New Japan
In NJPW the G1 Tag League finally came to a conclusion as Tanahashi and Kanemoto once more made it to the final as they did last year and this time came across the IWGP Tag champions Bernard and Tomko. Both teams had previously taken part in a semi final match and the toll was too much on the native team as Koji was downed by Bernard and his Bernard Bomb (Sit Out Last Ride Powerbomb) making the Americans ‘two crown’ champions.
Also on the November 11th show at the Sumo Hall Tanahashi was again in action as he took on number one contender Hirooki Goto in the first defence of his IWGP title since winning it for a second time. The two had what has been called a cert for MOTY in Japan with Tana winning in the end with a Cloverleaf hold after half an hour of action.
On the same show TNA started its friendly war with the company with Senshi and Daniels of xXx taking on Devitt and Minoru of BLACK and earning the ‘W’ when Senshi dropped the Warriors Way (Double Footed Stomp off the top) on Minoru for a big win. Daniels had of course been part of the company before when as Curry Man he and American Dragon won the IWGP Jr. Tag Titles before Daniels injured his shoulder and the pair needed to drop the gold.
Ron Killings was supposed to also be on the show to face Tiger Mask (IV) but missed his flight… however Rhino managed to make his and he made quick work of Toru Yano, the former WEW Heavyweight Champion with a GORE! GORE! GORE!
In relation to this the big TNA guns are set to be wheeled out for the January 4th Tokyo Dome show as four matches have been announces. Japanese ‘monster’ Manabu Nakanishi will collide with ‘The Monster’ Abyss as well as the legendary Steiner Brothers coming back to New Japan to face Tomko and Bernard with the IWGP tag belts on the line…
Also announced Tanahashi will face the number one contender’s match that will take place on the 9th of December, at the moment that is either Makabe or Nakamura. But the BIG news is that Kurt Angle will once more return to the NJPW ring in something of a dream match as he will put the Inoki 3rd Generation Title (a.k.a. the belt Lesnar STOLE) on the line against two time former IWGP champion and 2001 G-1 Climax winner Yuji Nagata!
Pro Wrestling NOAH
So Joe got beaten by Misawa in a disappointing match… that’s the bad news…
Good news?
Kobashi will be back on December the 2nd and will team with Takayama against Misawa and Akiyama.
But there is a tour going on at the moment after all and some big results have occurred already.
The card on the 19th saw two title matches as Kanemaru defended his newly won Jr. Title against the tag partner of former (Kotaro Suzuki), none other then the ‘Hit Latino’ Ricky Marvin. Also the GHC Hardcore Openweight Title ceased to be a tag belt as the co-holders faced each other to make the title a singles belt once more.
Kentaro Shinga faced Kishin Kawabata and the two tangled twenty four minutes before Kawabata dropped his special occasion Moonsault to unify the title and take it home with him. In the other title match Kanemaru dropped Marvin on his head with the Touch Out (Spinning Brainbuster) in a near twenty minute battle to retain the gold…
Dragon Gate
Kenzo Suzuki has arrived and as usual is stinking up the ring as a member of Muscle Outlaw’z. He will face Dragon Kid in his first singles match on the 25th of November at the ‘Gate of Destiny’ show on which Doi and Yoshino will defend their Twin Gate tag belts against Yokosuka and Saito as well as Mochi, Fuji and K-NESS will face another MO’z team in GAMMA, Kanda and NOSAWA as they also defend a title, this one being the Triangle Gate.
But the main event will see CIMA face off against NEW HAZARD leader Shingo Takagi as CIMA looks to defend his Open the Dream Gate title for the second time.
British wrestling fans will be glad to know that PAC, the replacement in Typhoon for the WWE bound Matt Sydal is doing well and picking lots of wins in six man tag matches with his 360 Shooting Star Press.
All Japan Pro Wrestling
Quiet on the AJPW front as the Real World Tag League hasn’t started yet. It does however get under way with the first card taking place on the 23rd.
AJPW, 11/23/07 (GAORA TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1. Seiya Sanada vs. Ryuji Yamaguchi
2. Miguel Hayashi Jr., PEPE Michinoku & El NOSAWA Mendoza vs. Ryuji Hijikata, MAZADA & T28
3. Manabu Soya vs. Shuji Kondo
4. Taiyo Kea, Hawaiian Lion & Nobukazu Hirai vs. TARU, ZODIAC & "brother" YASSHI
5. Real World Tag League: Abdullah The Butcher & Minoru Suzuki vs. Nobutaka Araya & Touru Owashi
6. Real World Tag League: Osamu Nishimura & Masanobu Fuchi vs. Kensuke Sasaki & Toshiaki Kawada
7. Real World Tag League: Keiji Muto & Joe Doering vs. Satoshi Kojima & Suwama
Other Stuff
Toryumon Mexico and The Kensuke Office have joined up and will run a show in February.
Muga World is still trucking despite losing Nishimura with a five card show that took place on the 18th. Fujinami defeated Nagai in the main event with a Dragon Sleeper whilst Yukata Yoshie defeated Gran Hamada and Ebessan III in a handicap match when he squished Ebessan with a diving body press.
Yoshito Sasaki brought back the NWA UN Heavyweight Title to Zero One MAX when he defeated Daisuke Sekimoto with a lariat.
Also on that show not one BUT three 15 anniversary matches took place as Otani, Takaiwa and Omori celebrated their fifteenth year in the business. Takaiwa went through three youngsters with various submission holds in a gauntlet style match before Omori took on ‘Hollywood’ Stalker Ichikawa and defeated him in short order with an Axe Bomber before Nagata came over to Z-1 to team with former NJPW friend Otani to face and defeat Masato Tanaka and Sai in the main event with Otani getting the win with his Diao Cobra Hold.