–> “CIRCUIT 2009 NEW JAPAN ISM” <--
The build up to Sumo Hall is now over with a packed house in Toyohashi today ending the run of shows leading in on what has been a tour of "roaring business" according to the latest NJ article at Kami Pro, with excellent (real) ticket sales and big profits. Along with Makabe pinning Choshu in a six man tag, old favourite El Samurai also made a special appearance today, his first on the main New Japan brand since leaving the company for what was then Muga World. He teamed with fellow veteran AKIRA against the gaijin force of Bernard & Anderson, Samurai falling to Anderson's Gun Stun. The Wataru Inoue vs. Tomohiro Ishii feud that has raged on throughout the tour has led to Wataru demanding an early conclusion. As such, New Japan is considering having them face each other in the opening round of this year's New Japan Cup next month.

NJPW, 2/12/09
Toyohashi City Gymnasium #2
1,300 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House

1. Jado & Gedo beat Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito (13:35) when Gedo used the Gedo clutch on Naito.
2. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt beat Jushin Thunder Liger, Milano Collection AT & Taichi Ishikari (13:42) when Tiger used a Tiger suplex hold on Ishikari.
3. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii beat Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa (14:41) when Iizuka used a sleeper hold on Hirasawa.
4. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson beat El Samurai & AKIRA (11:33) when Anderson used the Gun Stun on Samurai.
5. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomoaki Honma beat Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono & Manabu Nakanishi (10:01) when Makabe used a lariat on Choshu.
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata & Nobuo Yoshihashi beat Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada (17:15) when Nagata used a backdrop hold on Okada.

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BxB Hulk was still unable to cut down Koji Kanemoto at Korakuen Hall early today as Aniki denied the DRAGON GATE star the revenge he sought from the 2007 Best of the Super Jr. tournament. Kanemoto submitted Hulk with his ankle hold and provoked DRAGON GATE after the match. This led to the arrival of Open The Dream Gate Champion, Naruki Doi, who demanded a match with Kanemoto at the biggest show in DG history, set for March 22nd at Sumo Hall. Although nothing was decided about that, a trios match was set up for DG’s 3/5 Korakuen Hall show with Kanemoto teaming with Masaaki Mochizuki and Don Fujii against Doi, Hulk, and Naoki Tanisaki. Will it lead to Doi risking DRAGON GATE’s top prize against Aniki? Well, probably.

DRAGON GATE, 2/12/09
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

- Koji Kanemoto beat BxB Hulk (12:37) with an ankle hold.

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Speaking of Kanemoto, he has been moved into the dark match on 2/15, ironically at the same building he could headline at in March. Hirasawa has been at war with Honma during the tour and appealed for the chance to fight GBH. Thus, Kanemoto and the young lion switch places on the card.

NJPW, 2/15/09 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

0. Special Tag Match: Koji Kanemoto & Nobuo Yoshihashi vs. OKUMURA & Kazuchika Okada
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title #1 Contender 4WAY Tag: Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt vs. Jado & Gedo vs. Milano Collection AT & Taichi Ishikari
2. Riki Choshu, Manabu Nakanishi, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Takashi Iizuka, Tomohiro Ishii, Karl Anderson & Tomoaki Honma
3. Special Tag Match - NJPW vs. TNA Augmented Reality: Masahiro Chono & AKIRA vs. James Storm & Robert Roode
4. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Tiger Mask (c) vs. Jushin Thunder Liger
5. Special Singles Match - Burn the Debt: Yuji Nagata vs. Hirooki Goto
6. CMLL World Welterweight Title - Lucha Libre Globalization: Mistico (c) vs. Mephisto
7. Special Singles Match - Wrestle-incident DIE OR BREED: Giant Bernard vs. Kurt Angle
8. IWGP Tag Team Title - Hardcore Rules: “Team 3D” Brother Ray & Brother Devon (c) vs. Togi Makabe & Toru Yano
9. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura