New Japan on AXS TV Episode 5
February 13, 2015
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Josh Barnett
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Kazuchika Okada welcomes us to the show.
Okada: “July 20, 2013, Part 3 of Akita Championship, World Pro Wrestling returns.
This week, we will see 2 matches from the “Kizuna Road” show in Akita, Japan from July 20, 2013.
8-Man Tag: The Bullet Club (“The Machine Gun” Karl Anderson, “The Underboss” Bad Luck Fale, “The Bad Boy” Tama Tonga & El Terrible) vs. “The Ace of the Universe” Hiroshi Tanahashi, “The Unchained Gorilla” Togi Makabe, Jushin “Thunder” Liger & Captain New Japan
We join this match in progress. Tanahashi hits Anderson with a 2nd Rope Crossbody. Makabe with a back body drop to Tonga. Liger in, sends Tonga outside, then hits him with a baseball slide. Terrible sent outside, he gets hit with a baseball slide. Fale sends Liger outside, but Anderson accidentally hits Fale with a baseball slide, then Liger wipes out Anderson with a running senton off the apron! Back in, Liger with a slam to Tonga, then heads up top, but Fale grabs his leg, allowing Tonga to dropkick him off the ropes and to the outside. Anderson with a flying kick in the corner to Captain, followed by a clothesline by Terrible and an avalanche by Tonga & Fale. Back suplex/neckbreaker combo by Bullet Club, Team Tanahashi breaks it up. Anderson with a TKO to Captain for a close 2. Anderson goes for the Gun Stun, but Captain blocks it and hits a throat thrust, followed by a flying shoulder tackle. Terrible in, right hands to Captain, but Captain catches a clothesline and hits a urnangi. Tanahashi in, forearms and gut shots to Terrible, followed by a flying forearm. Tanahashi with a crossbody, knocking the Bullet Club off the apron. Terrible with a big slap to Tanahashi, but Tanahashi slips out of a suplex and hits a Dragon Screw. Tanahashi off the ropes, but Fale with a cheapshot. Fale holds Tanahashi for Terrible, but Tanahashi ducks and Terrible accidentally hits Fale! Makabe in, clothesline to Terrible. Anderson & Tonga go to double team Makabe, but he hits them with a double clothesline. Makabe runs into a boot by Fale, but Captain with a throat thrust to Fale, followed by Liger hitting the palm strike, then Makabe clotheslines Fale to the outside. Terrible stops Tanahashi off the ropes and hits a series of chops. Tanahashi comes back with the Straitjacket German for a close 2. Tanahashi with a slam, then heads up top.
HIGH FLY FLOW!!! 1-2-3!
Winners: “The Ace of the Universe” Hiroshi Tanahashi, “The Unchained Gorilla” Togi Makabe, Jushin “Thunder” Liger & Captain New Japan by pinfall (High Fly Flow)
Team Tanahashi celebrate their win afterwards as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial, we go to comments from Okada prior to his match with Devitt.
Okada: “Well, I think it went well. I got the booing that I was expecting. CHAOS hasn’t been booed the same way, so I think that a pretty good heel group has emerged. They broke rules when the referee wasn’t watching. If it was just Devitt, the match would have ended normally. I was almost glad the others intervened the battle. I personally enjoyed that. People say I’m quick, but a Jr. Heavyweight Champion was on a whole different level. I felt that I’d need to wrestle in my rhythm.”
Main Event for the IWGP Title: IWGP Jr. Champion “The Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla” Prince Devitt w/The Bullet Club vs. “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada (c) w/Gedo
Commentary brings up how groundbreaking Devitt receiving a IWGP Title shot is with being Jr. Champion, bringing up Liger’s long reign with the Jr. Title in the ’90s and only receiving a non-title match against then-IWGP Champion Shinya Hashimoto.
Crowd chants for Okada as the bell sounds. Chain wrestling early, stalemate. More chain wrestling, another stalemate. Okada with a side headlock and a shoulder tackle. Devitt avoids the Rainmaker, Okada avoids the Dreamcast (Windmill Kick), another stalemate. Okada backs Devitt into the ropes, taps him on the chest, then does the Rainmaker pose. Okada catches a kick and hits a shot to the leg, followed by an elbow to the head. Okada goes for the running sliding basement dropkick, but Devitt avoids it and Fale grabs Okada’s legs, allowing Devitt to hit Okada with a slingshot double stomp! Devitt seats Okada on a chair by the barricade, then charges and hits Okada with a hestiation dropkick! Devitt rolls back in as the ref begins his 20 count. Devitt removes the turnbuckle pad from one of the corners, Okada rolls back in as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Devitt stomps away at Okada, followed by a forearm to the back. Okada sent back-first into the exposed corner that Devitt had exposed earlier. Abdominal stretch applied by Devitt, with Anderson giving him extra leverage behind the ref’s back. Devitt with a roll-up for 2. Crowd wills on Okada. Neck vise applied by Devitt as he trash talks Okada. Okada fights out with gut shots, but Devitt catches him with a dropkick, then mocks Okada’s Rainmaker pose. Gedo hops up on the apron, but that allows Anderson to grab Okada and hit him with the Apron Powerbomb! Anderson rolls Okada back in and Devitt gets a close 2. Devitt with an elbow drop to the back of Okada for another 2. Chinlock applied by Devitt, with his knee driven into Okada’s back. Commentary brings up how the Bullet Club spits in the face of Japanese traditions. Okada gets to the ropes. Okada fights back with a series of forearms, then sends Devitt into the exposed corner and finally hits a neckbreaker. Okada with a series of uppercuts, followed by a running back elbow in the corner. Okada spikes Devitt with a DDT, kips up and this time hits the running sliding basement dropkick for 2. Okada catches a Devitt kick and hits a big boot, followed by a Straitjacket Neckbreaker for 2. Okada with a slam, then heads up top and hits the Top Rope Elbow Drop. Okada does the Rainmaker Pose as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Okada goes for the Rainmaker on Devitt, but Devitt counters it with a crucifix for 2. Devitt with a series of chops in the corner, followed by a running chop. Devitt avoids a corner charge, goes onto the apron, hits another chop, then hits a slingshot Mushroom Stomp, sending Okada outside. Devitt with a head of steam and wipes out Okada with a flip dive! Back in, Devitt with a running dropkick to the back of Okada in the corner, then heads up top and hits a Mushroom Stomp for a close 2. Devitt makes his kill shot on Okada’s head, then hits Reverse Bloody Sunday, but Okada kicks out! Devitt heads back up top and goes for the Coup de Grace, but Okada avoids it, then catches Devitt and hits the Emerald Frosion across the knee! Both hit each other with forearms at the same time twice. Strike exchange, then Okada with an uppercut. Devitt runs into a back elbow, Okada places him up top, Too Awesome Dropkick sends Devitt to the outside. Bullet Club checks on Devitt, then Okada with a head of steam and wipes out the Bullet Club & Devitt with a flip dive! Back in, Okada hits Devitt with Heavy Rain for a close 2. Okada with the Too Awesome Dropkick to Devitt, then locks him in Red Ink, but Devitt gets to the ropes as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Okada goes for the Tombstone, but Devitt blocks it. Devitt avoids another Too Awesome Dropkick, but Okada sends Devitt into the exposed corner. Okada charges, but Devitt puts the referee in his path, knocking him out! Fale throws Devitt in a chair and Devitt nails Okada in the ribs with it. Okada avoids a chairshot to the head and boots the chair back in Devitt’s face. Bullet Club comes in and begins putting the boots to Okada. Okada backdrops Tonga to the outside, then hits Anderson with a flapjack. Fale goozles Okada, but Gedo stops him. Fale goozles Gedo for the Grenade, but Okada hits Fale with the Too Awesome Dropkick, sending Fale outside! Okada fires up, lifts up Devitt for the Tombstone, but Devitt counters it and hits Okada with a Tombstone! Devitt places the chair on top of Okada, then heads up top. COUP DE GRACE ONTO THE CHAIR!! Referee comes to, 1-2……..OKADA KICKS OUT!! DEVITT CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! Crowd wills on Okada. Devitt hits Okada with the Dreamcast, then goes for Bloody Sunday, but Okada slips out. Devitt avoids the Rainmaker, goes again for Bloody Sunday, but Okada slips out again. Devitt blocks the Rainmaker, but Okada hits him with the Too Awesome Dropkick to the back of Devitt’s head! Okada lifts up Devitt, Tombstone!
Okada fires up, RAINMAKERRRRRRR!!! 1-2-3!
Winner and still IWGP Champion: “The Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada by pinfall (Rainmaker)
Okada & Gedo celebrate his title retention afterwards.
We go to post-match press conference comments from Devitt.
Devitt: “A wise man once said, ‘When you find a devil, you better kill him quickly.’ Well Okada, you may have beat me today, but you have not killed the Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla. My next match, your next match, our next match is the G-1 Climax Opening Match and Prince Devitt, the Real Rock ‘n’ Rolla, will have his revenge.”
We go back to the ring as Okada has the mic. Reporter asks him about the tough match with Devitt.
Okada: “Well, getting supported by so many fans tonight, I feel…..well, just as usual.”
Reporter: “In this series, it seemed you let Bullet Club do whatever they wanted. Any comments on Prince Devitt?”
Okada: “Facing four guys at once was tough. But, you guys know how I won? Who made this happen? (Crowd chants for Gedo.) Gedo, thanks, man.
Reporter: “In the opening match, Gedo lost against Devitt. Don’t you think it was a sweet revenge?”
Okada: “Yeah, I felt……’nothing special.”
(Gedo keeps trying to grab the mic to speak, but the reporter keeps asking questions, so Gedo backs off.)
Reporter: “You even showed a Tope Con Giro. What went in your mind when facing a Jr. Champion?
Okada: “I wanted to show him that, I still had more up my sleeve, that I am on a ‘different level’, its nothing special.
Reporter: “Will you give a message to the fans today who have cheered you on tonight?”
(Crowd chants for Okada.)
Okada: “I defended the IWGP today. I’ll say this as a G-1 Champion, good luck bringing me down. If you can’t, I’ll retain it for another year. I’ll pass the mic to Gedo from here.”
Gedo: “Listen up, Rainmaker will retain his title as G-1 Champion, for the second time around, all right? There’s no doubt about it, you know why? Because he’s on a ‘different level.’ And he’ll come back here as champion. When that happens, money will rain on us.”
We go to post-match press conference comments from Okada & Gedo.
Gedo: “I can’t thank you enough for retaining.”
Okada: “There’s no need to say anything further.
Gedo: “Right, I was about to cry.”
Okada: “You’re hiding your face with your bandana?”
Gedo: “Yeah, but I’m actually crying.”
Okada: “Are those tears of victory?”
Gedo: “Damn right. Wasn’t that victory for me?”
Okada: “It was for the fans who came today.”
Gedo: “So it wasn’t for me, hey!”
Okada: “You’re right, it was for you.”
Gedo: “That’s what I thought.”
Reporter: “I think the fans’ expectations are getting higher and higher. What do you have to say about G-1?”
Okada: “Don’t expect too much from me. Tanahashi, Makabe and Nakamura, they all need to try harder to beat me down, that’s all I have to say.”
Okada & Gedo do a toast of beer.
Okada: “Today, I won against your rival.”
Gedo: “Let’s toast to our revenge accomplished.”
Both: “Revenge accomplished, cheers!”
We go back to the TV studio as Okada talks about the match with Devitt.
Okada: “Looking back on my match with Prince Devitt, the intervention was certainly there. I could see that he didn’t have any opponents on the Jr. level. He tried to go quick, so I tried my best to take time. He was much stronger than I thought, I bet they got over themselves after forming the ‘Bullet Club.’ They did whatever they wanted, it seemed like they were really enjoying each match. Devitt attempted a Tope Con on me, so I felt, why not I do it too. I wanted to show that a Heavyweight wrestler can do it too. They intervened a lot, but Gedo helped me out. So it was tough, but that led to my victory. I could only do it with the help of Gedo.”