Close Menu
    New Japan Reviews

    NJPW Dominion 6.9 in Osaka-Jo Hall (June 09, 2018)

    31 Mins Read

    Okada/Omega IV. Enough said. Will Omega finally come through and change the world (champion) in his no-time-limit main event?

    Ahead of the show, the new CEO of the promotion, Harold Meij ran to the ring and addressed the crowd, both in English and Japanese, to tell us his dream for the company.

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c)
    Roppongi 3K earned this match because they’d beaten the champions in singles matches during the Best of the Super Juniors.

    Desperado tries a jump start, but he missed with a belt shot as Roppongi 3K took the champions outside for a tope con giro! In the ring, they double-team Kanemaru briefly as YOH collected a near-fall, before his offence was cut-off by Desperado dragging him off the apron. SHO tries to save things, but he’s whipped into the guard railings as we were given a tour of Osaka-Jo Hall!

    Meanwhile, YOH’s DDT’d from the apron to the floor by Kanemaru, who tried to get the win via count-out. The count-out’s barely broken, as YOH remained on the defensive. Finally YOH gets in a suplex as he tagged out to SHO… who had the pick of the litter as both opponents were in the ring for an eventual spear. Desperado blocks a kick but gets hit with some rolling German suplexes from SHO for a near-fall after finishing with a deadlift, bridging German.

    Desperado hit back with a spinebuster as a double team sidewalk slam/dropkick combo keeps SHO down. After reversing a gutwrench, SHO and YOH combined for the Dominator/neckbreaker double-team for a near-fall. There’s shenanigans as Kanemaru tried to mist the challengers with whisky, but he accidentally sprays Desperado… who recovered with a spear as the challengers went for a 3K.

    SHO swings and misses with a punch, while Desperado does the same for a mule kick as Suzuki-gun’s tricks were falling flat… as was Despy’s back after a Lumbar Check!

    We finally get a ref bump when Desperado flipped out of the Shock Arrow, giving Kanemaru enough time to come in for a belt shot as Despy rolls up SHO for the win. 92 days and counting as champions, but you feel there’s perhaps another shot for Roppongi 3K here as they continue their learning experience. ***¼

    Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Jay White & YOSHI-HASHI
    …and so we go again, Finlay/White part… I’ve lost count! Except Jay actually jumped Juice before the bell as the US champion started to chop Juice around the ring.

    Receipts came, as Finlay gets tagged in so he can blast through White with a diving European uppercut for a near-fall. A snapping Saito suplex dumped the newly-wed Finlay awkwardly on his head as the CHAOS team took over, with White’s pumphandle backbreaker almost snatching the win. Juice Robinson keeps distracting the referee inadvertently, keeping Finlay in there, but finally we get a tag out as Juice blasted White with some Dusty punches and a chop!

    Setting up White in the corner for a cannonball, YOSHI-HASHI’s attempted save just saw him stacked up as Juice crashed into the pair of them, ahead of a crossbody off the top that picked up a near-fall. A double-team flapjack keeps Juice and Dave ahead, but White ducks a punch and turned things back around, until a Parade of Moves ends with Juice just punching out White ahead of the Pulp Friction… and with that, Juice gets the win and a most likely title shot. Decent enough, although as spectacular as you’d expect the second match on the card to be… I guess we have a match for the G1 Special in San Francisco next month? ***

    Post-match, Juice paraded around with White’s US title, including walking over him as he surely tempted fate.

    Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.) vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano
    Three Rev Pro champions in one match here… Andy Q would be thrilled. Just don’t create a new belt for Yano, unless you plan on giving him that Bunn Leisure strap that Zack had to pretend was the world title a few months ago!

    Yes! TAKA is here and he’s doing his bit! Ishii and Suzuki are trying to scrap it out before the bell, but they restrain themselves and wait for the bell before they leather themselves with forearms. Suzuki grabs a sleeper and takes Ishii into the corner, allowing Sabre to tap in and wear down the man who beat him for the Rev Pro title two months ago, but Ishii got free and tagged in Yano… who got the sort-of beating you’d expect.

    Sabre stopped the “Ya-no-eh!” thumb points with a double armbar, but Toru gets to the rope as he finally found a good use for his “Break!” meme. Suzuki’s back in as the Rev Pro tag champs brutalise Yano with all manner of submission attempts, as a simple hammerlock forced Yano into the ropes for yet another break. Yeah, Yano’s laughed off as he tried to pull Suzuki’s hair, but he delivers an inverted atomic drop as Ishii made a return, blasting through Suzuki with chops… but Minoru was more than happy to throw as well.

    More elbows between the two led to a rear naked choke from Suzuki, but the back body drop counters a Gotch piledriver, as we go back to elbows! Sickening, clubbering elbows. They eventually put Ishii on jelly legs, before one more dual shot left both men flat on the floor ahead of tags out. Yes, Sabre’s in to tear away on Yano as he found a way to stop the shtick, countering a swing and a miss with some turnbuckle padding into a prawn hold.

    A backslide from Sabre’s good for another near-fall, before Zack blocks a low blow and counters it into a trapped arm armbar… and that is the finish. NICE! I love Sabre ripping apart fools, and those Ishii/Suzuki elbow battles ironically give you life as it takes away theirs. ***¼

    Post-match, Ishii charged after Suzuki in the aisle to continue the fight, with the pair returning to the ring with chairs! Suzuki wins out after Ishii swung, missed and lost his grip, but they continue to slap and elbow each other outside, while Yano – clutching his DVD – tried in vain to separate them. Excellent stuff.

    NEVER Openweight Championship: Taichi vs. Michael Elgin vs. Hirooki Goto (c)
    Taichi takes an early powder to the outside as the man who inserted himself into the match became an early target… but of course he returned instantly to try and snatch a win.

    It didn’t work, as he slides outside again to watch Goto grab a headlock as the seemingly mandatory shoulder block challenge began… and ended with more interruption from Taichi. Finally Taichi gets something in when he booted Elgin out of the ring, but Mike’s back in as the other two combine to kick him to the mat.

    Taichi offers a handshake, but there’ll be no union as Goto suplexes him around the ring as he wants to go it alone. It quickly becomes one of those “two in, one out” matches, with Taichi rocking Elgin with an enziguiri, only for Goto to drag him outside during a powerbomb attempt… giving Big Mike and his new generic CAW trunks a chance to fly with a tope con giro. Alright, that was impressive! We return to the ring, as Goto dumped Elgin with a Saito suplex, before Taichi catches him with a gamengiri in the corner, then a running clothesline for a near-fall. Off come Taichi’s tear-away trousers, but Goto’s not impressed as the ushigoroshi almost ended things. Some headbutts from Goto help him on his way for a superplex… but it’s Elgin who flipped himself from the apron into a powerbomb that really triggered it as the Tower of Doom completed itself.

    Elgin tries to focus on Goto, but duelling clotheslines get us no further forward as a discus elbow’s ducked from Elgin ahead of an… Ocean Cyclone Suplex?! Someone’s been watching tape! Goto back drops his way out of more stuff from Elgin, before avoiding an enziguiri to start going back to lariats and headbutts. CLONK.

    Now we get an ushigoroshi to Elgin, then the GYR for a near-fall, and that’s the cue for Taichi to try and steal things. After using his mic stand, a superkick to Goto nearly gets the win, before a Gedo clutch is broken up as Elgin picked him up and gave him a bucklebomb! A second one, dumping Taichi into Goto in the corner, followed by an Elgin Bomb gets the win – and Michael Elgin astonishingly becomes the first Westerner to hold the NEVER Openweight title. This was better than I expected, but you got the sense the crowd weren’t invested in this. With Elgin not having pinned Goto, they’re clearly moving back to the feud between those two as Goto wants his belt back. ***¼

    IWGP Tag Team Championship: Young Bucks (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) (c)
    After moving up from the juniors division, I guess they’re the Big Bucks?

    Nick and SANADA get us going as they’re straight in with some of the big guns, as SANADA’s double leapfrog doesn’t end with a dropkick, but rather a springboard armdrag as the Bucks took the early advantage, taking the champions outside as Nick hits a dive to the outside, while Matt just paced around.

    EVIL’s in to dump Matt with a sidewalk slam, before tossing him to the outside as those guard railings came into play. Matt’s kept in the ring as the champions wear him down with neckbreakers and chinlocks, before Matt’s bad back started to flare up. He tried to tag out to Nick, but EVIL’d kicked him off the apron… Nick returned to catch EVIL with a gamengiri before tagging in to try and fend off the champions single-handedly, only to kick the ring post as his PK on the apron was a swing and a miss.

    With both Bucks carrying knocks, the pace slowed down a little… and even though Nick was instinctively going for superkicks, the shots were hurting him more than LIJ. Some headscissors helped Nick escape a Magic Killer as Matt returned to help set up a double-team superplex… which EVIL countered into the Tower of Doom!

    EVIL keeps kicking at Nick’s foot… but Nick keeps trying to use it because that’s seemingly all he has. SANADA floats in with a Skull End… but Matt uses the turnbuckles to reverse it and lift SANADA up for an Indytaker… but EVIL pulls him down as we’re back in the Skull End! Matt catches EVIL in a Sharpshooter to prevent the interference, but SANADA catches him in a Skull End, only for Nick to hit a missile dropkick to break up the stacked-up submissions.

    EVIL’s back in to hit Darkness Falls on Matt for a near-fall, but Matt counters Everything is EVIL and scooped him up for the Indytaker… only for Nick to crash and burn as his foot gave way. LIJ hit their version of it for a near-fall, and now I wanna see SANADA do a Meltzer Driver… instead we get a Magic Killer, but Nick dives in to keep the match alive! A plancha from SANADA keeps him on the outside, as EVIL and Matt stayed in the ring, with Jackson countering Everything is EVIL into a backslide for a near-fall.

    Matt manages to hit a lariat as he tried to fend off some double teaming, but LIJ shrug it off, as a swinging Skull End left Matt down. He’s able to avoid a moonsault as he spears SANADA instead as another frantically-paced series starts… and ends with SANADA springboarding into a superkick! From there, the Bucks pick up SANADA and flatten him with More Bang For Your Buck… and somehow, the Young Bucks have won the titles! That was a really good match, but yet I feel a little underwhelmed – the back and foot of the Bucks curtailed their style, as you’d expect. This felt a little too soon for them to be piling up the belts. ****¼

    After the match, the Bucks “hired” Kevin Kelly and Don Callis for ALL IN. Which is a thing, because as yet that show’s not being broadcast anywhere…

    Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger & Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Bullet Club (Cody, Hangman Page & Marty Scurll)
    It’s telling that the Bullet Club trio came out to Cody’s music, which fit as I guess he’s the self-professed leader of the group.

    We started with Scurll and Mysterio… except Marty ran out and tagged in Hangman Page instead, with Page wanting Tanahashi rather than Rey. Just do a wrestle! They exchange arm wringers, hammerlocks and headlocks, before Tanahashi countered a drop down by just dropping an elbow on Page.

    We’re back to shtick as Cody’s push-ups were one-upped by Tanahashi’s Hindu push-ups, but Cody’s right in with a basement uppercut before tags took us to Marty and Rey… with Rey not wasting time in hitting the ropes to get barged down. Mysterio’s all over Scurll with headscissors, as the Villain was cornered for Liger to come in and get some retribution… sending him into the barriers with a baseball slide dropkick.

    Some hammy begging off led to Scurll getting pulled into a Romero special – after a tour of trying and failing to hit it himself – but Marty’s partners break it up. Cody blows a kiss to Rey in a shout-out to 2011, as the Bullet Club isolate Liger for a spell, with Scurll declaring that Liger “isn’t a legend to me” before he runs into a tiltawhirl backbreaker.

    Rey’s tagged back in and goes to town on Marty, hitting a Quebrada into a DDT, before a wheelbarrow took Marty into the ropes… but Hangman gets a blind tag to save Scurll from a 619. Tanahashi’s back in now, taking down Page with a Dragon screw, before Rey tries to springboard in… and just gets swatted down by Hangman as he proceeded to wipe out Tanahashi with a forearm as well.

    We’re back to Cody and Liger, with the latter trying to win with small packages before he Shotei’d the heck out of Cody for a near-fall. Hangman again saves a 619 as Marty was being prepped… but instead he’s taken into the ropes too as the 619 wiped out Scurll and Page! Things get a little wacky as there’s too much to follow, before a top rope ‘rana from Liger takes down Cody… who replies straight away with Cross Rhodes, and that’s the win. This was a fun, almost house show-style match – save for finally getting Rey his New Japan debut, this felt of little importance. ***

    Post-match, Rey flew into Cody with a springboard seated senton as Cody tried to attack Liger some more.

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay (c)
    Having won the Best of the Super Juniors with a Meltzer-rating-breaking performance, Hiromu manages to get Rey Mysterio’s old springboard trapdoor entrance. Still, at least he cared for his broken trophy, by putting a plaster on the broken wing!

    Yeah, they didn’t go slow here, starting with Ospreay charging into Hiromu with elbows, before a Shibata-ish dropkick was countered by an overhead belly-to-belly into the corner… with Ospreay then countering the sunset bomb by going onto the entrance ramp. He avoids a German suplex off the ramp and goes for a run, leaping off into a cannonball that looked to land awkwardly on Hiromu’s shoulder.

    The aggression continued as Will pulled up the mats at ringside, seemingly in search of the Storm Breaker… but instead they go back inside. Those mats were left, and I’m scared we’re going to get a sunset bomb onto the floor. The Shibata-ish dropkick’s next for a near-fall, as Ospreay starts to work on Hiromu’s arms like he’s an Essex Zack Sabre Jr… but Hiromu tries to escape and instead gets whipped into the guard rails.

    Hiromu tries to rake the eyes to escape an armbreaker, but it doesn’t work as Ospreay keeps up on the arm in the ropes. Some headscissors helped Hiromu free as he turned up the pace, taking Will outside for a shotgun dropkick off the apron, sending Ospreay into the guard railings. A back senton back into the ring’s good for a near-fall, but Ospreay gets very sweary as Hiromu chopped at him…

    An over-the-top 619 and a springboard forearm takes Hiromu down, but Ospreay’s neck is already causing issues… even more so when Hiromu dragged him into the ropes with a Tarantula. Will quickly recovers to his a Sasuke special as Hiromu had flipped onto the floor, before returning to the ring for an OsCutter… only for Takahashi to counter it into a German suplex as Will took another awkward landing. The pair get back to their feet and tee off with elbows, before a thrust kick from Hiromu led to an increase in pace and another German suplex that caused a head drop. They look to exchange reverse ‘ranas, but Ospreay ducks Hiromu’s and hits a second as a Storm Breaker’s countered into a Code Red as Will recoiled away from a cover. This is bloody insane, and we’re barely getting going!

    They head onto the apron where more elbows follow, but a hook kick knocked Hiromu down before Ospreay deadlifted him back into the ring with a superplex ahead of a shooting star press to a draped-in-the-ropes Hiromu. Commentary tagged that one the “Burning Star Press”, which Will followed up with a corkscrew press that almost caught him in the ropes for a near-fall.

    Ospreay tries again for the Storm Breaker, but again Hiromu escapes it, wriggling into the corner before leaping out with a Destroyer. That’s followed up by pulling Ospreay into the D… something Will tried to powerbomb out of, but Hiromu’s D is too strong! Another powerbomb out of the D sees Hiromu spiked on his head.

    He recovers to take Ospreay outside for the sunset bomb, thankfully landing more on the mat than the floor, before the Dynamite Plunger almost ended the match. The Time Bomb’s next, but Ospreay flips out and nails another hook kick, before a reverse roundhouse sent Hiromu folding back to the mat. Another Storm Breaker’s countered into the D, as Ospreay escapes… and earns himself a D Driver! GOOD GOD.

    A lawn darting death valley driver into the buckles is next for Hiromu, as is the Time Bomb, and we have a new champion! Thankfully they didn’t go hog wild in the whole “let’s try and kill each other” stakes, but there was a LOT of scary head bumps here, with Hiromu wearing down an already worn Ospreay in the final five minutes and finally reclaiming the title. The long-term story that started (for real) with Ospreay nearly decapitating himself against Marty Scurll at Sakura Genesis pays off, and Mr Belt is back! ****½

    IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito (c)
    Having originally jumped Naito at New Year Dash, then disappearing, it felt like all was lost for this feud… but a sneak attack from Jericho at Wrestling Dontaku sparked this all off again, and began a slew of swear-filled promos against Naito. FxxKFACE.

    We’ve a jump start as Jericho attacked Naito from behind as he was walking around ringside, and we’re all in with the aggression early as Jericho throws a guard rail onto Naito before a suplex takes him onto the concrete floor. A camera tripod’s next, as is the timekeeper’s table… which Naito gets powerbombed through as the table was propped against the guard rails.

    For once, it broke!

    They’re back into the crowd as Jericho found another table and DDT’s Naito… who goes upside down as he bounced off it. Jesus fecking Christ.

    Finally they get to the as the match began… but a bloodied Naito easily kicked out as Jericho’s cover was rather lackadaisical. A butterfly backbreaker and a Lionsault’s next as Jericho is absolutely dominating Naito, who’s still reeling from the two table bumps earlier, as he’s still in his Saturday Night Fever entrance gear, and quickly on the mat as Jericho whipped him into the corner. The Walls of Jericho’s next, but Naito’s able to break in the ropes, as he finally gets into something resembling a gear, taking Jericho into the corner before tripping him for the outside-in dropkick.

    There’s a smattering of boos, as Jericho’s taken onto the apron for a neckbreaker, then from the apron to the floor with another, before charging Jericho into the guard rails as the remnants of the table came into play with Naito whacking Chris with some of the wood. Naito goes back to the second table and dishes out a piledriver… and like the DDT earlier, it didn’t budge!

    You can hear Don Callis mutter “Jesus” as Jericho’s taken back to the ring for a missile dropkick to the back of the head, but Naito again heads up top and sees his top rope ‘rana countered into what would have been a nasty avalanche Ganso bomb ahead of the Walls of Jericho!

    Second time was the charm for the ‘rana, as Naito followed in with a tornado DDT for a near-fall, but Jericho’s quickly back in with the Walls, almost making Naito pass out… but with his last gasp, he makes it to the ropes! Naito’s right back in with a hot shot and a German suplex, before Destino’s awkwardly countered into a roll-up for a near-fall. Like before, second time was the charm for Destino, but Jericho gets his hand to the ropes to pop those who remember his feud with Kevin Owens.

    Naito spits out at Jericho as blood pored down his cheek, but he runs into a Codebreaker for a near-fall as the production crew showed a replay instead. Another crack at Destino ends with an elbow, but Naito gets his knees up to block a Lionsault as he returned fire with Gloria, landing Jericho on his upper back, before Jericho avoids Destino, shoves the ref and kicks Naito low. With the referee back, we’ve a Codebreaker… and Jericho wins? I was not expecting that result. This was a good outing, totally different to what you usually see on a New Japan show… and now Jericho can brag about holding another Intercontinental title. ****¼

    Post-match, Jericho laid out Naito with the title belt, then with the belt from his trousers, until the save is made by EVIL?! The crowd popped when EVIL dropped Jericho with a lariat, so I guess that’s our first defence?

    Two-of-three-falls for IWGP Championship: Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada (c)
    There’s no time limit here, so get comfortable because I’ve a feeling we’re going to be here for at least an hour, especially since we’re barely at 7.15pm in Osaka when the hype videos began.

    The entry video for Omega showed his struggles within the Bullet Club, and how the “light” that was Kota Ibushi saved him as we’re shown the Bullet Club logo dissolving. Just a reminder: if Okada wins, he’s all but certain of passing the TWO YEAR mark as champion. In the modern era, that’s nuts, especially when you consider how much of a hot potato some titles have been.

    So, at 11.22am UK time, the bell goes!

    They start off slowly, with Okada grabbing the wrist as they keep things on the mat, with a hammerlock helping Omega into the first pinning attempt, forcing Okada into the ropes. Okada goes for a leg grapevine, but Omega’s able to drag into the ropes, as the five minute mark passed with very little of note… before they exchange some mockingly-clean breaks in the corners.

    Kenny tried to charge in with a V-trigger into the corner, but it misses as the match quickly exploded, but we’re still getting a lot of counters as they teased Rainmakers and One Winged Angels, only for Okada to spill to the outside as a counter. On the floor, they go at it with back-and-forth elbows, before Omega’s whipped hard into the guard rails… and kicked over them as Okada set up for the crossbody over the railings, which Kenny countered with a brutal V-trigger to the shoulder!

    Omega keeps it in the crowd as he propped a rail onto some chairs, then slammed Okada through it, before bringing the match back to the ring for some elbows to the shoulder as Kenny tried to get a relatively quick first fall. Some kicks to the back follow as Okada seemingly begged for those shots, which may have been a mistake as Kenny seized the upper hand and took the champion down with a running backbreaker.

    An Arabian clutch saw Kenny try to force a submission, upgrading it into a camel clutch before Okada was able to pull his way into the ropes. A barrage of chops from Omega ended when Okada pulled him into a flapjack, following in with a back elbow after Kenny had been sent into the ropes. It was starting to look comfortable and familiar for the champion, as a DDT gets a near-fall, before a cobra clutch kept up Okada’s attempt to get a win… except Omega sends him outside before Okada won a battle of planchas.

    Returning to the ring, Omega shrugs off a boot to the face and hits a ‘rana, taking Okada to the outside and over the railings as we have our set-up for a massive dive… a springboard crossbody into the crowd! In the ring again, a Kotaro Krusher gets a near-fall as Omega followed in with Aoi Shoudou and an eventual V-trigger… but a snap reverse ‘rana’s blocked as Okada folds him up with a German suplex for a near-fall!

    Okada grabs the wrist, but Omega backs into the corner before a Rainmaker can be attempted, as we pass the 20 minute mark with Omega waffling Okada with a forearm. Things quickly turn up a notch as Omega’s tombstone’d onto the apron, then dropkicked off of it as he’d just gotten back to his feet, with Kenny awkwardly bouncing off of the railings kidney-first.

    That gave Okada a big bullseye to aim for, as the fist fall started to seem academic. Bodyslam, top rope elbow, Rainmaker pose… Okada was perhaps too cocky, as he was caught with a snap Dragon suplex as Kenny took the chance, and sent Okada to the outside for a Terminator dive, nailing the champion with a tope con giro into the aisle! We’ve a callback to past matches as Omega missile dropkicks Okada in the back of the head again, getting a near-fall as he softened him up for a One Winged Angel… but Okada gets out and right into a V-trigger!

    Another One Winged Angel’s switched into Croyt’s Wrath as Kenny came achingly close to that first fall, following back in with another V-trigger… but Okada’s still able to escape the One Winged Angel! A dropkick swings things back around, but Kenny countered a Rainmaker with a V-trigger, and it’s still not enough! A butterfly suplex gets countered as Okada hits a second tombstone, before a Rainmaker counter is sat down on… and it’s 1-0 Kazuchika Okada at 28:47.

    There’s a two-minute break, before the second fall started with Omega charging into Okada with forearms… but Kazuchika lifts him up and dropkicks him to the floor, following him outside as we start to see a more deliberate and aggressive champion. One that wrenched at Omega’s head in the guard rails, before attempting to whip Kenny into the guard rails… Omega blocks it, but his attempt to springboard back ends when he’s shoved into the crowd, then brought back in with a draping DDT off the railings.

    Back in the ring, Omega’s seemingly reduced to weak punches to the gut, before he lit up Okada with chops that eventually registered… only to get decked with a big boot. The cobra clutch is next, which Omega finally escapes with a jaw breaker as we’re back to those chops and a back suplex as Kenny broke free. We’re back outside as a back suplex dumps Okada onto the apron, before he grabbed a table and set it on top of Okada for a stomp that drove the wood through him!

    Callbacks!

    In the ring again, Okada misses a back senton as Kenny tries the Finlay roll… but Okada escaped and hits a suplex before a shotgun dropkick flew Omega back into the corner. They’re beyond slowing down now as Omega catches Okada with chops to stop him on the top rope, before he’s brought down with an avalanche Aoi Shoudou as the second fall passed the ten-minute mark.

    Second time was the charm for the Finlay roll, but Okada gets the knees up to block a springboard moonsault… and now Okada has eyes for the table. An attempted back body drop from the ring to the table fails as Omega hits a tornado DDT instead, sending Okada to the apron as Kenny also has eyes on the wood… teasing a German suplex off the apron that would almost surely be death. Eventually Okada elbows him off and gets hit with a reverse ‘rana on the floor as doom was avoided!

    Instead, we had a count-out tease… as Okada returned into a V-trigger, but the One Winged Angel is countered into a jumping tombstone! A Rainmaker’s countered into a spiking uranage though, and both men are left laying on the mat. Kenny’s back with more thunderous chops, as we’re back to elbows, and good heavens, they’ve found a second wind! Snap Dragon suplex… dropkick… and a dropkick from Kenny too! A powerbomb from Omega sees him relinquish the fall as Okada almost gets two falls in exactly the same way, but Kenny’s up and into another V-trigger! Omega hits a Praying Mantis Bomb… but Okada’s shoulder’s barely up in time as Kenny’s on the resurgence… another V-trigger leads us into a One Winged Angel, and it’s tied at 1-1 after a second fall of 18:41!

    We’re nearly 50 minutes since the opening bell as commentary reminds us that Okada’s never kicked out of the One Winged Angel… and this final fall is crucial… but Okada’s in a bad way, still flat on his back as Gedo’s trying to revive him. Okada’s barely getting back to his feet, and Omega hits him with a V-trigger at the bell!

    A One Winged Angel’s avoided as the Rainmaker decks Omega, but there’s a huge delay as Okada dragged himself into the cover, picking up a near-fall in the process. Okada tries to pick up Omega for another tombstone, but Kenny grabs hold of the boot and tries to counter it as they’re just gutwrenching each other, but an attempted dropkick from Okada missed as Kenny staggered and fell into the ropes from the whip.

    Again, yay for more callbacks!

    Kenny again goes for the Praying Mantis, but instead he switches it into the Styles Clash… and my God, there’s an über callback to the time Omega interjected himself in Kota Ibushi’s title shot with AJ Styles. Three years ago.

    Kenny can’t quite keep Okada up for another One Winged Angel, and it instead gets countered into a tombstone… except Kenny counters that into a package tombstone as we’re all about the near-near falls! Ibushi threatens to throw in the towel… which just prompts Omega into a Phoenix splash, which misses as Okada returns with a dropkick to the back as the self-professed “Best Bout Machine” is spent. Another tombstone is escaped and met with a V-trigger, then another, and another… but Okada catches a fourth and hits a dropkick before going back to the tombstone… and instead gets another dropkick!

    Okada grabs the wrist and goes for a Rainmaker, but Omega barely budges as both men eventually crumble to the mat! Referee Red Shoes starts the standing ten-count, as a double KO draw would surely be unlikely… and thankfully Omega’s back to his knees as we crossed the ten minute mark in the third fall. He slammed his head into Okada as they stayed on their knees, and the camera zooms back to remind of that table on the outside…

    Just as Okada hits a Rainmaker, keeping hold of the wrist for good measure! Another Rainmaker folds Kenny like an accordion, but Okada doesn’t have enough left in him for a cover, so he’s in for another Rainmaker, which Kenny ducks… and responds with a German suplex as he keeps hold of the waistlock! Omega rolls in another German, but Okada counters with one of his own, switching wrist control on the way down, only for another Rainmaker to be ducked and met with some more Germans.

    A reverse ‘rana spiked Okada and sent him into the ropes… Kenny pulls himself up using the ref, but gets met with a dropkick, before he snapped in with a One Winged Angel right out of nowhere! He can’t make the cover though as Okada quickly pulls himself into the ropes.

    Kenny’s up first with a V-trigger that nearly sent him to the floor… and one more One Winged Angel follows… and NEW! Kenny Omega has done it! 16:55 of the third fall, The Best Bout Machine, The Cleaner, Kenny Omega is your new IWGP Heavyweight Champion… and they’ve just surpassed all of their matches for the big switch. Uncle Dave will shatter his already-broken record, but for us… this is as “full boat” as you can go. *****

    You’re looking at 1 hour, 9 minutes and 49 seconds from the first bell, or 1 hour, 4 minutes and 23 seconds of bell time. Marathon-like. The epic title reign of Kazuchika Okada ends after 12 defences, and now Kenny Omega has achieved his final goal!

    The Young Bucks were out after the match and hugged Kenny… the post-match celebrations saw Kenny vow to take New Japan to the next level, although the mischievous part of me can’t help but notice that Kota Ibushi was the only one in that ring without any kind of gold. But perhaps Omega throwing in “you should be tranquilo” was a bit of a shot? Cody appeared to try and spoil the party, but he just walked off. So, what’s next? Well, the G1 Climax starts in little over a month, and you can bet your bottom dollar that Okada will be looking to make the first step in reclaiming his title… but with Cody appearing to cast a shadow at the end, there’s the obvious step there. The King is Dead, Long Live The King, and wherever he and his Golden Elite may take us!

    It goes without saying, Dominion lived up to the hype. Everything on here delivered, and the match that some perhaps worried would have been overhyped, was far from it. Sure, you’re looking at a near five-hour show, but this is the epitome of a show that’s worth your time, particularly those final three matches… but really, you should watch it all.

    History. Made.

    Related Posts