Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage & discussion for tonight's NJPW The New Beginning in Sapporo event.
We'll be bringing you full, match by match coverage of every bout on the card and you can watch along with us, sending in your feedback on our Disqus boards below!
Ren Narita defeated Yuya Uemura
Toa Henare and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Shota Umino and Ayato Yoshida
Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Tiger Mask defeated Takashi Iizuka and TAKA Michinoku via Disqualification
Toru Yano, Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe defeated Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi and The Guerrillas of Destiny
Taichi, El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito
Minoru Suzuki defeated SANADA
EVIL defeated Zack Sabre Jr
Jay White and Bad Luck Fale defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada
Yuya Uemura vs. Ren Narita
The two young lions engaged in a feeling out process early, exchanging holds until Uemura briefly took control. Narita quickly responded though, causing a stalemate and resetting the action too. Back to square one and Narita now grappled himself into control, grounding his foe before tackling him with a shoulder block as well. He then began to look for the Boston Crab but Uemura scrambled to the bottom rope as a chop exchange commenced. Narita came out on top again, next flurrying with body slams before applying a camel clutch.
Uemura again made it to the ropes though and then flurried in response, landing a corner dropkick for 2. His own Boston Crab followed but after an immense struggle, Narita made it to the bottom rope. He then scored with a salvo of forearms but soon ran into a dropkick for his troubles. With both men fading, one final exchange of strikes commenced. Narita then looked for his patented belly to belly suplex but Uemura blocked it, scoring with a suplex of his own and then applying the Boston Crab again. Narita made it to the ropes though and seconds later, closed the show with his Bridging Belly to Belly Suplex.
Winner: Ren Narita
Ayato Yoshida and Shota Umino vs. Toa Henare and Manabu Nakanishi
Henare and Yoshida got us started here, with Ayato landing an early body slam before bringing in Umino. Simultaneous tackles briefly kept them on top but Henare then returned the favor, flooring Umino and tagging in Nakanishi. The big splash followed for 2 as Nakanishi and Henare went to work on Umino. This included constant removals of Yoshida from the apron as in-ring, Umino reset things with a dropkick. That allowed the tag and Yoshida ran wild, dropping Nakanishi with strikes and struggling to score a suplex too.
Henare intervened though, allowing Nakanishi to regain control before bringing him back in. Yoshida floored Henare with a dropkick though, next tagging in Umino who flurried on both. This culminated in a missile dropkick as well as an armbar but Nakanishi broke it up before quickly being removed. Now left one on one with Umino again, Henare scored with a pop-up Samoan Drop as well as a big tackle for two false finishes. With Nakanishi keeping Yoshida away though, Henare finally closed the show with his Uranage.
Winners: Toa Henare and Manabu Nakanishi
Takashi Iizuka and TAKA Michinoku vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Tiger Mask
Pre-match, Tenzan grabbed a microphone and seemingly goaded Iizuka before being jumped for his efforts. A crowd brawl commenced from there, with Iizuka dragging Tenzan into the audience as Tiger Mask battled TAKA at ringside. This went on for quite some time before the referee's count began but eventually, Tenzan was forced to scramble back in-ring at 19. Now isolated, Tenzan was controlled by his foes for the next portion, with Iizuka eventually going to work via biting offense until Michinoku returned to continue their momentum.
Nonetheless, Tenzan's spinning heel kick created some space and he then made the tag. Tiger Mask initially run wild on both of his opponents but was soon cut off, falling victim to the numbers game before flurrying and hitting Tiger Driver for 2. Iizuka's re-entry resulted in Tenzan tagging back in too, rallying with his trademark chops. Tenzan almost closed the show here, applying the Anaconda Vice and forcing Iizuka to break the fall. That soon caused the finish as well, with Iizuka's steel chair attack resulting in a DQ finish. Suzuki-gun then left their foes laying.
Winners: Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Tiger Mask via Disqualification
Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomoaki Honma, Toru Yano and Togi Makabe vs. Taiji Ishimori, Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi and The Guerrillas of Destiny
YOSHI-HASHI and Tama opened this one up, with Tonga struggling with his new morals before getting things started. Tonga eventually took control, scoring with a dropkick before eating a neckbreaker for his troubles. In next were Honma and Owens, as shoulder tackles put Tomoaki on top until a Jado interference cut him off. A 10-man brawl commenced from there, with Tonga distraught by the tactics as his partners took control. Going to work on an isolated Honma, all of Tonga's peers went to work.
However, Tonga's 'good buy' beliefs eventually halted their control, with Honma soon suplexing Ishimori to create some space. He then brought in Taguchi who run wild on the champion, flurrying with his trademark offense but failing to close the show. This included a brief application of Taguchi's Ankle Lock but Taiji reset things as Makabe and Loa next met in center ring. Togi immediately got the upper hand, overpowering Loa and landing a lariat that left both men floored. Yano was in next, quickly falling victim to Loa's neckbreaker and then being assaulted by his whole opposition.
Everything exploded from there, all involved hitting signature offense with Taguchi even wiping out Jado. Eventually, Yano closed the show in vintage fashion, rolling Takahashi up for the sudden win.
Winners: Toru Yano, Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomoaki Honma and Togi Makabe
El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Taichi vs. BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito
As the bell rung, the opposing tag teams wiped each other out, leaving only Naito and Taichi to get things started. This included taunting right away and then transitioned back to the tag teams, with the champions flurrying on Desperado. Takagi and Desperado then exchanged heavy strikes, with Shingo taking control until Kanemaru interfered to turn the tide. In the meantime, Taichi took control of Naito, launching him into the barricade as all six men brawled into the crowd.
This went on for quite some time but Desperado and Kanemaru eventually returned things to the ring, going to work on Takagi as Taichi took control of the Intercontinental Title. He threw it away though, using strikes instead as Suzuki-gun continued to batter Takagi. Before long, Takagi used strikes and a suplex to create space regardless, tagging in Naito who run wild on Kanemaru and Desperado before taunting Taichi. He quickly removed his rival from the apron too but Taichi soon came in to fire back, scoring with a salvo of strikes until Naito returned the favor.
BUSHI was in next, landing a missile dropkick as well as a double hurricanrana too. The neckbreaker came next but Taichi kicked out and things then broke down, with Suzuki-gun mauling an isolated BUSHI before Taichi closed the show via belly to back driver. Post-match, Suzuki-gun unmasked BUSHI and continued their attack as Taichi left with the Intercontinental crown in his grasp.
Winners: Taichi, El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Minoru Suzuki vs. SANADA
SANADA caught Suzuki's first strike attempt but failed to capitalize, instead finding himself caught in submissions as he looked for the paradise lock. Much to his delight, SANADA eventually secured it nonetheless but then paid the price, with Suzuki unleashing a salvo of strikes before taking things to the outside. This included a steel chair assault as well as a barricade attack but even still, SANADA avoided the count-out. Back in-ring, Suzuki applied the double wrist-lock, wrenching the hold for a submission until SANADA scurried to the bottom rope.
Some strikes came next but SANADA fired back, even catching the PK before being caught in the armbar again. An immense struggle followed as a result but SANADA eventually made the ropes, next flurrying in a comeback out of nowhere. This culminated in a big dive to the floor but Suzuki quickly regained control, scoring with the PK before yet another strike exchange took center stage. Before long though, Suzuki halted his foe's momentum, snatching the Rear Naked Choke in an instant.
SANDA countered though, applying Skull End and then thinking moonsault only to have it blocked. With both men fatigued, a violent exchange of strikes left SANADA badly stunned but he fired back, somehow returning fire only to be dropkicked off his feet. One more flurry of palm strikes came next, with Suzuki applying the choke and then thinking piledriver until SANADA incredibly countered. He then caught a quick roll-up too, once again avoiding the choke and spectacularly catching Skull's End until Suzuki scrambled free and closed the show via Gotch-Style Pile-driver.
Winner: Minoru Suzuki
Zack Sabre Jr vs. EVIL
TAKA Michinoku introduced Sabre Jr in his usual fashion before in-ring, a feeling out process got us started. EVIL's power gave him an early advantage, taking control and then tackling his foe to the mat too. A grappling exchange then took center stage with EVIL initially maintaining momentum until Sabre Jr finally battled free. He then took control, focusing on EVIL's arm with strikes and holds as well. The neck became Zack's next target, slowly grinding EVIL down before being reversed into a sudden sidewalk slam.
EVIL was now rallying, next landing a senton for 2 before focusing on his foe's arm also. Sabre Jr avoided the Fisherman Buster though, catching a double armed octopus stretch until EVIL grabbed the bottom rope. A brief comeback then began in response but Sabre Jr applied another hold, this time the Triangle Choke as EVIL was forced to power free. He then bruised Sabre Jr to the outside, leading him up the ramp. Eventually, this culminated in a Fisherman Buster on the ramp as with the count moving, both men were left floored.
EVIL halted the count though, bringing Zack back in and hitting Darkness Falls for 2. Sabre Jr avoided the follow up too, turning the tide with another attack on EVIL's arm. Even still, Sabre Jr struggled to muster up the strength for another strike exchange, finding himself floored but then firing back with a PK for 2. EVIL quickly regained control though, next positioning Sabre Jr up top before having his arm isolated again. Nonetheless, EVIL scored with the superplex and a lariat for another near-fall.
Out of nowhere, Sabre Jr then caught an onslaught of quick roll-up attempts but EVIL barely managed to survive and then finally closed the show, hitting Everything is EVIL at long last for the win.
Winner: EVIL defeated Zack Sabre Jr
Bad Luck Fale and Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi
White and Tanahashi got our main event started here, engaging in a feeling out process until a crossbody put the champion in control. That allowed Okada to enter as 'The Dream Team' executed some tandem offense. Rocked, White brought in Fale, immediately overpowering Okada to get the upper hand. In the meantime, White took out Tanahashi on the outside, going to work while Fale continued his onslaught on Okada. With Tanahashi left in the crowd, Okada was suddenly isolated, finding himself violently worked over by his Bullet Club foes.
This included the application of a single-leg Boston Crab as White and Fale's dominance continued. Eventually though, Okada used a flapjack to create space, bringing in Tanahashi who run wild on White while also taking out Fale too. White then cut him off though, taking out the champion's knee with a chop-block and then hitting a back suplex as well. Fale was back in next, mauling Tanahashi in the corner before Okada's return allowed for a double suplex to turn the tide.
That resulted in a Okada hot tag, with 'The Rainmaker' running wild and even landing a body slam before running into a Samoan Drop. Fale then hit a splash for 2 also while White battered Tanahashi on the outside. Even still, those two were soon the legal men, trading strikes until a slingblade put Tanahashi on top. Dragon screws kept 'The Dream Team' in control too but Gedo then intervened, allowing White to land a massive German suplex for 2.
Okada soon returned again, saving Tanahashi and isolating White as they strung together a pile-driver, Styles Clash and elbow drop until Gedo interfered once more. This allowed Fale to wipe out both of his foes and White then seized, hitting a Death Valley Driver for 2. Two Twist and Shouts put Tanahashi back on top from there as he even avoided a chair shot, next German suplexing Fale and taking out Gedo too. With his back turned though, White used the chair on Tanahashi's leg, next applying a figure four deathlock as Fale prevented an Okada save. Without any escape possible, Tanahashi was forced to submit.
Winners: Jay White and Bad Luck Fale
Post-match, Jay White put the belt over his shoulder and promised to repeat the feat in their title match. White claims that this is now the cutthroat era as Fale held Tanahashi in position to allow an emphatic Blade Runner too.
Thanks for following along folks, I'll be back at 1am ET for night two!
