Csonka’s NJPW on AXS TV Review 10.28.16

NJPW on AXS TV Review 10.28.16

From NJPW New Year Dash 1.05.16 – AJ Styles & Kenny Omega defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI @ 12:01 via pin [***¾]: AJ Styles & Kenny Omega defeated Shinsuke Nakamura & YOSHI-HASHI in another quality tag match, but the match I really secondary because the angle was where things were excellent. So Omega defeats Nakamura. Once he wins, and the celebration begins, Omega has a noticeable change in posture and facial expression, which leads to the attack of AJ Styles. Omega looked almost possessed here in the best possible way and he beats on Styles. Bullet Club appears to make the save, they help up Styles and he eats Superkicks from the Bucks and Omega. They all too sweet and continue the all out assault on Styles. Omega then announced that was no longer a junior and that Styles had been fired from Bullet Club, noting that they paid Styles like a star, allowed him all the big matches and he lived like a king while Omega suffered and had to stay a junior. He then gave Styles the clash as the Bucks delivered more superkicks during the move after promising to challenge Nakamura. This was a tremendous angle to elevate Omega and to write out Styles, who bowed to the crowd once he recovered. If Styles ever returns he will be loved due to his great run, but if Omega and or the Bucks are still there, he will be a conquering hero, which is great. Omega was officially off to the races as a newly minted heavyweight due to the angle and the fact that Styles and Nakamura were both departing. This was an outstanding piece of business. I loved this exit for Styles.

From NJPW Road to New Beginning 1.30.16 – Shinsuke Nakamura, Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto & Katsuyori Shibata @ 21:48 via pin [****]: We got a really good, high quality multi-man main event here to close the show. It really felt as if they were trying to give Nakamura something great to serve as his final match. The crowd was so great here, they were into everything as he guys that were feuding did a lot of work with each other (Okada and Goto, Shibata and Ishii) to set up their upcoming matches. After a damn fine homestretch, Ishii finally scored with the brainbuster on Shibata to score the victory and set the former champion with some momentum for his NEVER title rematch. Post match Omega arrived, wanting to know who he’d be facing for Nakamura’s vacated title. It is revealed (to the shock of no one) that Tanahashi is the mystery opponent for New Beginning. Omega was really great here, healing up on Nakamura, accusing him of running away from him and being afraid to face him.

– CHAOS took the ring to close the show, and Nakamura gave a quick speech when it was all done, thanking all of the wrestlers he faced and the ones that supported him. Hw was born here, grew up here and will now go show the world what he is all about, because as long as he is a pro wrestler, he will not say goodbye. Oh, and YEAOH!

– CHAOS all hugged and shared their goodbyes. Nakamura fought off tears as he praised pro wrestling as the greatest. Okada carried Nakamura out of the arena on his shoulders; both were very emotional, and it was a cool and emotional (for the live crowd) scene. The only thing I really hated about the Nakamura departure is that he didn’t put Omega over for the title on the way out.

– There was no bonus interview recorded for this, which I feel is the only thing that they missed. I think at the very least a closing interview from Kenny Omega would have played well here. This episode was about AJ and Nakamura leaving, but that also led to the rise of Omega, which was a huge story for NJPW in 2016.

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.

“Byyyyyyyyyyyyyye Felicia.”