NJPW returned to the hotbed of Osaka today with a big show and several important matches… Chono and Nagata collide in their third and final meeting of 2004, the rubber match as they stand at 1-1…. Kojima returns to New Japan to take on former TenKoji partner Tenzan and the IWGP Tag Titles are to be decided as Tanahashi and Nakamura take on Sasaki and Suzuki in a desicions match for the gold…
NJPW, 12/11/04
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
6,000 Fans – Super No Vacancy
1. El Samurai & Hiroshi Nagao beat Ryusuke Taguchi & Akiya Anzawa (10:04) when Nagao used a chokeslam on Anzawa.
2. Masayuki Naruse beat Hirooki Goto (2:51) with a cross kneelock.
3. Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask & Wataru Inoue beat Minoru Tanaka, Jado & Gedo (13:41) when Kanemoto used an ankle hold on Jado.
4. Genichiro Tenryu & Katsuhiko Nakajima beat Togi Makabe & Toru Yano (10:25) when Tenryu used the 53-years-old on Yano.
5. Takashi Iizuka, Yutaka Yoshie & Blue Wolf beat Black Strong Machine, Scott Norton & Mitsuya Nagai (14:35) when Yoshie used a diving body press on Nagai.
6. Jushin Thunder Liger Return Match: Manabu Nakanishi & Jushin Thunder Liger beat Riki Choshu & Tomohiro Ishii (8:03) when Nakanishi used the Hercules Cutter on Ishii.
7. Masahiro Chono beat Yuji Nagata (13:23) with an FTS.
8. Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Satoshi Kojima went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired.
9. IWGP Tag Team Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi & Shinsuke Nakamura beat Kensuke Sasaki & Minoru Suzuki (32:33) when Tanahashi used a Dragon suplex hold on Suzuki to become the 47th champions (decision match).
IWGP Tag Team Title History….
1. (12/12/85 @ Miyagi Sports Center) Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura beat Antonio Inoki & Seiji Sakaguchi (31:53) when Fujinami used a Dragon suplex hold on Inoki (tournament final).
2. (8/5/86 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Akira Maeda & Osamu Kido beat Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (13:52) when Kido used an inside cradle on Kimura.
3. (9/23/86 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall) Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (2) beat Akira Maeda & Osamu Kido (15:18) when Kimura pinned Kido.
— Vacated on 2/5/87 when Fujinami and Kimura split up.
4. (3/20/87 @ Tokyo Korakuen Hall) Keiji Muto & Shiro Koshinaka beat Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada (17:04) when Koshinaka used an inside cradle on Takada (tournament final).
5. (3/26/87 @ Osaka Castle Hall) Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada beat Keiji Muto & Shiro Koshinaka (15:29) when Takada used a cross kneelock on Koshinaka.
6. (9/1/87 @ Fukuoka Sports Center) Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Kazuo Yamazaki beat Akira Maeda & Nobuhiko Takada (17:39) when Yamazaki used a German suplex hold on Takada.
7. (1/18/88 @ Miyagi Sports Center) Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (3) beat Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Kazuo Yamazaki (11:27) when Kimura pinned Yamazaki.
8. (6/10/88 @ Hiroshima Prefectural Gymnasium) Riki Choshu & Masa Saito beat Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (19:49) when Masa used a Prison Lock on Kimura.
9. (3/16/89 @ Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium) Super Strong Machine & George Takano beat Riki Choshu & Masa Saito (19:20) when Masa was counted out.
10. (7/13/89 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Riki Choshu & Takayuki Iizuka beat Super Strong Machine & George Takano (16:08) when Choshu pinned Nakano.
11. (9/20/89 @ Osaka Castle Hall) Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto beat Riki Choshu & Takayuki Iizuka (18:52) when Hashimoto pinned Iizuka.
12. (4/27/90 @ Tokyo Bay NK Hall) Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono beat Masa Saito & Shinya Hashimoto (16:02) when Muto used a moonsault press on Masa.
13. (11/1/90 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki beat Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono (16:56) when Hase used a Northern Light suplex hold on Muto.
14. (12/26/90 @ Hamamatsu Arena) Super Strong Machine & Hiro Saito beat Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (10:16) when Hiro pinned Hase.
15. (3/6/91 @ Nagasaki International Gymnasium) Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (2) beat Super Strong Machine & Hiro Saito (19:02) when Sasaki pinned Hiro.
16. (3/21/91 @ Tokyo Dome) Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner beat Hiroshi Hase & Kensuke Sasaki (12:56) when Scott used a Frankensteiner on Sasaki.
17. (11/5/91 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Keiji Muto & Hiroshi Hase beat Scott Norton & Rick Steiner (17:53) when Hase used a Northern Light suplex hold on Steiner (decision match).
— Norton substituted for the injured Scott Steiner.
18. (3/1/92 @ Yokohama Arena) Big Van Vader & Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow beat Keiji Muto & Hiroshi Hase (24:18) when Vader used a chokeslam on Muto.
19. (6/26/92 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner (2) beat Big Van Vader & Crusher Bam Bam Bigelow (16:24) when Rick pinned Bigelow.
20. (11/22/92 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Scott Norton & Tony Halme beat Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner (12:49) when Norton used a powerslam on Rick.
21. (12/14/92 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior beat Scott Norton & Tony Halme (6:10) when Power pinned Halme after Hawk used a diving lariat.
22. (8/5/93 @ Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan) Scott Norton & Hercules Hernandez beat Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior (13:36) when Norton pinned Hawk.
23. (1/4/94 @ Tokyo Dome) Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior (2) beat Scott Norton & Hercules Hernandez (12:47) when Power used an ipponzei on Hercules.
24. (11/25/94 @ Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium) Keiji Muto & Hiroshi Hase (2) beat Hawk Warrior & Power Warrior (25:37) when Muto used a Frankensteiner on Hawk.
— Muto vacates the title on 5/11/95 to concentrate on the IWGP Heavyweight Title.
25. (6/12/95 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan beat Shinya Hashimoto & Junji Hirata (17:44) when Chono pinned Hashimoto (decision match).
— Vacated after Chono misses the scheduled 7/7/95 defense because of his father’s death.
26. (7/13/95 @ Nakajima Sports Center) Shinya Hashimoto & Junji Hirata beat Scott Norton & Mike Enos (16:46) when Hashimoto pinned Enos (decision match).
27. (6/12/96 @ Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium) Kazuo Yamazaki & Takashi Iizuka beat Shinya Hashimoto & Junji Hirata (16:26) when Yamazaki used a cross armbreaker on Hirata.
28. (7/16/96 @ Nakajima Sports Center) Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (2) beat Kazuo Yamazaki & Takashi Iizuka (22:17) when Chono used an STF on Iizuka.
29. (1/4/97 @ Tokyo Dome) Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (4) beat Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (16:10) when Fujinami used a Dragon sleeper on Chono.
30. (4/12/97 @ Tokyo Dome) Riki Choshu & Kensuke Sasaki beat Tatsumi Fujinami & Kengo Kimura (15:31) when Choshu used a lariat on Kimura.
31. (5/3/97 @ Osaka Dome) Manabu Nakanishi & Satoshi Kojima beat Riki Choshu & Kensuke Sasaki (11:34) when Kojima used a Dragon sleeper on Choshu.
32. (8/10/97 @ Nagoya Dome) Kensuke Sasaki & Kazuo Yamazaki beat Manabu Nakanishi & Satoshi Kojima (12:31) when Sasaki used a Northern Light bomb on Nakanishi.
33. (10/19/97 @ Kobe World Hall) Keiji Muto & Masahiro Chono (2) beat Kensuke Sasaki & Kazuo Yamazaki (24:33) when Muto used a figure-four leglock on Sasaki.
— Vacated on 5/7/98 when Muto injures a knee.
34. (6/5/98 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (3) beat Genichiro Tenryu & Shiro Koshinaka (19:51) when Tenzan used a diving headbutt on Koshinaka (tournament final).
35. (7/15/98 @ Nakajima Sports Center) Genichiro Tenryu & Shiro Koshinaka beat Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (25:10) when Tenryu used a lariat on Chono.
36. (1/4/99 @ Tokyo Dome) Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima beat Genichiro Tenryu & Shiro Koshinaka (16:35) when Tenzan used a diving headbutt on Koshinaka.
37. (3/22/99 @ Amagasaki Memorial Park Gymnasium) Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (19:34) when Sasaki used a Northern Light bomb on Tenzan.
38. (6/27/99 @ Gran Ship Shizuoka) Tatsutoshi Goto & Michiyoshi Ohara beat Kensuke Sasaki & Shiro Koshinaka (12:12) when Goto used a backdrop suplex on Koshinaka.
39. (8/28/99 @ Jingu Stadium) Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata beat Tatsutoshi Goto & Michiyoshi Ohara (16:01) when Nagata used a backdrop hold on Ohara.
40. (7/20/00 @ Hokkaido Sports Center) Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (2) beat Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata (21:33) when Kojima used a lariat on Nakanishi.
41. (9/23/01 @ Osaka Namihaya Dome) Tatsumi Fujinami & Osamu Nishimura beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (26:04) when Nishimura used a Japanese leg roll clutch hold on Kojima.
42. (10/28/01 @ Fukuoka International Center) Keiji Muto & Taiyo Kea beat Tatsumi Fujinami & Osamu Nishimura (23:47) when Muto used the Shining Wizard on Nishimura.
— Vacated on 2/1/02 when Muto leaves the company.
43. (3/24/02 @ Amagasaki Memorial Park Gymnasium) Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (4) beat Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi (23:16) when Tenzan used a moonsault press on Nagata (tournament final).
44. (6/13/03 @ Tokyo Nippon Budokan) Yutaka Yoshie & Hiroshi Tanahashi beat Masahiro Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan (26:08) when Yoshie used a diving body press on Tenzan.
45. (12/14/03 @ Nagoya Rainbow Hall) Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Osamu Nishimura beat Yutaka Yoshie & Hiroshi Tanahashi (38:08) when Tenzan used the TTD on Yoshie.
46. (2/1/04 @ Hokkaido Sports Center) Yoshihiro Takayama & Minoru Suzuki beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Osamu Nishimura (17:19) when Suzuki used a Gotch-style piledriver on Nishimura.
— Vacated on 11/21/04 after a long-term injury to Takayama results in a lack of defenses.
47. (12/11/04 @ Osaka Prefectural Gym) Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura beat Minoru Suzuki and Kensuke Sasake (32:33) when Tanahashi used a Dragon Suplex hold on Suzuki to become the 47th Champions. (Decision Match)