, El Phantasmo & Gedo
- Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato vs. KENTA & Taiji Ishimori
- Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita & Yuto Nakashima vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, SHO & Dick Togo
- Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, TJP & Francesco Akira vs. Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, DOUKI & TAKA Michinoku
Our live coverage begins at midnight Eastern time.
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Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay, TJP, & Francesco Akira (United Empire) defeated DOUKI, TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, & Yoshinobu Kanemaru (Just 4 Guys)
DOUKI, Kanemaru, TJP, and Akira picked up from where they left off last night in the opening sequence. J4G gained an early lead and started targeting TJP’s knee as they did yesterday.
Once Ospreay entered the fold, he began to turn things around for his team. Ospreay and Taichi soon came to blows, retelling a bit of last night’s story.
After a hand full of back-and-forth sequences between both teams, Ospreay hit Michinoku with a Michinoku driver and a hidden blade to win the match for UE.
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Ren Narita, & Yuto Nakashima defeated Dick Togo, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, & SHO (House of Torture)
HoT attacked their opponents before the opening bell. HoT then used distractions and sleight of hand to maintain their early lead.
EVIL choked Suzuki with a shirt, leading to Narita making the save. After the save, Narita tagged in and took control of the match until HoT rushed the ring. SHO tried hitting Narita with the wrench, but Narita avoided the attack. Narita’s partners hit the ring, leaving Narita free to land the suplex into the abdominal stretch, forcing Yujiro to submit.
After the match, Narita and Suzuki shook hands and embraced. Suzuki grabbed a microphone and challenged the HoT trio to a NEVER 6-man title match. EVIL denied the challenge, saying the 6-man titles were retired. Suzuki declared they would be challenging for the belts in Osaka next week.
Taiji Ishimori & KENTA (Bullet Club) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato
The Bullet Club team gained the initial lead by isolating Wato. Once Wato finally reached Tanahashi, the babyfaces were able to gain some footing.
After taking out Bullet Club with multiple dragonscrews, Tanahashi tagged back out into Wato. Wato and Ishimori both tried for multiple big moves, but, in the end, Ishimori was able to slam Wato into an exposed corner. After running Wato into the turnbuckle, Ishimori stole the win with a pin with his feet on the ropes.
After the match, Bullet Club attempted a beatdown, but Tanahashi fought off his attackers.
Jado, Hikuleo, & Tama Tonga defeated Gedo, Jay White, & El Phantasmo (Bullet Club)
The opening portion of this match featured both teams fighting for the crowd’s favor.
Once White entered the match, the Bullet Club trio worked to isolate Jado. The babyfaces made the save, leading to an extended match breakdown. Once order was restored, White and Hikuleo shared the ring. Hikuleo tried for a chokeslam, but White reversed into a DDT.
A pair of double tags led to ELP vs. Tama and Gedo vs. Jado exchanges before another breakdown. Hikuleo and White provided a distraction on the outside, leaving Gedo free to attempt a brass knuckle shot. Jado avoided the shot. Tama quickly responded with a gun stun, leaving Jado with the easy finish.
After the match, ELP dropped Tama with Tama’s NEVER Openweight Championship belt.
Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, Toru Yano, & Kazuchika Okada defeated SANADA, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, & Tetsuya Naito (Los Ingobernables de Japon)
Naito and Umino opened the match, picking up from where they left off last night. They had a relatively short-lived encounter before other wrestlers tagged into the match.
Shingo and Okada went back and forth for a while, with Shingo gaining the upper hand on the champion. Okada challenged Shingo’s lead with a strike battle but could not achieve more than a match reset.
SANADA tagged into the match and had a decent showing against Okada until Okada’s partners rushed the ring. Once the chaos ended, Okada locked SANADA in the money clip; SANADA escaped and locked in skull end. Umino broke up the hold, leading to another all-out scrap between the teams. Once the fog cleared, Okada hit SANDA with a piledriver, spinning rainmaker, and a traditional rainmaker to close the match.
IWGP Tag Team Championship: YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto (Bishamon) (c) defeated Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste (TMDK)
Bishamon opened the match strong, clearing the ring of TMDK and taking the fight to the floor. On the outside, TMDK fought into a controlling position, slamming the champions into the barricade. Back in the ring, the challengers maintained this lead, at least for some time.
After a hard-fought battle, Goto landed a lariat and secured a hot tag to YH. YH turned things around for his team, leading an extended offensive sequence.
TMDK interrupted YH’s rally with a bomb from the top rope. YH survived and reset the match with a neckbreaker, setting up the tag to Goto. Goto landed a double bulldog to cement control for Bishamon heading into the later leg of the match.
Bishamon tried for a finish, but TMDK reversed and landed a tandem slam. Nicholls hit a blue thunder bomb to further their newfound lead, but YH was quick to make the save. With the time YH bought the champions, they were able to hit Nicholls with a GTR and Shoto to win the match and retain their belts.
NJPW World TV Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) defeated Tomohiro Ishii
The NJPW World TV Championship is such a welcome addition to New Japan. A division that demands sprints in a promotion that leans so heavily on marathons is a total breath of fresh air.
This match was fantastic. Ishii and ZSJ left it all in the ring. No fluff. All action.
The match opened with a prolonged grappling exchange. Ishii held his own for a while, but ZSJ’s prowess eventually won him some advantage. To challenge ZSJ’s wrestling, Ishii used well-timed strikes and general strength.
As the match intensified, both men proved to be on equal footing. The short TV title time limit added to the urgency. Ishii landed a powerbomb, but ZSJ transitioned into an armbar. Ishii found the ropes and hit a flipping powerbomb, but ZSJ survived.
With less than three minutes remaining, the pair traded suplexes. Ishii landed a couple of lariats but couldn’t close. Instead, ZSJ landed a tiger suplex for a near fall of his own. ZSJ hit a penalty kick, and Ishii an enziguri. A flying headbutt and sliding lariat from Ishii seemed to indicate the end for ZSJ, but he held on, catching Ishii on the follow-up with a Zack Driver to close the match.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi (c) defeated YOH
A typical collar-and-elbow initiated the match, but YOH didn’t take long to challenge Hiromu on the floor. On the outside, Hiromu slammed YOH into the barricade to take an early lead. Back in the ring, Hiromu slowed the pace, stretching YOH with multiple holds.
YOH eventually fought back into the match with some chops and a dive to the floor. A top rope drop kick scored YOH a nearfall and control in the ring. With his newfound lead, YOH began to work Hiromu’s legs. After a prolonged struggle, YOH secured a figure four leglock, forcing Hiromu into the ropes.
Hiromu eventually bounced back with a German suplex and a lariat. YOH stopped Hiromu’s rally with a massive clothesline of his own that sent both men to the floor.
YOH tried for direct drive, but Hiromu blocked the finish. Hiromu tried for two quick pins before landing victory royal to take complete control.
YOH avoided all of Hiromu’s finish attempts, landed a poison rana and a superkick, but Hiromu kicked out. YOH hit a dragon suplex, but again, Hiromu kicked out. YOH tried for direct drive, but Hiromu reversed into a timebomb; YOH kicked out.
YOH dropped Hiromu across his knee but still couldn’t hit direct drive. Hiromu answered with a stunner and a piledriver, but YOH kicked out again. YOH tied up Hiromu in his five-star pin, but Hiromu beat the count. Finally, Hiromu landed a pair of bomber lariats and another timebomb to win the match and retain the title.