NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo Night 2 Results – February 5, 2023
Location: Hokkaido Japan
Venue: Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center
8 Man Tag Team Match
United Empire vs. Just 4 Guys
Francesco Akira & Douki starts this one off before Catch 22 had the upper hand early, at least until Yoshinobu Kanemaru’s blind tag in allowed for a turnaround as double dropkicks took care of Akira. TJP’s knee remained a focal point, at least until the United Empire cleared the ring and took Just 4 Guys into the rails. Catch 22 combine to take down Kanemaru for a near fall before Will Ospreay tags in to keep it going.
Great O Khan sits on Kanemaru in the corner and then took him down with Mongolian Chops Kanemaru fought back with a tilt-a-whirl DDT to O Khan though before tags got us back to Taichi & Ospreay knocking lumps out of each other. Taichi edges ahead, only to get caught with a handspring enziguiri as the United Empire again took charge.
An OsCutter’s caught but Ospreay escapes a Dangerous backdrop before getting cracked with a gamengiri in the corner. Kanemaru, Taka Michinoku & Douki come in to help as Michinoku tried to get an unlikely win with a Just Facelock but United Empire stomped it apart before a parade of moves broke out.
Michinoku nearly nicks it with a cradle then with a Michinoku Driver but Ospreay switches back and almost won with a Michinoku Driver of his own before a Hidden Blade put away Michinoku.
Winners: United Empire (10:11)
Rate: 6
8 Man Tag Team Match
House Of Torture vs. Ren Narita,Minoru Suzuki,El Desperado & Yuto Nakashima
House Of Torture attacks Ren Narita,Minoru Suzuki,El Desperado & Yuto Nakashima to get this match started gets us going then Sho trying to put away Nakashima early on. Yujiro Takahashi tries as well while Dick Togo ended up running into a bodyslam from Nakashima.
Desperado’s in to suplex and stomp on Togo before the usual House Of Torture stuff happens while taking things outside as Suzuki gets charged through the timekeeper’s table. Back inside Togo tries to mop up with a lateral press on Suzuki then with some choking before Sho rakes the eyes of Suzuki in the corner.
We’re back outside with more House Of Torture beatdowns on Suzuki, but it didn’t lead to the win. Narita refused to tag out to Suzuki, but then came in to stomp apart Evil’s t shirt choking before he finally took the tag. Kicks from Narita lay waste to Evil ahead of a half hatch bridging suplex that almost won it.
An eye rake from Evil allows him to shove Narita into an exposed corner, leading to another House Of Torture mugging featuring Takahashi & Togo it ends with a fisherman buster from Takahashi, which doesn’t put Narita away. Sho tries to run in with his spanner but gets kicked away as Takahashi’s then thrown to the Suzuki & Desperado before Narita spun Takahashi into the Cobra Twist for the submission win.
Winners By Submission: Ren Narita,Minoru Suzuki,El Desperado & Yuto Nakashima (10:19)
Rate: 4
After the match Narita hugs Suzuki then shook Desperado’s hand as a challenge for a NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Title match was laid out by Suzuki. That’s since been confirmed for Saturday in Osaka in spite of Evil’s claim that the NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Titles have been retired.
Tag Team Match
Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & Kenta) vs. Master Wato & Hiroshi Tanahashi
Kenta & Hiroshi Tanahashi play to the crowd before tags got us to Master Wato & Taiji Ishimori then Ishimori pulls off a corner pad as Wato charged into it while Tanahashi found the same corner moments later.
Bullet Club were using that exposed corner as a 3rd man, leading to Ishimori going after Wato’s eyes by the ropes. Kenta’s in to take advantage, stomping away on Wato before Wato managed to get the tag to Tanahashi & he hits dragon screws before a schoolboy from Kenta nearly surprised Tanahashi.
After more dragon screws, Tanahashi tags out to Wato, who went right for Ishimori, landing a flying uppercut for a near fall. The ropes save Ishimori as Wato locked in The Vendaval submission while Recientemente almost won it for Wato Kenta’s taken out with a plancha from Tanahashi on the outside before Ishimori’s attempt at a Cipher UTAKI was blocked. Wato ends up getting run into the corner, and a roll up gets Bullet Club the win.
Winners: Bullet Club (10:41)
Rate: 5
After the match Bullet Club beat down Wato before Tanahashi made the save.
6 Man Tag Team Match
Bullet Club (El Phantasmo,Jay White & Gedo) vs. Guerrillas Of Density
Tama Tonga & El Phantasmo get us going with ELP drawing first blood before a hiptoss and dropkick got Tonga back in it. Hikuleo tags in as did Jado, as ELP’s arm was focused on, much like how the Bullet Club would do it with leaps out of the corner. Things eventually break down with Bullet Club swarming the ring to take control for a moment only for tags to bring us back to White & Hikuleo.
White plays keep away for a moment before Gedo & ELP tried to help and got laid out by Hikuleo. Back inside White chops away on Hikuleo only to get booted down before Gedo’s attempt to help out earned him a clothesline. White finds a way through as he traps Hikuleo in the corner before countering a chokeslam into a DDT.
Tags get us back to Tonga & ELP with Phantasmo getting taken into the corner ahead of a series of clotheslines from Tonga. The Stinger splash lands, before Tonga’s slam left Phantasmo down ahead of a Stun Gun that was countered into a roll up for a near fall. Dueling crossbodies see Tonga & Phantasmo crash into each other as Gedo & Jado tags in to have a go.
Jado’s Green Killer DDT is stopped as a parade of moves breaks out it ends with Gedo missing a brass knuckles shot as he’s caught with a Gun Stun before a Jado crossface forces the submission win.
Winners By Submission: Guerrillas Of Density (12:58)
Rate: 6
After the match El Phantasmo lays out Tama Tonga with the NEVER Openweight Title then they run away as Hikuleo hits the ring.
8 Man Tag Team Match
Los Ingobnrables De Japon vs. Chaos,Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi
Shota Umino starts with a shotgun dropkick to Tetsuya Naito as he fired away on Naito in the corner and shoved the ref away. Sanada looks to make a save but gets met with a Tijeras for his effort before Naito found a way through to land a neckbreaker on Umino.
A fisherman neckbreaker from Bushi’s avoided as Umino pushed him into a Taguchi hip attack before Toru Yano tags in and removed a corner pad. Bushi’s bopped in the head then run into the exposed corner before Okada came in to hit a slam and a senton atomico. Taguchi tags in to throw some hip attacks before tags got us to Shingo Takagi & Kazuchika Okada.
Takagi clears the apron except for Umino as he tore through Okada with a suplex before a sliding back elbow from Okada stopped that flow. A dropkick from Okada earned a swift retaliatory clothesline from Takagi as Sanada tags in Okada blocks a back suplex only to get taken outside for a Sanada plancha.
Back inside the ring a flapjack stops Sanada as LIJ gets cleared from the apron they return to break up the pin from a neckbreaker. Okada follows up with a Money Clip to Sanada which is broken and countered with a Skull End that Umino came in to stomp apart. Naito comes in to take care of Umino with a delayed Combinacion Cabron while Taguchi’s sent into the railings by way of a Bushi tope.
Sanada heads up for a moonsault it misses as he & Okada trade Skull End attempts. Okada switched his into a a Tombstone before a couple of Rainmakers got the win.
Winners: Chaos,Shota Umino & Ryusuke Taguchi (11:05)
Rate: 7
IWGP Tag Team Title Match
Bishamon (c) vs. TMDK
Hirooki Goto & Mikey Nicholls start us off locking up into the ropes as the early going led to a snapmare and a dropkick to the back of Goto’s head. Yoshi Hashi comes in to assist, before things spilled outside with TMDK regaining the upper hand with Nicholls throwing Goto against the side of the ring for good measure.
Yoshi Hashi gets hurled into the rails as did Goto as Bishamon found themselves on the back foot when things returned to the ring. A neck crank ends in the ropes before Nicholls threw Haste onto Goto for a two count. Goto’s cornered as Nicholls yelled at him then got knocked back into the corner before he fought free. A huge Irish whip sent Nicholls hurling over the top rope to the outside, but he’s able to return only got Shane Haste to tag in and prevent a tag being made.
Finally Yoshi Hashi gets the tag in crashing into Haste with a low dropkick before a suplex draped Haste over the top rope for a dropkick to the back. Haste’s dumped with a neckbreaker for a two count but recovered to catch Yoshi Hashi on the top rope ahead of the Olivia Newton Bomb almost got the win for TMDK.
Chops from Yoshi Hashi earned him a death valley driver then a sliding lariat from Nicholls before Goto tagged in to run wild over TMDK with clotheslines. A spinning heel kick to Nicholls led to a double bulldog out of the corner before Goto & Nicholls traded blows once more. Nicholls runs into an ushigoroshi for a near fall before a TMDK turnaround led to a Goto escaping a Tagbuster with the help of Yoshi Hashi.
Nicholls is thrown into a Goto for the Shoto but Haste breaks it up as TMDK hits Tagbuster for a near fall. Yoshi Hashi’s taken outside and into the barriers as TMDK looked for a finish, but Yoshi Hashi returned to clothesline Haste away then trade blows with Nicholls. It’s Nicholls who looked to win out before he was baited into a clothesline from Goto which in turn led to an elevated GTR before Shoto gets Bishamon the win
Winners & Still IWGP Tag Team Champions: Bishamon (15:13) (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!)
Rate: 7
Television Title Match
Zack Sabre Jr (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Tomohrio Ishii surprises Zack Sabre Jr early on, going for a heel hook as ZSJ was perhaps expecting to be hit not stretched. In response ZSJ goes for the arm but Ishii trades hammerlocks before he took down Sabre for a kick to the back. Ishii’s met with some of those in return as ZSJ tried to bait Ishii into a striking game.
That allowed ZSJ in with some grounded headscissors as Sabre’s search for a submission ended in the ropes. A suplex from Ishii dumps Sabre, before chops from Ishii took him into the corner ahead of a backdrop suplex out of it.
ZSJ goes for Ishii’s ear as he looked to strike away a submission attempt succeeding as he took down Ishii for a stomp to the elbow, following up with a pop up into a cross armbar that Ishii rolled his way out of kicking ZSJ in the head to break the grip as he went.
Kicks from Ishii earned a forearm from ZSJ who then had his arm jarred as Ishii left his usual comfort zone. It left them on the deck, trading kicks before Ishii opted to go back the strikes, before Sabre responded to a headbutt by throwing Ishii down with a suplex following up with a PK before Ishii finally sends ZSJ down to the mat.
Sabre manages to catch Ishii with a levering armbar forcing Ishii to the ropes before Ishii manages to add a manjigatame in return before Code Red.
A follow up clothesline ends with Ishii getting tripped into a European clutch for a near fall before they traded German suplexes. Ishii with a clothesline but Sabre’s able to flash back in with a Euro clutch that almost won it as both men were going for flash pins. Another Ishii headbutt rocked ZSJ only for ZSJ to land a dragon suplex for a near fall.
Ishii’s missed enziguiri earns him a PK as ZSJ looks to be in control hauling up Ishii for a Zack Driver. It’s blocked as Ishii hits an enziguiri only for a crucifix to get a near fall for ZSJ, who had to absorb a headbutt and a sliding lariat from Ishii before ZSJ spun his way into a Zack Driver for the win.
Winner & Still Television Champion: Zack Sabre Jr (14:38) (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
Rate: 8 (Recommend)
After the match ZSJ tells the English commentary crew he’s got a new singles theme coming then issued an open challenge for the current generation of whingy little sh*ts to come and find him for a Television Title shot.
Junior Heavyweight Title Match
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs. Yoh
Match starts off with a lock up, Yoh didn’t go after the knee of Takahashi then they struggled into the ropes. After the break Takahashi dodged a shot to the leg instead taking Yoh into the ropes before a drop toe hold and low dropkick sent Takahashi to the outside. Takahashi avoids a trip to the rails as Yoh ate the bars, then got chopped through the gate as Takahashi measured up for a series of chops ahead of a return to the ring.
A running clothesline into the corner, then a low dropkick earns Takahashi a two count as some headscissors keep Yoh grounded. After a break in the ropes they traded chops before Takahashi headscissors in the ropes led to them going back outside where Yoh’s reacquainted with the guard railings, then the floor, courtesy of a snap suplex in the aisle.
Yoh narrowly beats the count out only to get met with a shallow slingshot as Takahashi folded the legs into a Cloverleaf position. A modified armbar’s next as Takahashi began to poke at Yoh who responded with right hands and a dropkick after he’d shot Takahashi into the ropes. Yoh follows Takahashi outside with a flip senton into the aisle before he rushed Takahashi back inside for a missile/shotgun dropkick that picked up a solid two count.
Takahashi fought out of a dragon screw then caught Yoh with a pop up powerbomb before a Falcon Arrow from Yoh stopped that comeback in its tracks a shotgun dropkick sends Yoh awkwardly flying backwards into the corner pad. A low dropkick from Yoh finds Takahashi knee for the first time in this match, leading to a knee bar that forced Hiromu to claw his way into the ropes to force a break.
Heading up top Yoh looks for a superplex but Takahashi fights free before Yoh ran in and hit a dragon screw as Takahashi was tied up on the top rope. Yoh heads back up to land the superplex, then went back to the leg as another submission attempt was switched into a grounded Dragon screw after Hiromu had to be pulled from the ropes. A Figure 4 next, but again Takahashi finds his way to the ropes to force the break.
A frantic exchange led to a headbutt from Takahashi then a rebound German suplex which Yoh looked to have escaped from, only to get charged down with a clothesline seconds later. Yoh rolls out of a Time Bomb attempt as he returns with a wild lariat at Takahashi which eventually looked to lead to a Direct Drive but instead Yoh opted to batter Takahashi with forearms, having pinned both of Takahashi’ arms back.
Yoh looks for a dragon suplex but instead goes back to the knee of Takahashi except this time Hiromu looked to block a dragon screw, which caught everyone out, including the referee who was tardy to making a count. More pinning attempts from Takahashi get us closer, before Yoh kneed his way out of a Time Bomb only to get caught with the Victory Royale DDT. A reverse ‘rana and a superkick from Yoh sends Takahashi flying but it’s not enough to get the 3 count before a dragon suplex earned a similar near fall.
Direct Drive looks to finish things, but Hiromu rolled out and plants a Time Bomb for a near fall, with Takahashi unable to grab a leg on the cover. From there, Takahashi steels himself for a Time Bomb II which Yoh tries to kick away, eventually landing a lifting reverse DDT onto the knee. Direct Drive is next but again Takahashi escapes coming back with a Stunner and almost a Jay Driller for a near fall.
Takahashi picks up Yoh but a Hiromu chan Bomber’s sidestepped as a 5 Star Clutch took Yoh agonizingly close while a headbutt from Yoh eventually earned him a Hiromu chan Bomber. A second one followed off the ropes before Takahashi drills Yoh to the mat with Time Bomb II to score the win.
Winner & Still Junior Heavyweight Champion: Hiromu Takahashi (29:42) (STILL CHAMPION!!!)
Rate: 9 (Recommend)
New Beginning In Osaka (Feb 11th)
Tag Team Match
United Empire vs. Toru Yano & Oskar Leube
8 Man Tag Team Match
Los Ingobnrables De Japon vs. Tiger Mask IV,Tomoaki Honma,Ryusuke Taguchi & Shota Umino
Master Wato vs. Taiji Ishimori
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kenta
NEVER Openweight 6 Man Tag Team Title Match
House Of Torture (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki,El Desperado & Ren Narita
Loser Leaves Japan Match
Jay White vs. Hikuleo
NEVER Openweight Title Match
Tama Tonga (c) vs. El Phantasmo
IWGP World Heavyweight Title Match
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. KOPW 2023 Champion Shingo Takagi
