New Japan "Dominion" iPPV - Tanahashi vs Devitt - live 6/22

[Warner2BruceTD]

http://www.ustream.tv/njpw

NJPW "DOMINION 6.22", 22.06.2013 (WPW/iPPV)
Osaka BODYMAKER COLOSSEUM

0. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask vs. TAKA Michinoku & Taichi
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Rocky Romero & Alex Koslov (c) vs. Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA
2. Yuji Nagata, Ryusuke Taguchi & Captain New Japan vs. Karl Anderson, Tama Tonga & Bad Luck Fale
3. IWGP Tag Team Title, 3 Way Match: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (c) vs. Lance Archer & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka
4. NWA World Heavyweight Title: Rob Conway (c) vs. Manabu Nakanishi
5. Shinsuke Nakamura & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Minoru Suzuki & Shelton Benjamin
6. Tetsuya Naito Return Match: Tetsuya Naito vs. Yujiro Takahashi
7. Special Singles Match: Hirooki Goto vs. Katsuyori Shibata
8. Special Singles Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Prince Devitt
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Togi Makabe

Notes:
-Show starts at 4am eastern. On demand runs until 6/30.
-Taguchi is out of match #2. Tomoaki Honma is his replacement.
-Match #3 is unique, with three sets of champions. Archer & Smith are the NWA champs, Yano & Iizuka are the GHC champs (NOAH).
-This is Naito's return from reconstructive knee surgery. Naito & Okada are expected be the next legendary long term rivals in New Japan.

My thoughts:
0. Pre show match. Nothing to see here. Hey, you get Liger for free. Plus, TAKA is coming...mother fucker. Gets me every time.
1. Feels like deja vu. Desperately need new blood here. Should be fine.
2. Bullet Club extended squash, will no doubt kill Cpt. New Japan again.
3. Last multi team match was a mess. I expect this to be better. Outcome can go any of three ways, which helps.
4. Nakanishi can't go anymore. This could be really bad. I expect it to be short and inoffensive. Conway should retain.
5. Real sleeper here. Iishi is the current underrated darling. Shelton's motivation is always a question.
6. Naito's revenge. Takahashi injured him (kayfabe), former tag partners. Blowoff match.
7. Rematch from the double KO last iPPV.
8. The real main event. You can argue this is a one match show, but what a match it is. Devitt says if he wins, he wants the champ.
9. Makabe has no chance. Layup title defense. Only intrigue is if Okada can get a 4-star or better New Japan caliber main event out of this.

This is all about Devitt/Tanahashi. Devitt is arguably the greatest thing in the entire wrestling business right now (apologies to The Shield, but it's true). A win over Tanahashi puts him officially on the map as a top line player after many years dominating the junior scene. He is the current junior champ and went undefeated in winning the Super Juniors. He has held both junior title countless times. There is nothing left for him to do at that level. It's time to be elevated. He has found himself a winner of a gimmick as a heel, has charisma for days, and can work at the main event level without question. He should pin Tanahashi clean in the middle, and be elevated. This could end up being one of those epic, memorable, star making moments. We'll see if they pull the trigger on "the real shooter". I'm hyped.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I've conferred with the VOW offices. There will be live tweeting from the VOW account. If you are both cheap and an insomniac, follow along.

 

[FedEx227]

We're scrambling at VOW HQ to try to make this work! Interns running around trying to get this firing on all cylinders.

 

[FedEx227]

These kids are great I tell ya.

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2013/06/21/new-japan-pro-wrestling-dominion-june-22-2013/

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Full review coming.

Very good show. Shibata/Goto & Okada/Makabe were the best matches. Nothing was bad and the stuff that was 'meh' was kept short.

Loved Shibata/Goto.

 

[calgaryballer]

If the Devitt one wasn't one of the best does that mean it was a let down?

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

If the Devitt one wasn't one of the best does that mean it was a let down?

I wouldn't call it a let down, but I liked the other two matches better.

I had everything at 3-stars or better except for two matches, and those were both kept short. It was a very strong show top to bottom. It wasn't King of Pro Wrestling or WrestleKingdom, but those were legendary shows and not a fair standard. This was a middle of the pack New Japan iPPV, which means it was a really kick ass show since the iPPV's have ranged from good to all time great.

I had Devitt/Tanahashi at ***3/4. They only went 15:00 and there was lots of outside interference. No clean finish, either. They worked hard and the match was a lot of fun.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

That was Tanahashi's first pinfall loss in a non title, non tournament match since May 2010 (Toru Yano).

 

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I would bump Devitt/Tanahashi to a ****, but I'm notoriously a higher grader than Warner. I liked it. I'd defer to Goto/Shibata as the best match though. Not by much though. Okada, like Tanahashi, delivers in the main events.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

My review.

http://www.voicesofwrestling.com/2013/06/23/njpw-dominion-proves-to-be-more-than-a-one-match-show/

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

From somebody who understands Japanese:

- There was a massive demand for tickets so they abandoned using their usual entrance ramp set in favour of more seats.
- The guest commentator during Shibata/Goto was their high school wrestling coach.
- From Yujiros promo, the nurse valets were in case he re-injured Naito's knee.

1. Enough about Okada as a draw. This thing sold out before Tanahashi even had a match, when the only announced match was Okada va Makabe.
2. I had no idea these guys were high school wrestling teammates, or at minimum went to the same high school. Added dimension to the feud.
3. Well, this is just awesome. I thought the slutty nurses were just because Takahashi does a sleazy playboy gimmick. I never made the obvious connection.