IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
This was wacky and haphazard, with some miscalculated spots that added a sense of urgency and unpredictability to the match. It fits Hiromu's 'time bomb' crust punk character and I think it initially forced KUSHIDA to work at that breakneck pace, nearly killing himself with the top rope somersault senton on the outside. They blew the 'rana over the ropes but Takahashi made up for it by hitting his own somersault senton from the top. KUSHIDA then snaps out of it and catches Takahashi's apron senton with a cross armbreaker on the outside. I loved KUSHIDA pissed off armwork with the hair-grabbing and kicks. The Hoverboard Lock struggle, along with Hiromu's selling, fleshed out the frantic nature of the match. The finishing stretch saw the champ's desperation in full effect as he tries in vain to hold onto his title, only to fall to Hiromu's Time Bomb finish. Structurally, this thing was a mess but maybe that's a big part of it's charm. Hiromu is like bizarro-KUSHIDA and I love it.
NEVER Openweight Title: Katsuyori Shibata (c) vs. Hirooki Goto
Out of every match on the show, this one had me hooked from start to finish. I understand that stylistically, these NEVER Openweight Title matches are polarizing but for me, it's a style I enjoy when the violence doesn't feel overly indulgent. This had the right balance, the crowd was fully invested, and it was awesome to watch Goto's mounting frustrations reach a tipping point as Shibata gives zero fucks and makes him work his kind of match. The strikes were stiff, as expected, and Shibata in is full 'Goonies never say die' mode, kicking, elbowing, headbutting Goto without regard. I don't even think Shibata cared if he kept the title or not, he just wanted Goto to show some fire and when Goto finally exploded, it was amazing. The build to that final headbutt exchange made it feel special and Goto's headbutts looked like a million bucks. I loved that shot of Shibata's zombie-fied face after Goto hits that final headbutt and plants him with the inverted GTR before finishing him off with the regular GTR. This is exactly the kind of win Goto needed and he looked like a total badass with that finish. I enjoyed this more than both of Shibata's matches with Ishii last year, as it felt fresh, not like a retread of old territory, and the performance from a reinvigorated and pissed off Goto was one of his best. I think this is my MOTN on first viewing. The end result was the absolute right decision and I can't wait to see what Goto does with the title while Shibata begins his road to winning the G1 Climax.
IWGP Intercontinental Title: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
This was good and would likely have been even better if Tanahashi put more into his selling. That being said, veteran ace Tanahashi does a masterful job of setting the pace of this match and I thought the storytelling was really good, with the dueling legwork, the callbacks to previous encounters, and Naito's mostly shenanigans-free approach to wrestling. The crowd was still hot from the previous match and bought what these two were selling. I'm a big fan of Naito's limbwork and his use of the injured leg to escape predicaments and squash momentum. When Tanahashi started going after Naito's leg, Naito's selling eclipsed Tanahashi's. When it comes to sustained selling, I'm a nitpicker and in a match like this, where Naito's legwork is a primary focus, Tanahashi didn't put enough into his performance to make me care. Things like him using the cloverleaf hold, which puts a lot of stress on the knees, and then running around to hit High Fly Flows without much of a limp in his step. The slingblade on the apron was a cool spot though. By the end of it, it felt a little puffy and should've ended on that first Destino but they kill a few more minutes, allowing Naito to hit a couple more to retain. A good slow-burner with a great underlying story and performance from Naito. The result makes sense considering the result of the main event and now LIJ is dominant as fuck.
IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchida Okada (c) vs. Kenny Omega
Woof, this match. I mean, I think the reason Naito/Omega worked so well is that they kept it under 30 minutes and the downtime only added to the narrative, with Omega working around his bum knee. Here, the first 20 minutes felt like complete, sleep-inducing filler and then they suddenly ramp it up from a 2 to an 11, to the point where it felt artificial and mechanical. There's no doubt these two busted their asses for the second half of the match and some of the spots were nutzo but maybe they were trying a little too hard to re-create the 'epic', jaw-dropping nature of the Naito/Omega match. Even if they had shaved off 15 dull minutes, I still don't think this would've reached the much-hyped "MOTY" label everyone was hoping for...at least from my perspective. Lots of indulgent, finish-worthy spots, like the top rope dragon suplex, that were inconsequential thirty seconds later. That being said, I did like the finishing stretch, with Omega landing some vicious knees, including the Rainmaker knee, and Okada managing to counter out of every attempt at the One-Winged Angel, preserving the danger of it and laying the groundwork for the rematch. The spinning tombstone > Rainmaker combo was the cherry on the sprinkle-coated frosting of this cake and the exclamation point on Okada's dominant ace role while still making Omega look strong as a title challenger. This match skipped the appetizers and went straight to the dessert bar at the Golden Corral.
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