New Japan on AXS TV Episode 17
June 12, 2015
Commentators: Mauro Ranallo, Josh Barnett
Recap by: Jason Namako of Wrestleview.com
Bad Luck Fale welcomes us to the show.
“This is Bad Luck Fale and you are watching 2014, June 21 match. World Pro Wrestling returns.”
This week is the final week of matches from the June 21, 2014 “Dominion” iPPV in Osaka, Japan at the Bodymaker Colosseum.
Hirooki Goto & “The Mad Dog” Katsuyori Shibata vs. “Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata & Tomoaki Honma
Honma gets right in Shibata’s face before the bell. Honma with a clothesline to Shibata and a forearm to Goto early. Big chops to Shibata by Honma, followed by a series of stomps. Double sledge to the back, then another chop. More stomps by Honma, but Shibata fights out of their corner and all three exchange strikes, with Honma & Nagata taking advantage and Nagata raining down forearms on Shibata in the corner! Snapmare and a back kick by Nagata. Honma in, double sledge to the back of Shibata. Slam for a nearfall. Shibata breaks Honma’s grip and hits a HUGE headbutt, dropping Honma to the ground.
Goto in, stomps away at Honma. Goto with a series of forearms and stomps in the corner, then chokes him with his boot. Snapmare and a back kick, Nagata knocked off the apron. Nagata has to be held back by the ref. Half crab applied by Goto on Honma, Honma gets to the ropes. Shibata in, series of uppercuts and stomps to Honma in the corner. Shibata chokes Honma with his boot, but Honma gets to his feet. Shibata with a big forearm and rakes his knee against Honma’s face. Snapmare, but Shibata with a running kick that knocks Nagata off the apron as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Shibata with a series of open-hand slaps to Honma. Honma catches a kick, but Shibata with another series of open-hand slaps. Honma fires back with some slaps of his own, but Shibata with a big slap. Shibata off the ropes, but Honma catches him with a big lariat.
Nagata in, series of chest kicks to Shibata in the corner. Shibata with some big forearms, then they exchange forearms with Shibata gaining the advantage, raining down forearms on Nagata in the corner. Shibata goes to head into the corner, but Nagata follows him in with a running boot! Another strike exchange, but Nagata this time gains advantage. Nagata hits an Exploder, but Shibata POPS RIGHT UP and hits a Backdrop Driver! Goto in, series of chest kicks to Nagata. Nagata takes down Goto and applies the Fujiwara armbar with the eyes rolling back in his head! Shibata breaks it up, but Honma with a shot to Shibata. Honma in, series of chops to Goto. Running forearm in the corner, followed by a bulldog. Running falling headbutt by Honma, followed by a running back elbow. Nagata with a running boot in the corner on Goto, followed by an Exploder. Honma heads up top and hits a Blockbuster, but Shibata breaks up the pin. Nagata sends Shibata to the outside. Honma with a slam on Goto and calls for the diving headbutt. Honma heads up top, but Goto avoids the diving headbutt! Goto with a spinning heel kick in the corner, but Honma blocks a Backdrop Driver. Strike exchange, with Honma gaining advantage, but Goto with a big headbutt and a PK, Nagata breaks up the pin. Shibata sends Nagata to the outside and goes out after him. Honma slips out of a slam, but Goto blocks a German. No one goes down off 3 stereo clothesline attempts by Honma & Goto, then Goto catches Honma and hits a Fireman’s Carry Neckbreaker. Goto goes for Shouten Kai, but Honma counters with an inside cradle for a nearfall. Shibata & Nagata brawl in the crowd as Goto nails Honma with a big clothesline.
Goto hits the Ura Ushikoroshi (Torture Rack into a shoulder breaker) on Honma for the win.
Winners: Hirooki Goto & “The Mad Dog” Katsuyori Shibata by pinfall (Ura Ushikoroshi)
Afterwards, Shibata & Nagata continue to brawl all the way to the back and into the corridor of the building. In the ring, Goto celebrates his team’s win as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial, we go to Bad Luck Fale’s hotel room for thoughts on the build to his match with Nakamura on the Dominion show.
Fale on the New Japan Cup 2014 finals match with Nakamura back in March:
“Well, it was the first time I had a single match with him and uh, very, very tough match and I found out he was a really strong wrestler and uh, after losing to him, I knew I wanted to beat him if I wanted to be a major player in New Japan.” (We see video highlighting the match.)
Fale on Nakamura as a wrestler:
“Well, watching his entrance, he’s a very, how do you say, flamboyant, but I understand that he does that in the beginning, but during the match, very, very, tough competitor.”
Fale on the build to the Dominion match with Nakamura:
“My impression? I had no impression, I had one thing on my mind and that was to beat Nakamura. First challenge, like I said before, I had no intention or I did not think about the belt, my main motivation was destroying and beating Nakamura, but uh, I understand that its a very prestitgious championship and afterwards, I realized how important it was.”
Main Event for the IWGP Intercontinental Title: “The Underboss” Bad Luck Fale w/Tama Tonga vs. “The King of Strong Style” Shinsuke Nakamura (c)
Feeling out process early. Fale with a head and arm choke, but Nakamura gets free, backs him into the corner, then plays with Fale and mocks his pose. Nakamura with a series of knees to the ribs in the corner, but Fale stops the shaky leg thing in the corner by pushing him off, then mowing him over with a shoulder tackle, sending Nakamura to the outside. Tonga goes after Nakamura, but Nakamura fights back. Fale nails Nakamura from behind, but then Nakamura sends Fale into the barricade. Nakamura charges in, but Fale nails him with a shoulder tackle. Fale sends Nakamura into the barricade, then clotheslines him over the barricade and into the crowd. Fale sends Nakamura into a bunch of chairs, then hits a back club. Ref begins his 20 count as Fale gets back in. Nakamura gets back in by the count of 13.
Fale stands on Nakamura’s back, using the ropes for leverage. Fale gains a nearfall. Fale drives his knee into Nakamura’s back and applies a chinlock. Fale pulls at Nakamura’s hair, then sends Nakamura into the turnbuckles. Fale with a series of gut shots, followed by a forearm, but that wakes up Nakamura. More forearms by Fale, then Nakamura SPITS AT HIM, causing Fale to unload with back clubs. Nakamura comes back with a knee to the ribs and a back heel kick as we go to commercial.
Commercial
Back from commercial as Nakamura with another knee to the ribs, then they exchange strikes, with Nakamura gaining advantage. Series of chest kicks by Nakamura, followed by the shaky leg thing in the corner. Nakamura places Fale across the top rope, but Fale avoids the running knee to the ribs and sends Nakamura off the turnbuckles. Nakamura blocks a suplex to the outside and hits a head kick, followed by a draping DDT for a nearfall. Nakamura kicks at Fale, then hits a series of looping knee strikes to the head, followed by a leaping kneedrop to the back of Fale’s head for a nearfall. Front chancery applied by Nakamura. Fale then counters out with a delayed suplex. Another strike exchange, then Fale with a gut shot. Fale with an avalanche and a Samoan Drop for a nearfall. Fale with a big splash across the back of Nakamura, then another one across the chest for a nearfall. Fale calls for the Grenade and goozles Nakamura, but Nakamura counters out with a knee strike. Fale misses a clothesline and Nakamura hits a one-legged dropkick.
Nakamura with an enziguri, then places Fale across the top rope and hits a trifecta of running knees to the ribs. Nakamura calls for the Boma-Ye, but Fale catches him coming in with a big clothesline! Fale hits the Grenade, but Nakamura kicks out! Fale calls for the Bad Luck Fall, but Nakamura slips out. Fale with an avalanche to the back of Nakamura in the corner, then heads up top! Nakamura stops him, then hits a head kick. Nakamura goes up top with Fale and HITS A SUPERPLEX!! Nakamura with a Backstabber, then locks in a Choke. Fale gets to his feet, then fights out of a reverse suplex. Nakamura with a knee to the ribs, then HITS THE REVERSE SUPLEX, with Fale landing RIGHT ON HIS HEAD! Nakamura goes to the middle rope and hits the 2nd Rope Boma-Ye! Second Boma-Ye, but FALE KICKS OUT!! Nakamura goes for a third Boma-Ye, but Fale catches him with a Spear!
Commercial
Back from commercial, they go into another strike exchange, then Fale goozles Nakamura, but Nakamura with a series of forearms. Fale tries again, but Nakamura with more forearms. Fale double goozles Nakamura, then blocks a rana and hits a powerbomb for a nearfall. Fale with another Samoan Drop, then heads up top! SAMOAN SPLASH BY FALE, NAKAMURA KICKS OUT!!
BAD LUCK FALL!!! 1-2-3! NEW CHAMPION!!
Winner and NEW IWGP Intercontinental Champion: “The Underboss” Bad Luck Fale by pinfall (Bad Luck Fall)
Bullet Club comes out afterwards and celebrates Fale’s title win while Nakamura is checked on by attendants. Nakamura is stretchered out as Karl Anderson grabs a mic.
Anderson: “Hey, hey, hey, hey, Osaka! No, don’t boo, you don’t boo the Bullet Club, I said, Osaka! Bullet Club sagoy, huh? Bullet Club sagoy! Shinho Pro Wrestling fans, allow me to introduce to you, the King, the brand new IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Bad Luck Fale! No, no, no, no, I said the IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Bad Luck Fale! You can boo, you can boo the Bullet Club all that you want, but we’re not going anywhere. We got the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, AJ Styles! The IWGP Tag Team Champions, The Machine Gun & Doc Gallows! The next NEVER Openweight Champion, Yujiro! We are the Bullet Club and we won Shinho Pro Wrestling! AJ, AJ Styles, the best wrestler in the world, close us out, dawg!”
Styles grabs the mic.
Styles: “I’m gonna tell Osaka something they already know. We are the Bullet Club and its REALLLLLLLLLL!!!!”
Bullet Club continue to celebrate their dominace and Fale’s title win afterwards.
We go to post-match press conference comments from Bullet Club.
Anderson: “Ladies and gentlemen, professional wrestling fans all around the entire world, you’re looking at the brand new IWGP Intercontinental Champion, the biggest, baddest, Gaijin this country has ever seen in a long time, Bad Luck Fale! Ladies and gentlemen, we’re the Bullet Club! We got the Tag Team Championships, we have the Intercontinental Championship, we’re going to have the NEVER Championship and we have the best wrestler walking the world, AJ Styles, the IWGP Heavyweight Champion! But, right now, ladies and gentlemen, right now, this moment right now, it belongs to Bad Luck Fale, the Intercontinental Champion, you just became really, really famous, cheers to you!”
Reporter: “How does it feel, right now, to have that white belt?”
Fale: “He (Anderson) knows how I feel, tell him.”
Anderson: “Bad Luck Fale loves the fact that he is the Intercontinental Champion right now, alright. He’s one of the most famous wrestlers walking in this country right now. He’s glad that he made Shinsuke Nakamura have to be stretchered out.”
Reporter: “Are you going to let this belt shine?”
Fale: “Let me answer this one. I’m going to take this belt back to Tonga and if anybody wants to come get it, come to Tonga.”
We go back to Fale’s hotel room with his thoughts looking back on the match with Nakamura.
“After the match, um, reaching my goal, which was to beat him and after beating him, I realized I have, uh, beaten somebody with uh, great, great wrestling skills and uh, when that happened, I realized how much of uh, importance it was to win that belt.”
Fale on winning the IWGP Intercontinental Title:
“I had no emotion, no real connection with the belt. It wasn’t until the next day that I felt the weight and uh, importance and that’s when I realized, its a very different level to hold that belt and uh, Nakamura had that for so long and so many times, I realized how much of uh, prestitigous belt that is.”
Fale on being Intercontinental Champion last year:
“I really did feel the pressure of being on top and now I understand how those guys, who are always on top, feel this constant pressure and uh, you can’t see it, but you can feel it, there’s always uh, other challengers wanting your belt. So, knowing that, I felt a weight on my shoulders.”
Fale on his outlook for 2015:
“After last year becoming Intercontinental Champion and then losing it (Note: Fale lost the title back to Nakamura in September 2014), I know have bigger dreams and uh, that is to either challenge again for the Intercontinental Championship, or go even further and go for the IWGP Championship, that’s my dream for this year.”
Show closes.