MICHAEL ELGIN vs. CODY RHODES
Cody made the mistake of taunting too much at the start of the match, and got punished by Big Mike every single time. Elgin caught him with a stiff elbow, shoulder tackle and stalling vertical suplex for about 20 seconds. He followed up outside the ring with a slam on the apron, and continued with alternating chops and forearms in the corner. Cody finally got some offense going with an Alabama Slam, briefly slowing things down until he connected with a beautiful springboard dropkick. The cocky attitude came back into play as he tried to pose on the mat, but Big Mike just grabbed him by the throat and made him pay. Elgin hit a quick release German suplex and Falcon Arrow for two. They went back and forth with Cody missing the Disaster Kick and running into a powerslam, then Elgin missing a Buckle Bomb and getting caught in a modified Indian Deathlock. Rhodes hit the Disaster Kick and a sick spinning lariat into a Mic Check through the ropes, and came extremely close to getting the win. Elgin exploded out of nowhere with a Western lariat, then stalked his opponent to the corner for the deadlift superplex, but Cody floated over and took out the knee from behind, then hit Cross Rhodes for the win! Winner: Cody Rhodes
HIROMU TAKAHASHI (c) vs. KUSHIDA for the IWGP Jr. HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
The challenger didn’t want to wait any longer than he had to, and the two went right after each other as soon as the bell rang. Hiromu tried for an early Time Bomb but couldn’t connect, and things got personal very quick as they started throwing hard rights and lefts all over ringside. The brawl continued for several minutes until the champion launched Kushida with an exploder suplex into the turnbuckle. As quickly as it ended, another brawl broke out until Hiromu raked the eyes to get control back. He went for the sunset flip powerbomb over the ropes, but Kushida caught him in an armbar on the apron! Not satisfied, he threw the champion over the barricade and set up a chair on the floor, launching himself over the rails with a diving dropkick that sent Hiromu crashing through a second layer of barriers. Both guys eventually rolled back in the ring and Kushida fired off with a series of kicks, but got caught with a deadlift German suplex off a handspring attempt. The Timb Bomb connects, but Kushida rolled his shoulder up just before the three-count. They fought up to the top turnbuckle and Kushida broke free, this time connecting with a handspring kick. He locked in the Hoverboard Lock on the ropes, then hit a SPANISH FLY from the top, maintaining control of the submission! A rolling elbow finds its mark, followed by a kick to the now injured shoulder, and back into the Hoverboard they go. Hiromu fights out and connects with a brutal lariat – both men down. Kushida tried to steal his opponent’s sunset flip powerbomb over the ropes, but got kicked in the head for his trouble, and this time the champion connected with it. Hiromu rolled him back into the ring and hit a Death Valley Driver into the corner post, but Kushida countered a Time Bomb attempt with a roll-up for a nearfall. Another fight to the top rope, and once again Kushida tried for the Hoverboard Lock, but instead turned it into his new Back to the Future finisher from the second rope! Both guys look totally knocked out, to the point where the referee actually begins to count – something you almost never see in New Japan – but the challenger gets to his feet just before ten to save the match. They begin to trade hard elbow shots, screaming at each other until they both punch each other square in the face. The crowd is not a fan of the closed-fist punches. Kushida gets him on the mat and just starts stomping away at his face, looking for a referee stoppage, then rolls into the Hoverboard Lock and brutally wrenches on the fingers until Hiromu is forced to tap out. Winner and New Champion: KUSHIDA!
MINORU SUZUKI (c) vs. HIROOKI GOTO in a GAUNTLET MATCH for the NEVER OPENWEIGHT TITLE
The champion comes out backed by Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taka Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr. The challenger will have CHAOS members Yoshi-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii, Jado and Toru Yano in his corner. The fight immediately went to the floor with Minoru throwing Goto into the barricade and actually smashing him with a section of it, like we’ve seen a dozen times before. Things stay calm for about 12 seconds until Suzuki-Gun tries to take cheap shots at Goto, at which point the CHAOS stars go after them and a giant brawl erupts. Once they’re back in the ring the champion locks in a Fujiwara Armbar, while taking a page out of ZSJ’s playbook almost bending his digits back out of their sockets! The madness continues on the floor and even Jushin Thunder Liger on commentary has had enough of SKG, actually whipping a chair at the faction leader. Milano and Chono have to hold the juniors legend back, and Minoru blew him a kiss just to provoke him. Goto connected with a desperation lariat out of nowhere, but that’s the only offense he’s had in the entire match. The champ get right back up and starts leveling him with stiff right hands, but Goto brought himself to his feet and fired back with elbows of his own. The sounds of their elbows thudding against each other’s skulls is sickening. Goto hit the Ushigoroshi but got caught looking for the Shouten Kai and was thrown into the referee. With no official, SKG hit the ring but members of CHAOS answered the call as well. Yoshi-Hashi actually took out Desperado, Kanemaru and ZSJ like a house of fire. Minoru looked for the sleeper several times on the challenger, but Goto hit a modified GTR, then picked him up again and this time connected with the traditional GTR. He went for the pin, but Taichi came out of nowhere and pulled the ref from the ring, then nailed Goto in the back with a steel chair, followed by a brutal unprotected shot to the head. Minoru hit the Gotch-Style piledriver for the pin to retain his title. Winner and Still Champion: Minoru Suzuki
After the match Suzuki-Gun continued their assault on Goto, until Yoshi-Hashi cleared the ring and actually attacked Minoru throwing him from the ring. A loud YH chant broke out from the crowd, and the champion got on the mic and seemed to set up a future title match between the two. The faction turned to leave but YH rushed the ramp and went after them. The two factions held the champion and future challenger from each other.
TETSUYA NAITO (c) vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI for the IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE
Tanahashi has his arm and shoulder heavily bandaged and selling the effects of the attack he received at Friday’s Road to Dominion show. Naito came out and whipped the broken title belt into the ring, and seeing the state of the championship, Tanahashi left the ring and started to brawl with the champion on the floor. They brawled around ringside and back into the ring for several minutes, a loud “Tanahashi” chant breaking out, as Naito hasn’t even taken off his suit yet. It’s the champion who finally wins the brawl taking cheap shots at the partially torn bicep, and finally takes a second to get into his ring gear. Naito stalks his prey on the outside, kicking away at the shoulder and arm, slamming him into the barricade, and easily maintaining control of the match. Tana barely rolls back into the ring by 20, and endures several more minutes of an assault. Eventually the Ace completely snaps, slapping Naito across the face and raining down with closed right fists – another boo from the crowd – and even spits in the champion’s face! Tanahashi hit a Dragonscrew and they fight to the outside, the challenger throwing all caution to the wind and connecting with a massive High Fly Flow all the way down to the floor. The high risk attack took a lot out of him as well, and it’s Naito who eventually takes advantage with a dropkick to the bandaged arm, then cranking away on it in a submission. Tanahashi still has life, catching the champ out of the air with a spinning STO, shades of the LIJ member EVIL. He heads up top looking for the HFF again, but Naito crotched him on the ropes and met him with a sunset flip powerbomb; Tana rolled through into a pin for two-and-a-half! The Ace mounted the ropes once more looking for his finisher, but came up empty and crashed into the mat, clutching his arm in pain. Naito takes advantage with a sick tornado DDT using the ropes, then hits a high-angle German suplex. He looks to put it away, and finds a variation of the Destino from the second rope, but Tanahashi kicked out! Frustrated, he went for it again, but Tanahashi reversed into a Dragon suplex. Slingblade one! Slingblade two! He mounted the ropes, giving a little Nakamura pose, perhaps paying respect to the man who made the title famous, then hit the High Fly Flow! 1….2….the champion kicked out! Tanahashi immediately twisted him up into the Texas Cloverleaf, sitting down on the hold, pulling him back to the center twice, sat down even deeper, and Naito was forced to tap out! Winner and New Champion: Hiroshi Tanahashi
KAZUCHIKA OKADA (c) vs. KENNY OMEGA for the IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
The two wrestled to a time limit draw after 60 minutes. Okada retains the IWGP Heavyweight Title.
