David Finlay, Jushin Thunder LIger and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight and ROH World Television Champion KUSHIDA vs. Sho Tanaka, Yoehi Komatsu and YOSHITATSU
Liger’s team features three of my favorite juniors. YOSHI is ass though. They play with the crowd cheering LIger’s team and booing anyone associated with YOSHITATSU. They put the referee on the ropes and he gets a pop. Finla ystarts with TATSU and they work some wristlocks. Their exchange ends evenly. Tags to Liger and Komatsu. Liger overpowers him but takes a hip toss. They collide and Liger back drops him to the outside. He follows with a baseball slide. Back inside, Liger goes for the surfboard, but his opponents break it up to a ton of heat. Liger takes triple team offense and the Tempura Boyz hit a double flapjack for two. Liger escapes them and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, followed by shotei. He makes the hot tag to KUSHIDA, who runs over both Tempura Boyz. He hits his hiptoss/cartwheel/dropkick combo. TATSU gets loads of heat for his offense. KUSHIDA takes he and Komatsu out with a double handspring elbow. He takes out the Tempura Boyz with a dive to the outside. Tanaka gets left alone inside with KUSHIDA, who tries a Hoverboard Lock. It gets blocked and the Tempura Boyz hit a tandem flapjack/DDT. At least that’s what it looked like. Tanaka looks for a Package Piledriver, but KUSHIDA gets free. He eats some strikes and comes back with a kick. Tanaka slaps him, so KUSHIDA hits an overhead bicycle kick. Tanaka counters a handspring back elbow with a German suplex. Tags to Finlay and TATSU. TATSU hits a springboard dropkick and fires off strikes and kicks, before snapping off a powerslam. TATSU goes up but Finlay goes under and dropkicks him. Charging elbows in the corner followed by a seated uppercut for two. TATSU hits a hip toss into a knee but the pin is broken. He crotch chops the crowd and wants the Pedigree but it gets countered into a backbreaker for two. Finlay applies the Stretch Muffler, while Liger slaps the surfobard on Komatsu. KUSHIDA traps Tanaka with the Hoverboard Lock and TATSU taps.
Winners: David Finlay, Jushin Thunder LIger and KUSHIDA in 8:53 [***]
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Jay Lethal vs. Kenny Omega
No time limit in this round. Omega gives a clean break on the ropes, only to get in a cheap shot on Lethal’s taped ribs. The camera missed exactly what kind of shot it was. A boot sends Lethal outside, where Omega drives him into the guardrail. Inside, Omega misses a splash but flips over him in the corner. He avoids a kick from Lethal and gets hi up for the One Winged Angel. Lethal fights it off and counters into a pin. It goes nowhere and he hits a superkick. Omega avoids Lethal Injection but eats two superkicks. Lethal hits Lethal Injection but Omega rolls outside to avoid the pin. Lethal follows with his trio of suicide dives. Lethal goes up and hits a diving elbow for two. Lethal keeps selling the ribs, despite being in control. Lethal targets Omega’s left leg with a series of kicks, followed by a kneebreaker attempt. Omega rolls through and blocks a figure four, but takes a dragon screw. Lethal Injection is countered into a backstabber and Omega rolls over to sell the leg. Crowd is about 75/25 in favor of Kenny. Omega hits a forearm to the lower back before removing the tape and driving his knee into the ribs. Omega hits a kitchen sink, staying in control. Bow and arrow submission from Kenny. Lethal survives, but keeps taking body shots. Lethal fights back until Omega goes low with a dropkick, then punts him in the ribs. Lethal avoids a Fameasser like move, countering into the Blue Thunder Bomb. Lethal hits an enziguri but has Lethal Injection stopped again. Snap dragon suplex by Kenny, who follows with Aoi Shoudou. Lethal avoids V-Trigger, but eats two anyway. Omega hits a third that was very Boma Ye like, for a near fall. Lethal trips up Omega for a figure four but Omega pulls him into a small package for two. Omega connects on a doctor bomb for two. Another V-Trigger hits, but Lethal tries countering the One Winged Angel into a rana. Omega holds on to block it, powers him back up and hits One Winged Angel to win.
Winner: Kenny Omega in 12:57 [***]
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
A rare CHAOS/Suzuki-Gun match that sounds cool. Sabre has the balls to try and get into a fight with Ishii. He fires off uppercuts that don’t have an effect, so Ishii knocks him down with one shot. More uppercuts from Sabre, but Ishii takes him down with ease. Sabre tries a headbutt and nit hurts him more. Ishii hits a headbutt of his own. Ishii proceeds to beat on him in the corner, so Sabre goes to his wheelhouse, snapping the arm. He takes Ishii to the mat and works a modified armbar before turning Ishii over for a near fall. Sabre goes to a version of the Tequila Sunrise, but with a toe hold. Sabre’s aggressive as he snaps off the leg to a chorus of boos. Crowd is probably 65/35 in favor of Ishii. Now that Ishii is wounded, Sabre fires off kicks. Not much effect still, as defiant Ishii spits at him and headbutts him to the mat. Sabre sells each shot like it stuns him. Ishii sets Sabre up on the top, so Sabre twists his arm in strange ways. Ishii uses strikes to get free and then hits the stalling superplex for two. Sabre blocks a lariat with a high kick to the arm. He hits a leaping Northern lights suplex that he transitions beautifully into an arm submission. Ishii escapes but Sabre pounces on the wrist and arm again. Sabre bends it a bunch until Ishii hits a backdrop driver. They counter each other a few times until Sabre gets the prawn hold pin for two. It’s such a good pin that I almost always buy it as a finish. Kick to the arm by Sabre, but Ishii stops him with a headbutt. Sabre catches the sliding lariat into an armbar that he wrenches hard on. Ishii gets his foot neat the ropes, but SAbre grabs it and pulls it away into a submission too. Ishii is twisted in awful ways but won’t give up. As he gets his arm close, Sabre pulls it away too somehow! Ishii then rolls and gets his foot on the ropes in a great spot. Sabre can’t believe it. He kicks at Ishii’s arm a bunch but Ishii fires up and shoves them off. He then wallops Sabre with a shot, but continues to sell the arm. Sabre leaps into the Kimura position. Ishii fights off but Sabre hits a PK. Ishii no sells and hits a lariat. He hits the Brainbuster to win.
Winner: Tomohiro Ishii in 11:42 [****1/2]
Dragon Lee, Jay White, Juice Robinson, Titan and Volador Jr. vs. BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito
Naito and Volador start things off, but Naito calmly avoids the lockup twice. TRANQUILO. When they finally start, Volador goes way fast, they avoid each other and Naito does his signature taunt. Hiromu runs in while Naito taunts on the mat and jumps Volador with BUSHI. Volador fights them off, avoids an attack and takes them out with a great Asai moonsault. BUSHI and Titan have a fun exchange, before SANADA just takes him out. BUSHI uses his shirt to choke Titan, while everyone brawls outside. Naito pulls Juice by his hair up the ramp. Things calm down and SANADA gets the tag. He ties Titan up and Juice comes in, only to get tied up too. SANADA dropkicks them in the ass. Barnett: That’ll make your brown eye blue. Naito and BUSHI work tandem offense that ends with a Naito dropkick. Naito hits an enziguri but Titan lands on his feet on a German. He Matrix avoids a clothesline and hits a back kick. Hot tag to Juice and the jUICE IS LOOSE! He hits leg sweeps and spinebusters galore. SANADA and Naito are in opposite corners, so Juice gives them clotheslines and cannonball attacks. Hiromu stops his run and Naito nails his slingshot dropkick in the corner. Hiromu gets the tag to a pop. Juice blocks a kick and they have a fun exchange before a leg lariat from Juice. Lee gets the tag and the RIVALRY LIVES ON. Lee with a dropkick for two. They trade brutal sounding chops for what seems like an eternity. The crowd comes to their feet, they avoid each other adn Hiromu tries a rana. Lee cartwheels out but gets caught in a wheelbarrow German. Lee comes back witha rebound German and high knee. Hiromu overhead tosses him into the corner to stop the pace. EVIL and White both get tags. White wins a strike battle, ducks a clothesline and hits a back elbow. White tries a backdrop driver but EVIL blocks. EVIL hits a big forearm, so Jay gives it back .SANADA kicks him in the back and snaps him off the top rope. Tilt-a-whirl slam by EVIL, then the tag to BUSHI. BUSHI hits a missile dropkick and does a spinaroonie. DDT by BUSHI. White gets hit with kicks galore from the NEVER Six Man Champs. BUSHI gets two on a cradle neckbreaker. He goes up for MX, but White avoids it. Lee dropkicks BUSHI, but gets taken down by Naito. Naito has his tornado DDT blocked by Juice, who clotheslines him. SANADA and EVIL eat double clotheslines from Juice. Juice rocks Hiromu with a left hand and signals as Titan delivers a springboard moonsault to take out Hiromu. White blocks MX and Lee delviers a superkick. Backstabber into White’s uranage for two. He hits Sister Abigail (or whatever he calls it) to pick up his second win of the weekend.
Winners: Dragon Lee, Jay White, Juice Robinson, Titan and Volador Jr. in 12:28 [***3/4]
The Guerrillas of Destiny and Hangman Page w/ Chase Owens and HAKU vs. Michael Elgin and IWGP Tag Team Champions War Machine
OH MY FUCKING GOD IT’S HAKU! Elgin didn’t get dressed up like War Machine, which sucks. He starts with Page and levels him. Page works a headlock but Elgin doesn’t fall on a shoulder block. Elgin dares him to try again. Page fails and wants Elgin to hit the ropes. He does, Page tries a boot and gets caught. Elgin ends up hitting a slam from out of the corner. Tag to Tama and Loa comes in with him. Tag to Hanson and War Machine enter. Dropkicks by GOD before they fire off shots in the corner. War Machine turn it around and hit stereo tosses. Elgin enters and delivers a stalling vertical on Page. Pump kick by Elgin, dropkick by Rowe and GOD get run over by Hanson. Hanson uses his beard to add insult to injury, raking it on Tama. Tama comes back with a variation of Cross Rhodes. He shouldn’t really do that with Cody in the stable. The Bullet Club isolate Hanson in the corner. He takes a heat as Tama lays into him with headbutts. Hanson takes down Loa and Page and Elgin get the tags. Elgin knocks down Page and hits a slingshot splash. Corner clothesline from Elgin but Tama comes in. Elgin sends him outside and drops Loa onto the middle rope. He hip tosses Page onto Loa and nails the falcon arrow (HE DID THE DEAL) for two. Elgin ducks a shot from Page and hits a German. Page avoids a second one but gets caught by Rowe. Elgin then launches Page into Rowe, before Hanson comes in for a double team move. The pin is broken up. Things break down and War Machine want Fallout. It gets cut off and GOD hit their tag finisher (I don’t recall the name). Hanson remains crotched up top, but he fights off GOD. Things are happening off camera that the crowd pop for. Elgin pulls GOD away from Hanson and fires off forearms. GOD shout for him to bring it, so Elgin does. He eats a series of strikes and takes a neckbreaker. Hanson comes off the top with a somersault. GOD still turn it around and hit a Samoan drop/neckbreaker combo. They look for their finish on Rowe but he fights it off and slams Loa down. Tama gets tossed over and eats a vicious knee. Page turns Rowe inside out with a lariat and hits the Rite of Passage to win.
Winners: The Guerrillas of Destiny and Hangman Page in 11:16 [**]
The NJPW Chairman entered the ring to thank the fans for their support. He announced they will return to the United States in 2018!
Intermission.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Roppongi Vice
This is their third match in 2017. It’s probably their 100th together in the past few years. Romero and Matt start things off. Headlock by Rocky and a shoulder block. They work at a quick pace and counter one another a bunch. Matt slaps on a Sharpshooter, but Rocky quickly gets to the ropes. Matt slaps Rocky and talks shit. Rocky slaps him but in come Nick. Beretta enters and everybody tries sentons but miss. They all go for dropkicks at the same time and whiff. They pair off with some hockey fights. The Bucks get sent into each other, swing around and have superkicks blocked. Both teams miss stuff in the corner until RPG Vice hit clotheslines. Beretta sends Nick into Matt. Rocky hits a back elbow but a knee strike attempt is stopped by stereo superkicks. Matt hits a dropkick through the ropes and helps NIck nail a springboard moonsault on RPG Vice. Rocky’s legal and takes a knee and diving knee for two. Rocky gets his knees up on a swanton. Nick cuts Rocky’s tag off, while Matt tries a sunset flip bomb on Beretta. Beretta holds on but eats a superkick and then Matt takes him out with a running powerbomb on the ramp. Rocky gets hit with a tandem somersault move outside, but kicks out. Mounted punches by Nick. The Bucks isolate Rocky with some of their signature annoying offense. Rocky fights back with chops but then gets pulled into Meltzer Driver position. He counters and sends Matt into Nick. Rocky goes for the tag but Beretta is down at ringside. It’s the same story they told at WK11. Rocky escapes two back suplexes and runs into a double superkick. He fires up with a double clothesline to take them down. Beretta finally comes in with a flying elbow and some offense. Beretta has a tornado DDT cut off, but fights through and hits one anyway. He climbs to the top but Matt knocks him down. He lands in ugly fashion. Bucks hit tandem offense and the Sharpshooter is back on. Or Scorpion Death Lock as commentary calls it. Rocky breaks it up, but gets powerbombed onto Beretta. Rocky fights them off after a near fall and hits a double rana. The Bucks retaliate with double superkicks. They sweep Beretta and double superkick him. Matt goes to set up Beretta but drops him. NIck is confused but Matt picks him back up they hit a version of More Bang For Your Buck onto Beretta’s back, leading to a quality near fall. Nick argues with the official. Beretta pulls Matt into a small package for two, then eats a backbreaker. Scorpion Death Lock gets put back on. Nick goes to springboard in but Rocky stops him. Nick boots him down. Nick hits a swanton onto Beretta’s back before he can reach the ropes. He still won’t tap, as Rocky uses a springboard dropkick to break the hold. He fights Nick and has sliced bread countered into Meltzer Driver position. Rocky gets free but takes a superkick on the apron. Rocky escapes another Meltzer Driver on the apron and RPG Vice hit a Doomsday Knee Strike off the apron. Beretta and Nick fight on the apron, where Beretta piledrives him on the apron! He slides him in and delivers the Gobstopped (Busaiku Knee). A Gotch piledriver earns a near fall. Beretta struggles and Nick chops him. Rocky returns and they hit double knees. Rocky takes Matt out with a suicide dive. RPG Vice connect on Strong Zero but Nick somehow kicks out. Rocky and Matt trade strikes. Rocky hits a jumping knee and Matt gets a superkick. Enziguri by Rocky and a running reverse cutter. Hie suicide dive gets awkwardly caught. They hit a horrible looking Meltzer Driver on the outside but the degree of difficulty was high. Inside, Beretta chops the Bucks, who talk trash because they’re in complete control. Beretta spits at Nick and dares them to bring it. He eats consecutive superkicks, with the last shot being a double one to the back. They call out the move being for Meltzer and hit the driver on Rocky. Scorpion Death Locks are applied on both RPG Vice members that finally end it.
Winners and Still IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: The Young Bucks in 22:42 [**1/2]
Unfortunately, my internet went out for a moment and when it returned, Ricochet was in the ring. He says he wanted to be here soon, but a certain underground fighting promotion were being pricks. He says he’s here now and he wants to be the next Jr. Tag Champs with Ryusuke Taguchi.
After a short break, Rocky gets on the microphone and talks about the accomplishments they’ve gotten. He includes the Jr. Tag Title reigns and the Super Jr. Tournament win. Rocky says that since they lost, he thinks it’s time to be done. He gives Beretta his blessing to be a heavyweight in NJPW on his own. They hug and leave together.
Bad Luck Fale, ROH World Champion Cody, Marty Scurll and Yujiro Takahashi vs. The Briscoes, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay
Brandi comes out with Cody but he shows her love before sending her to the back. Scurll opens against Mark. Scurll gets free from a wirstlock and delivers a right hand. He gets the crowd into it, Mark avoids some shots and brings out some of his kung fu. Kung Fu against Marty’s bird thing he does. Marty offers a too sweet and gets hit with a brutal chop. Jay and Cody become the legal men. Cody and Marty tag in and out, teasing actually getting into the action. Fale and Yujiro seem put off by this. The crowd chants “We want Fale.” Instead of giving them Fale, Cody gets in and there’s a “Yujiro” chant. “Okada” chants start and once Okada gets in, Cody scurries outside and into the crowd. It’s been nearly five minutes since any contact. Cody and Jay finally lock up and Cody snaps off a powerslam. He stops to taunt, opening the door for Jay to snap off a rana. Tag to Ospreay, who kicks Cody a few times. He sweeps Cody down and delivers a corner dropkick. Ospreay takes a big fall from the top, Yujiro comes in and everyone brawls around the ring. Things calm down and we get SLEAZY MARTY! Cody kicks Ospreay and we get SLEAZY CODY, complete with the double birds. Yujiro did his too, but I didn’t note it because it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. They tag Fale and we almost get sleazy Fale but he just sits on Ospreay instead. Scurll cuts off Ospreay’s tag and kicks him in the leg. You’d think Ospreay would know that was coming at this point. Scurll calling for the Chicken Wing gets a massive response, so Ospreay’s ready and hits a big enziguri. Tag to Jay, who comes in with lariats on Yujiro. Superkick to interfering Cody. Jay lays in jabs on Yujiro and a dorpkick. Stiff neckbreaker connects for two. Yujro fights back but eats a discus forearm. Fale and Okada get tags. Fale accidentally hits Scurll. Okada takes him down and kips up. His bodyslam attempt fails and then he escapes Fale’s attempt. Okada hits a running forearm and gets the bodyslam to work. Up goes Okada for the diving elbow but Fale’s up. Okada leaps over him and runs into a Samoan drop. Splash by Fale gets two. Cody’s back in now that Okada is weak. They trade blows and Okada ducks the Disaster Kick. Cody avoids the Rainmaker but runs into a flapjack. Cody works with Ospreay, who hits STUNDOG MILLIONAIRE! Marty enters to break Will’s fingers. Marty celebrates but eats a Mark Briscoe lariat. Yujiro hits him with a fisherman’s buster. Jay and Fale get in offense before Okada takes out Fale with a dropkick. Okada gets distracted by Marty’s umbrella, allowing Cody to hit the Disaster Kick. Ospreay interrupts their enjoyment with a handspring moonsault before hitting a handspring dive out onto Scurll. 720 kick by Ospreay back inside but as he goes for the Oscutter, Cody jumps with him and hits the Disaster Kick. Cross Rhodes finishes it.
Winners: Bad Luck Fale, Cody, Marty Scurll and Yujiro Takahashi in 14:00ish (stopwatch issues) [**1/4]
IWGP Intercontinental Championship: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Billy Gunn
ACE VS. ASS! They lock up, which really shows how much bigger Gunn is. Tanahashi gives a clean break on the ropes. Headlock by Billy and then he looks for a test of strength. He toys with Tanahashi and wins it easily. Tana goes to a headlock and traps Billy enough to take him to the mat with it. Gunn escapes after a while and nails a back suplex. Billy hits a single arm DDT, targeting Tana’s injured arm. Billy just dumps him outside. He wraps Tana’s arm around the ring post a few times. Billy kills some time by jawing with the fans. Back inside, Gunn gets two on a modified Jackhammer. He moves to a top wristlock. it’s basically hit a strike, go to the arm. Wash, rinse, repeat. Tana gets his feet up on a charging Gunn, but leaps into a shot to the ribs. A funny spot comes when Tana reaches for Billy and pulls his pants down, showing off Billy’s underwear. He leaves it like that as he fights, eating a bunch of strikes. Forearms by Tana and a hip toss. Tana’s butt gets exposed a bit before he takes a cobra clutch slam for two. Tana counters a tilt-a-whirl attempt with a rolling neckbreaker. High Fly Flow misses and Billy connects on the Fameasser for a near fall. There were some dueling “Go Ace/Go Ass” chants. Gunn crotch chops Tana, which costs him as he takes a slingblade. High Fly Flow hits this time, complete with crotch chop and Tana retains.
Winner and still IWGP Intercontinental Champion: Hiroshi Tanahashi in 14:26 [**]
Billy and Hiroshi shake hands.
IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals: Kenny Omega w/ The Young Bucks vs. Tomohiro Ishii
They split their first two matches this year. Lock up and Ishii goes to a headlock. Omega gets out and doesn’t fall on a shoulder block. He brushes it off and goes for his own, but Ishii doesn’t fall. Forearm from Ishii, who sells the arm from earlier in the night. THANK YOU! Ishii with a shoulder block that works and he runs into a boot after avoiding a V-Trigger. He avoids another, Omega avoids the sliding lariat and we have a standoff. Omega slaps Ishii in the head twice and delivers a kick to the back. Ishii sits there, daring him for more. He takes another kick, straightens up, but doesn’t move. Omega hits another and Ishii stands up, so Omega rakes him in the eyes. Suplex from Ishii. The fight goes outside and into the crowd, where Ishii chops Kenny. He throws him into a row of chairs. The Bucks distract the official so there’s no count. They brawl by commentary and back over the rail to ringside. Omega blocks a whip to teh guardrail and tries a springboard but Ishii pulls him down. Ishii wants a German outside, but Omega blocks and holds onto the rail. Ishii just throws him into the rail and then hits the German. Omega tries landing on his feet but barely does and comes back with a snap suplex outside. Ishii beats the count and runs right through Omega. Ishii starts in with strikes and headbutts. Omega now wants Ishii to bring it. No shin guard for Ishii though, so his kicks are rough. He lays into Omega’s back. Omega removes his elbow bad and chops Ishii. They trade those for a while, with Ishii winning out. They move into trading forearms, with both men nearly falling on each. Ishii runs into a boot but snaps off a powerslam for two. They go through a small counter exchange until Omega connects on a DDT that Ishii takes a wild bump on. He bumped like his name was Rob Van Dam. Omega nails a Finlay roll and moonsault for two. Chops from Omega, who hen uses his speed for a sliding kick. He hits the high angle leg drop bulldog and Ishii falls outside. Omega follows with his Terminator tope con hilo. Red Shoes checks on Omega, opening the door for the Bucks to set up a table outside. Omega comes off the top with a sick missile dropkick to the back of the head. Ishii stumbles around the ring, dazed, and takes a back elbow. Omega continues the assault in the corner, taking time to disrespectfully slap him. Ishii begins to fire up, no selling the strikes. He starts leaning into OMega’s forearms, which begin to hurt Omega. Ishii coms back with his own, and again sells the arm work from earlier. Frankensteiner by Omega stops his momentum. Ishii ends up on the apron and OMega looks to knock him off through the table. Ishii stops him and tries a suplex through the table. Omega fights out and wants a German off the apron. Ishii holds the ropes for dear life. The Bucks try to help and get moved by Red Shoes. Omega keeps trying, looking for the dragon suplx. In an incredible moment, Ishii BITES THE ROPES TO BLOCK IT! Still, Omega wins out and delivers the move through the table! Both men beat the count, with Ishii doing so at nineteen. Omega calls for the gun taunt, but Ishii clings to his ankle. Omega fights him off and hits a brutal V-Trigger. A second connects and Ishii looks out of it. A third is grabbed by Ishii, who fires off forearms before walking into a knee. Another running knee hits but Ishii kicks out. Omega wants the One Winged Angel but Ishii counters into a DDT. Ishii uses a lariat to avoid another knee and both men are down. They get up in opposite corners. Ishii runs across with a lariat. Superplex by Ishii gets a near fall. They trade strikes again. Omega with a V-Trigger, Ishii with a headbutt. Omega hits a running Ishii with a V-Trigger and Ishii turns him inside out on a lariat. Omega gets two with Ishii’s own finisher. Ishii avoids another knee, Omega hits a German and Ishii nails a knee of his own. Sliding lariat connects for another near fall. Brainbuster is blocked but Ishii gets a forearm. V-Trigger hits. Omega wants the bulldog but Ishii counters into One Winged Angel for another two count. Backslide by Omega, who rolls through into yet another V-Trigger. They both struggle to stand but trade shots. Omega wins out and hits the cross legged neck breaker on his knee. Gun taunt and Omega hits V-Trigger. Ishii fights him off with forearms. Snap dragon suplex and V-Trigger only get a one count! Reverse rana by Omega but Ishii pops right up. Another V-Trigger. One Winged Angel connects while Ishii fights him off and that’s all.
Winner and first IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion: Kenny Omega in 31:21 [****1/2]
Marty Scurll comes out to join in on the celebration. Cody Rhodes follows in a suit and snatches the title from him. They seem like they’re gonna fight, but Cody embraces him and they hug. He puts the title on Omega and the rest of the Bullet Club guys join the celebration. Omega ends things with a babyface inspirational promo and put over NJPW.
Overall: 8/10. A slight improvement on night one. Night one had issues with the undercard. This undercard was actually a highlight. The opener was fun and Lethal/Omega was solid. Sabre/Ishii was arguably the match of the night and I'm ready for the G1 rematch. The LIDJ tag was a fucking blast as well. The two Bullet Club tags didn't click for me. The second one (with Cody and Okada) felt like it went on forever. The Jr. Tag Title match was too similar a story to their first match in 2017 (WK11), while overdoing a ton down the stretch and the IC Title match was dull, though it was the best they could do with Gunn. The main event was awesome, with my one major gripe being overdoing the V-Trigger stuff. All in all, it's a great show and it was four hours that didn't feel like it went long for the most part. A fitting end to a great tournament.
