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00:00And we're back, ladies and gentlemen, here in the Cow Palace.
00:04Jim Ross and Josh Barnett here at ringside.
00:07Glad you're with us.
00:08Josh, a pretty unique first half of the show.
00:12I thought the tag match closed it very appropriately.
00:15The Bucs successfully defended their tag titles.
00:18Well, it's always nice to see a championship match on the line,
00:22especially as you would expect here in the later half of the show.
00:25It's a wonderful singles match between Jeff Cobb and the defending champion now,
00:33Kiraoki Goto.
00:35And seeing the Young Bucs against Evelyn Sonata,
00:38defending against the men that they took it from, what a fantastic bout.
00:42Tell there's a kind of a mindset feel here.
00:45Indeed, it is the G1 Special in San Francisco,
00:48but the G1 tournament starts just in days, very eagerly anticipated.
00:53And a lot of these match-ups are, you know, starts in a week.
00:57So it's going to be interesting to see how that,
00:58some of these matches tonight play into that as well.
01:02And surprisingly, it doesn't seem like anybody's been holding anything back
01:05in concern of any potential injury entering into the G1.
01:10I love to have these black T-shirt concessions.
01:25They're everywhere, ladies and gentlemen.
01:27They're multiplying.
01:32Well, this would be good.
01:33There's a lot of agendas at play in this one, let me tell you.
01:43The leader of Lawson Gubernales, the ultra-talented Tetsuya Naito,
01:49is just simply as good as it gets in this company.
01:54As good as it gets.
01:55Interesting.
02:13In the blue corner, from Los Ingobernales,
02:16they have one, the jet-flash death-man,
02:20Bruce Lee!
02:21Interesting mask.
02:27It looks quite difficult to look through, that's for sure.
02:30But the presentation is part of the process here for Gushi.
02:41Tell them to do, let me tell you.
02:44And there's the boss of the Lawson Gubernales.
02:51No question as to who runs this faction.
02:57Naito!
03:00Naito, a former IWGP Heatherweight Champion.
03:04We lost the Intercontinental title to Chris Jarrett,
03:10though, in a stunning tournament.
03:12I wonder how that's going to play in the psyche of Naito.
03:20Will he remain tranquilo, or will he become the aggressive Naito
03:26that we love to see?
03:30It's a good question.
03:32Hard to know how much that's playing in the back of his mind right now.
03:36Wow, that was a really torrid and violent affair between him and Jericho.
03:41I was talking to Dave Meltzer yesterday about this matchup,
03:46and he pointed out that Naito and Okada are in opposite G1 brackets,
03:52and that a lot of folks in the media believe that that will be the final match,
03:58Naito versus Okada.
04:02Ironically, if that is the case,
04:06we'll see a little bit of that here tonight.
04:10Agreed, and you know, those really aren't that hard of pits,
04:13to be honest.
04:15Are you telling me that Dave Meltzer doesn't know his business?
04:19I'm definitely not saying that.
04:20No seven-star matches for you, my friend.
04:25It's funny how Naito is almost the stone cold of the New Japan.
04:31He's an anti-hero, anti-establishment.
04:33Fans have gravitated to him.
04:36A very popular figure.
04:38But popularity starts
04:40with the leader of this team
04:43representing chaos here tonight.
04:55And in the red corner, from chaos,
05:06the aerial assassin, Will Ospreay.
05:12And Wayne Maker, Kazuchika Okada.
05:20Well, look at that athleticism.
05:22He's getting raised more athletic than anybody else.
05:25Kazuchika Okada had an amazing run.
05:2712 successful title defenses.
05:29720 days as the man in this company.
05:33What an incredible feat.
05:35The two men, the headline Wrestle Kingdom 12, Okada and Naito in this tag match.
05:47They'll both be in the G1, as we mentioned.
05:51Well, the other incredible thing about that title reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion for Okada,
05:58not just that he did it, but look at all of the laundry list of legendary wrestlers
06:02that have been IWGP champions
06:03that have not been able to have that level of success.
06:04And the thing about Okada is that the
06:07thing about Okada is that he's getting stronger to get back to the WWE Championship
06:09and again, the last day he's getting stronger,
06:14They have an incredible feat.
06:17But look at all of the laundry list of legendary wrestlers
06:22that have been IWGP champions
06:24that have not been able to have that level of success.
06:26And the thing about Okada was able to stay focused on business
06:30until he crossed paths with Kenny Omega.
06:34And Omega became a very personal issue.
06:38A very, you know, their matchup was not about just a title.
06:43They didn't like each other.
06:44They wanted to prove who was the better man.
06:47But everybody else was business, and he took care of business.
06:50Well, even still for Omega, it had to be third time.
06:53The third time was a charm as he was unsuccessful
06:57in unseating the title from Kazushka Okada
06:59in the prior two matches between them.
07:04But eventually, he was able to overcome Okada.
07:07And we'll see him later tonight walking here
07:09with the IWGP belt firmly around his waist.
07:12All of our matches still to come, including this one,
07:15will be for championships.
07:19Or excuse me, this is not for the championship,
07:21but I'm getting ahead of myself.
07:24Goddamn, give these guys a belt then.
07:26They deserve it, right?
07:28I have too many notes, man.
07:33I'm going to inform the next three are all championships
07:35as if I couldn't do my math.
07:40All right, here we go.
07:43Hey, this could be a main event, folks, in a lot of places.
07:48Okada's angry at his hair.
07:49You can tell that right now.
07:50Naito's hair is a Tom Petty, he's free-falling.
08:00They don't like each other.
08:02They'll prove that if they get the opportunity
08:04here tonight in the Cow Pounds.
08:08I don't think Naito's really got anybody's
08:10to speak of in New Japan Pro Wrestling
08:12besides his LIJ compatriots.
08:15And he thinks that's all he needs.
08:17Yep, well, so far, he's not really that off the mark.
08:21Tranquilo.
08:22What a mind game that is.
08:27We'll see
08:28another Lawson-Gobernales member,
08:32Yurumi Takahashi.
08:34We'll face the Dragon League momentarily.
08:41Well, I bet LIJ would really love it to come out of this match
08:45getting the victory.
08:48Yeah.
08:48Take some of that morale.
08:51Momentum.
08:51Bring it back to Hiromu.
08:53Hiromu Takahashi is spectacular.
08:57But so is his challenging opponent.
08:59We'll see more on that in a few moments.
09:01But in this case, Colorado tie-up.
09:04The 6'3", 29-year-old Okada.
09:08He may be 30 by now.
09:09And Naito doesn't think it's that entertaining.
09:21Naito looking at her head of steam and
09:23it reminds me of the
09:28the the ovation
09:30that the people's elbow used to get.
09:32The smallest thing
09:34got to rise out of the crowd.
09:36That move he just did
09:38to get a Naito
09:39gets him every time.
09:43And yet you don't even have to bump for it.
09:48It's a
09:49buck friendly.
09:53Now we see
09:54the intuition
09:57and instincts of
09:59Tetsuya Naito.
10:02He knows he's got a Lawson-Gobernales crowd here tonight
10:05or seemingly at least a part of it.
10:09I don't know if I like this matchup all that well though.
10:11If I'm Naito.
10:12I got you buddy.
10:14It's hard work out there.
10:16But
10:16putting
10:17the junior heavyweight.
10:20Okay.
10:21Tag out.
10:22Okada evens it up.
10:23Boot to the midsection.
10:31One of the great battling Brits
10:34Will Ospreay
10:36the aerial assassin
10:38can do it all.
10:42He's looking to take flight.
10:45Just kidding.
10:46And the
10:47Naito got a little bit of his own medicine
10:52and then a kick to the face
10:53just for good measure.
10:57The chop.
10:58The impact lesson by the T-shirt I imagine.
11:01Ospreay
11:02won the 2016
11:04Best of Super Juniors tournament.
11:07Wow.
11:07Nice high boot.
11:09Won the junior title
11:10a couple of times already.
11:11Low dropkick.
11:12Nice teamwork by
11:14Lawson Gubernales.
11:17Lived by
11:17Tetsuya Naito.
11:19Down again.
11:20All the big difference
11:21making moves are Naitos.
11:23That's right.
11:24And it's smart to have
11:25the junior help
11:26set you up into position
11:28and have Naito
11:29close the door on him.
11:32I have to
11:33I have to commend them
11:35on their
11:35their teamwork
11:36and their tactics.
11:37Very smart.
11:39Now Bushi here
11:40just straight up
11:41pulling on the nose
11:43of Ospreay
11:45Stomp to the shoulder
11:50So Bushi now
11:53has found himself
11:55isolated with the
11:56aerial assassin
11:57Really taking his time
12:00about it too
12:01Bushi not known
12:04for being a very
12:05slow methodical
12:07wrestler
12:08more of a high impact
12:10high movement guy
12:11but
12:11showing a different
12:12side to us tonight
12:13probably because of
12:15the tag team element
12:15Here comes
12:19the leader of
12:21Los Angeles
12:21Tetsuya Naito
12:24whipped to the corner
12:25Here we go
12:28Almost predictable
12:33albeit classic
12:34offensive sequence
12:36by Tetsuya Naito
12:37Smartly as he
12:40landed that
12:41There you go
12:42That's not a call for
12:44He's had a lifelong
12:45cold
12:46There's no
12:46Allergies
12:47Yeah, right
12:48Taking antihistamine
12:51Well, he might get
12:53drowsy
12:53How's he gonna wrestle
12:55then
12:55He'll figure it out
12:57That's all I can say
12:58All I know is
12:59Sonata
12:59is choking
13:01Will Ospreay
13:04Sell the merch
13:07Don't choke him
13:09with it
13:10Bushi was choking
13:14Will Ospreay
13:16No doubt
13:17And it was with a
13:18100% cotton shirt
13:19The most dangerous
13:21kind
13:21Pre-shrunk
13:22Very dangerous
13:24Kicked right to the face
13:26A little shove around
13:27A little mono
13:28A mono
13:28Now we're getting down
13:29to some serious business
13:30right here
13:31Ospreay and Naito
13:34Ospreay got out
13:34maneuvered by Naito
13:36on that one
13:36He looked lean into it
13:38Only to get faked out
13:39down below
13:40Nice form
13:45Counter by
13:46Will Ospreay
13:47One of the many
13:52great Brits
13:53The battling
13:54Brits that are
13:56competing now
13:56in the business
13:57Nice step up
13:59Enziguri
14:00from Ospreay
14:02delivered to
14:03Tetsuya Naito
14:04Every time this kid
14:07moves
14:08it's just
14:08absolutely amazing
14:09to me
14:09Ospreay is
14:10like watching
14:12a panther
14:13in human form
14:13at times
14:14Okada's in
14:17Zutsuko Okada
14:18Making his first
14:20wrestling appearance
14:22in the United States
14:24since losing the title
14:25to Kenny Omega
14:27Minion
14:27Here comes Bushy
14:31from behind
14:31Short boot
14:33to the stomach
14:34Okada
14:35One man flap
14:36to head right
14:37onto his
14:37opponent's
14:39tag partner
14:40I tried that
14:42this morning
14:43Damn near
14:44kill myself
14:44Scooped up
14:50Okada
14:51slams
14:51Naito
14:52Could this be
14:53the G1
14:54final
14:54If it is
14:56it'll be
14:57a damn
14:57good one
14:58Okada heading up
15:01to the top rope
15:02and Naito
15:03making it to his feet
15:03cross body
15:06cross body
15:06found a near
15:09fallout of it
15:10has some
15:14similarities
15:16to the great
15:16Ricky the dragon
15:17steamboat
15:17who's recovering
15:19from a hip
15:19replacement
15:20gut wrench
15:24looking for that
15:25tombstone
15:26piledriver
15:26Naito
15:28blocking it
15:29so far
15:29getting him up
15:31and over
15:32but
15:32nice counter
15:34from Naito
15:35low drop kick
15:36found a home
15:38cheap shot
15:41on the outside
15:42to Ospreay
15:44by Naito
15:45hard to believe
15:50the 12 men
15:51that
15:51Naito
15:52defeated
15:53to break
15:54Tanahashi's record
15:55for successful
15:55title defenses
15:56really sincerely
15:57reads like a
15:58who's who
15:58Okada was
16:00absolutely
16:01phenomenal
16:01as an
16:02IWGP
16:03heavyweight champion
16:05as Naito
16:06here
16:06hooking up
16:07Gloria
16:08but not getting it
16:09and here comes
16:10that drop kick
16:10a million dollar
16:12drop kick
16:12and
16:14looking for it again
16:15nobody there
16:16a little predictable
16:17perhaps
16:18because Naito
16:19and Okada
16:20know each other
16:20very well
16:21flying forearm
16:23Naito feels it now
16:25and this would be
16:26big before the G1
16:28to meet Okada
16:29Okada
16:31looking for a
16:32power driver
16:33two stone time
16:34can he execute it
16:36he cannot
16:37as Naito
16:39counters
16:39over this
16:42oh
16:43stop
16:44the tornado
16:45DDT
16:45does Okada
16:46scooping him up
16:48still crimping
16:49the neck
16:49and
16:50oh
16:51neck
16:51was a nice
16:53neck breaker
16:54revised version
16:55or modified version
16:57the bottom line
16:58is it's the neck
16:58and the shoulders
16:59that get punished
17:00great reverse
17:02neck breaker
17:02from
17:03the former
17:04IWGP
17:05champion
17:06Okada
17:07as we take a look
17:08here
17:08swings
17:09under the armpit
17:10steps through
17:11big
17:11and crashes
17:12him down
17:13on top
17:13of that
17:14stable knee
17:16stable knee
17:17right on the neck
17:18of Naito
17:19able to make
17:20a tag
17:20and so does
17:23Okada
17:23so now we know
17:25that is Bushy
17:28and Will Ospreay
17:30the legal men
17:31oh Nelson
17:33oh hook kick
17:34and able to control him
17:41Bushy flips through
17:42oh
17:43Bushy has a nice knee
17:45very athletic
17:45well timed
17:47offensive strike
17:4810 minutes
17:49in an orthodox position
17:51a little spinner
17:52running there
17:52by Bushy
17:54Bushy's very athletic
17:56very impressive
17:58what he makes up for
17:59in lack of size
18:01there's a cover now
18:02because Okada
18:04to interrupt
18:05with speed
18:06with his speed
18:07has really
18:07paid dividends
18:08for him before
18:09wow
18:09Naito just tossed
18:11Okada right outside
18:12like garbage
18:13Bushy using that
18:16distance
18:17gathering up
18:17ahead of steam
18:18there's a cover now
18:22by Bushy
18:23kind of a near fall
18:25cool that Chris Jericho
18:28offense
18:29using both knees
18:31that double knee
18:35jawbreaker
18:36Bushy
18:38oh man
18:40what a kick
18:41by Ospreay
18:42low dropkick
18:43to the Vitella
18:44by Naito
18:45here comes Okada
18:46back in
18:47nonstop action
18:48here
18:49that's a beautiful
18:50dropkick
18:50big money dropkick
18:52no doubt about that
18:53who does it better
18:55I don't know
18:55wow
18:56just absolutely
18:57upended Tetsuya
18:58Naito
18:58because it's Okada
18:59that dropkick
19:00kick is caught
19:02oh
19:02but he comes back
19:03with the heel
19:03does Bushy
19:04into the ropes
19:05wow
19:06what a
19:08what a take down
19:09high impact
19:10was that
19:11sometimes
19:15Ospreay
19:15gets a little
19:16out of control
19:17in these situations
19:19they'll take a lot
19:20of chances here
19:21oh
19:25what a nasty neckbreaker
19:31big time
19:32in this hole
19:34the aerial assassin
19:37use a hellacious
19:39neckbreaker
19:40to pick up the ball
19:43for his team
19:44here are your winners
19:46Will Ostrue
19:48and
19:49the aerial assassin
19:49Kazuchika
19:51what a Britain's greatest
19:52ever
19:52Okada
19:53takes it for his team
19:55here
19:55with the legendary
19:58Kazuchika
19:59at his side
20:01set the underhook
20:02gets him up
20:03on the shoulder
20:04bounces him out
20:05spins him through
20:07takes the vertebrae
20:09home with him
20:10scoops him up
20:11and it's
20:11all said and done
20:12J.R.
20:13and surprisingly
20:14Ospreay didn't even
20:15have to take to the air
20:16all that much
20:17in this match
20:17well as
20:21the late great
20:24Gorilla Vons
20:24would say
20:25stick a fork
20:26in them
20:27they're done
20:28on this night
20:30chaos prevails
20:32Will Ostrue
20:33and literally
20:35in this
20:36tag team feature
20:38just gotta feel
20:46there's something
20:47special going on
20:48with Naito
20:50and Okada
20:50as it relates
20:52to a rivalry
20:52well
20:57Lawson
20:57Garbernalis
20:58did not have
20:59a great outing
20:59here
21:00but all that
21:01could change
21:02momentarily
21:03because
21:03coming up next
21:05Lawson
21:07Garbernalis
21:07Hiromu
21:09takes on
21:10this young man
21:11the dragon
21:12for the title