RYUSUKE TAGUCHI, CHRIS SABIN, ACH & TOA HENARE vs. JYUSHIN THUNDER LIGER, TIGER MASK, VOLADOR, JR. & SOBERANO, JR. (6:10): A lot of these guys were in Japan for the Jr. tag team tournament for the last few weeks, hence why the two CMLL dudes were in this match. Soberano, Jr. slipped on the ropes numerous times during the tournament but still did some pretty cool flips and dives. Volador, Jr. is always exciting and the crowd loves Taguchi and ACH. This was short and fun. **1/2
TAMA TONGA, TANGA LOA & ROBBIE EAGLES vs. TOGI MAKABE, TOMOAKI HONMA & KUSHIDA (7:39): Honma's still doing multiple diving head butts...even though he had a neck injury. Perhaps he's suicidal. Eagles is from Australia and was in the Jr. tag tournament. The tournament was his New Japan debut. He's great, albeit a B-version of Ospreay. Taiji Ishimori, who wasn't in the match, hobbled out on crutches and hit Kushida with a crutch. They're set to face each other at the Dome. This was short and fairly entertaining. **1/2
KAZUCHIKA OKADA & BERETTA vs. JAY WHITE & BAD LUCK FALE (4:32): This was to set up the White/Okada Dome match. So it was just Okada and White going on at it and Gedo interfering. White has turned into a pretty entertaining heel...but rarely transfers that into a great match (the one exception this year was the Juice/White match in San Francisco which was awesome). **
KENNY OMEGA & KOTA IBUSHI vs. HIROSHI TANAHASHI & DAVID FINLAY (9:47): This was more to set up Omega/Tanahashi at the Dome than anything. Usually a Golden Lovers tag match would be incredible, but they played it safe here and it was just okay. Omega's facing Findlay in California for New Japan next weekend at some low key Young Lions match. I barely know who Findlay is yet he's been in the company for years. Ibushi looked incredible as always, though. **1/2
ROPPONGI 3K vs. YOSHINOBU KANEMARU & EL DESPERADO vs. BUSHI & SHINGO TAKAGI (15:55): Good match by the end. Roppongi won the titles here. This was the final of the Jr. tag tournament. And yes, what's the point of having a tournament when three teams are in the final anyway? Half the teams made the final. And they're doing this match again at the Dome. Shingo Takagi is the new dude from Dragon Gate. He's great. He's more brute force and pain than high flying, though. **1/2
HIROOKI GOTO vs. TAICHI (15:02): Ospreay got hurt so they threw Goto into his spot then gave him the NEVER title. Hmmm. We were going to get Ospreay/Ibushi at the Dome and now that's out. Fuck. That's two straight years that Ibushi gets a dream match at the Dome scrapped (he was rumored to face Omega last year). As for Taichi...he fucking blows! Hilarious entrance, though. There's that. Maybe he should just enter and leave and never wrestle. 1/2*
TOMOHIRO ISHII vs. MINORU SUZUKI (19:21): This was supposedly for the British Heavyweight title...which they didn't bring to the ring. So was it? Ishii retained either way in a brutal match that was good but not great. Suzuki is aging fast and these two have had better matches against each other in the past. **1/2
TETSUYA NATIO vs. ZACK SABRE, JR. (20:12): I guess I'm not a big fan of Zack...because the wrestling fans loved this match and I was bored. I do admire the fact that Zack's submission style of wrestling is different...but, unfortunately, it's a little too slow for me. This was good in spots but didn't really have the heightened drama at the end that it needed. **
CHRIS JERICHO vs. EVIL (21:40): Ugh. Will New Japan fire Jericho already? He's old and fat and all he does is brawl and breathe heavy and his matches are sloppy as fuck now. It didn't help that he was facing Evil, the dullest of the dull. Jericho retained the IC title and is set to face Naito again, this time at the Dome. I suppose it wasn't Crown Jewel-esque awful, but it certainly wasn't good. *
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