NJPW 51th Anniversary Review (03/06/2023)
Location: Tokyo Japan
Venue: Ota City General Gymnasium
Tag Team Match
TMDK (Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr & Kosei Fujita) vs. Bullet Club (Strong Openweight Champion Kenta & Gedo)
Zack Sabre Jr & El Phantasmo traded reversals to get this match going then Bullet Club works over Kosei Fujita. ZSJ made the hot tag and traded reversals with ELP. Kenta tries Fujita up in a Boston Crab but ZSJ made the save. Kenta locks in Game Over and Fujita taps out.
Winners By Submission: Bullet Club (9:20)
Rate: 5
6 Man Tag Team Match
NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga,Toru Yano & Satoshi Kojima vs. United Empire (Will Ospreay,Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)
Will Ospreay hits a backbreaker over his knee on Toru Yano, and he punted a corner pad to anger Yano. Tama Tonga hits a Stinger Splash on Ospreay. Ospreay fires back with a spin kick on Tonga and they were both down.
Satoshi Kojima enters the match and hits Machine Gun Chops in the corner on Kyle Fletcher.
Aussie Open works over Kojima, with Fletcher hits a Stunner for a near fall Aussie Open hits front & back clotheslines then Coriolis on Kojima for the win.
Winners: United Empire (8:31)
Rate: 6
Non Title Match
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champions Strong Style (Minoru Suzuki,El Desperado & Ren Narita) vs. House Of Torture (Dick Togo,Sho & Evil)
House Of Torture attacks Strong Style at the bell and Evil slams Ren Narita into the guardrail back in the ring House Of Torture works over Narita. Minoru Suzuki finally made the hot tag and he drops Sho with one forearm shot. El Desperado hits a spinebuster on Togo before connecting Pinche Loco to score the win.
Winners: NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champions Strong Style (8:08)
Rate: 5
6 Man Tag Team Match
Los Ingobnrables De Japon (KOPW 2023 Champion Shingo Takagi,Sanada & Tetsuya Naito) vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare,Great O Khan & Jeff Cobb)
LIJ & United Empire brawled at the bell, with Shingo Takagi & Aaron Henare squaring off on the floor. Jeff Cobb ties up Tetsuya Naito on the floor before he drags him in the ring and put his foot on Naito’s chest for a cocky near fall. Cobb hit a series of gutwrench suplexes for a near fall. United Empire took turns working over Naito. Sanada makes the hot tag and hits a series of dropkicks then he ties Great O Khan in the Paradise Lock.
Henare hits a running stunner on Takagi then he went for the Rampage but Takagi blocks it. Sanada hit a plancha to the floor. Takagi nails Pumping Bomber on Henare, but Henare refused to go down before Takagi unloaded a series of forearms. Henare fired back with a punch to the gut and a headbutt. Cobb ran in and hits Tour Of The Islands on Takagi then the Spin Cycle on Naito. Henare then drills Takagi to the mat with Streets Of Rage for the win.
Winners: United Empire (10:01)
Rate: 6
After the match Great O Khan shouted for us peasants to shut up and listen to him. He vowed that the United Empire would dominate the New Japan Cup.
Tag Team Match
Los Ingobnrables De Japon (Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi & Bushi) vs. Chaos (Lio Rush & Yoh)
Hiromu Takahashi & Lio Rush starts this match off with Rush hits a diving forearm to the back for a near fall on Takahashi. Bushi enters and applied a Fujiwara Armbar with Rush reached the ropes then Yoh enters and hit a plancha on LIJ then Rush dove through the ropes and barreled onto Takahashi.
In the ring Takahashi hits a sit out powerbomb, and they were both down. Bushi hits a missile dropkick on Rush. Bushi hit a dive to the floor. Takahashi hits a German suplex on Rush. Chaos hits 3K on Bushi for a 2 & a half then Rush hits Rush Hour on Takahashi then the Final Hour on Bushi for the win.
Winners: Chaos (12:55)
Rate: 7
1st Round Match Of The 2023 New Japan Cup
Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi
Shota Umino jumps Yujiro Takahashi him before the bell then they immediately traded forearm shots. Takahashi hits a body slam and a Mafia Kick. Umino hits a DDT then a Scorpion Death Drop. Sho appeared at ringside holding his wrench. Yujiro tried to hit a low blow, but Umino blocks it.
Takahashi nails Pimp Juice for a near fall before he sets up for a 2nd Pimp Juice but Umino hit a pop up European uppercut. Sho hops on the ring apron, allowing Takahashi to hit the low blow. Takahashi got his walking stick but Umino avoided it. Umino hits Death Rider on the interfering Sho then a Death Rider on Takahashi for the win.
Winner: Shota Umino (9:47) (He will face Zack Sabre Jr in the 2nd Round)
Rate: 4
Footage aired of David Finlay attacking Jay White after White’s loss at Battle In The Valley in San Jose.
1st Round Match Of The 2023 New Japan Cup
David Finlay vs. Tomohiro Ishii
David Finlay attacks Tomohiro Ishii before Ishii had removed his shirt as they immediately began trading forearm shots, and Finlay repeatedly stomps on him. Finlay hit some European uppercuts and was in complete control. Ishii fires back with some chops then a powerslam and they were both down.
They got up and traded more forearm shots. Ishii hit a suplex. They fought to the floor, and Finlay dropped him ribs first on the guardrail. In the ring Ishii charges into the corner and crashed shoulder first. Finlay hits a 2nd rope superplex but Ishii pops up. Finlay hit a spear and they were both down.
Ishii hits a 2nd rope superplex but Finlay pops up. Finlay hit another spear. He put Ishii on his shoulders and slams him stomach first to the mat for a near fall.
Ishii hit a German suplex, and they were both down. They got up and traded more forearm shots. Ishii nails a standing powerbomb for a near fall. Finlay hits a Stunner for a near fall. Finlay yanks down a kneepad.
Ishii hit an enzuigiri and a clothesline for a near fall. Ishii hit a Shining Wizard and a sliding clothesline for a near fall then Finlay hit a stunner and a clothesline and a headbutt, then Trash Panda for the victory.
Winner: David Finlay (18:40) (He will face Great O Khan in the 2nd Round)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
After the match Gedo got on the mic and said Finlay is going to flip the division on its head. So what if Jay White isn’t here? Gedo said you cut one head off another one rises up.
IWGP Tag Team Titles Match
Bishamon (Hirooki Goto & Yoshi Hashi) (c) vs. Dream Team (IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi)
Yoshi Hashi & Kazuchika Okada kicks off this match then Bishamon works over Hiroshi Tanahashi. Okada makes the hot tag and brawls with Yoshi Hashi. Okada places Yoshi Hashi on the turnbuckle and he dropkicked Yoshi Hashi to the floor. Okada hits a double DDT on the floor.
In the ring Hirooki Goto hits a running bulldog on Okada before Okada hits a dropkick, and he locks in Money Clip in the center of the ring on Goto. Okada set up for the Rainmaker but Goto fought it off. Goto hit a hard clothesline, and they were both down. Okada hit a flapjack. Tanahashi made the hot tag and hit a flying forearm on Goto. Goto hit his neckbreaker over his knee. Yoshi Hashi entered and hits a dragon suplex on Tanahashi.
Tanahashi hits a straight jacket German suplex and a sling blade on Yoshi Hashi for a near fall. He went to the top rope but Goto jumped up and yanks him off. Tanahashi hit a dragon screw on Goto. Yoshi Hashi hit a dragon screw on Tanahashi. Okada hit a dropkick on Yoshi Hashi. Okada nails a top rope elbow drop on Yoshi Hashi then Tanahashi immediately went for the High Fly Flow but Yoshi Hashi got his knees up and he rolls Tanahashi over for a near fall.
Tanahashi & Yoshi Hashi traded forearms while on their knees then while standing. Bishamon set up for Shoto but Tanahashi briefly escaped. They then hit Shoto team slam for a near fall but Okada made the save. Bishamon again set up for Shoto but Tanahashi fought free; Tanahashi got a roll up for a near fall. Yoshi Hashi set up for Karma but Tanahashi blocks it. Bishamon then hits Naraku on Tanahashi for the win.
Winners & Still IWGP Tag Team Champions: Bishamon (20:17) (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
After the match Yoshi Hashi spoke on the mic & saying it was a successful 2nd defense. He said he was finally able to defeat Tanahashi. He asked who had Yoshi Hashi closing out the 51st Anniversary show? He said the more he sharpens his skills and improves, he thinks he could beat them both 1 on 1 someday.
2nd Round Matches so far
March 11th
Non Title Match
Sanada vs. Strong Openweight Champion Kenta
Tetsuya Naito vs. Chase Owens
March 12th
IWGP Tag Team Champion Yoshi Hashi or Kyle Fletcher vs. IWGP Tag Team Champion Hirooki Goto
KOPW 2023 Champion Shingo Takagi or Aaron Henare vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Tama Tonga
March 13th
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Champion Ren Narita or Evil vs. Jeff Cobb
Toru Yano or Mark Davis vs. Will Ospreay
March 15th
David Finlay vs. Great O Khan
Non Title Match
Shota Umino vs. Television Champion Zack Sabre Jr
