Hiromu Takahashi became the latest graduate of New Japan’s esteemed dojo yesterday when he debuted against classmate Kyosuke Mikami at the NEVER.1 show in Tokyo. 20-year-old Takahashi is the smallest of the three, standing only 5′7″ and weighing 181lbs. Unlike many New Japan juniors who are tall and subsequently become heavyweights after a while (Makabe, NO LIMIT, Inoue, Goto, and others), Takahashi is much shorter so it seems less likely he will follow their path. Takahashi spoke to New Japan’s official website, allowing us to learn some things about him.

- Has aspired to be a pro wrestler since early in his junior high school days.
- Watching the Chono vs. Takayama G1 Climax final in 2002, when he was only 12 years old, is when he first said to himself “I want to try this”.
- Not surprisingly, Masahiro Chono is who he admires most, after Chono pummeled Takayama with an endless array of Yakuza kicks en route to winning the 2002 G1.
- Worked hard during high school to become strong as part of the track & field team, and as soon as he graduated, he took (and passed) New Japan’s tryout.
- Admitted he had thought about running away from the difficult life in New Japan’s dojo hundreds of times but stuck it out and has now been rewarded.
- Although he admires Chono the most, due to his height he aims to be like Jushin Thunder Liger and Koji Kanemoto.
- For now he will focus on gaining experience and he hopes sooner rather than later he can beat Mikami and Fale, who also debuted thi syear.

NJPW “NEVER.1″, 8/24/10
Shin-Kiba 1st RING
300 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. Kyosuke Mikami beat Hiromu Takahashi (debut) (8:28) with a crab hold.
2. Taichi Takizawa beat King Fale (11:23) with a moonsault press.
3. Ryusuke Taguchi & Taichi beat Yusuke Kodama & Kazuhiro Tamura (10:50) when Taguchi used the Dodon on Tamura.
4. Tomohiro Ishii beat Osamu Namiguchi (11:01) with a lariat.
5. Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito beat Madoka & Shinobu (18:04) when Takahashi used a German suplex hold on Shinobu.

* New Japan’s new youth-centered brand debuted at a sold out 1st RING, featuring youngsters from all across Japan along with a cast of New Japan wrestlers (also mostly young generation).
* The brand started well and in addition to NEVER.2 at Osaka World Pavillion on 9/16, NEVER.3 has already been announced for 10/8 back at 1st RING in Tokyo.
* Hiromu Takahashi, New Japan’s newest debutant and the last of the 2010 class (Mikami and Fale being the others), debuted in the opener, falling to his classmate Mikami.

New Japan sent three stars to Pro Wrestling NOAH’s latest big anniversary show at the 12,000 seat Tokyo Ariake Coloseum Colosseum today as the interpromotional work continued after the G1.

Go Shiozaki and Shinsuke Nakamura cancelled each other out on the last day of the G1, denying each other the chance of reaching the final. Today they met with no time limit to prevent a possible draw and Nakamura suffered an upset loss to the young ace of NOAH, who pinned Nakamura after a modification of the Go Flasher. This, his failure to recapture the IWGP Heavyweight Title from Makabe in July, and not reaching the G1 final has mean Nakamura has had a slow patch after a destructive year prior to losing the belt to Makabe earlier this year.

Tiger Mask, just back from injury, formed an all-star team with Koji Kanemoto to challenge NOAH’s GHC Jr. Tag Team Champions, Taiji Ishimori & Ricky Marvin. This was the champions’ V3 defense of the belts they won in February but the veterans proved too much for the speedy younger wrestlers, Kanemoto dropping Marvin with a Tiger suplex for the win and belts. Kanemoto & Tiger Mask become the first New Japan team to win this title and now the GHC Heavyweight Title remains the only major NOAH belt to have never entered New Japan custody. Kanemoto & Tiger were challenged by Yoshinobu Kanemaru & Genba Hirayanagi post-match with their V1 defense already set for NOAH’s 8/28 Korakuen Hall show.

G1 Climax winner Satoshi Kojima also appeared on the event ahead of his upcoming IWGP Heavyweight Title shot, lariating Mohammed Yone in 12 minutes.

NOAH “PRO-WRESTLING NOAH 10TH ANNIVERSARY ~ NEW NAVIGATION 2010 IN TOKYO”, 8/22/10 (G+)
Tokyo Ariake Colosseum
5,500 Fans

- GHC Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Koji Kanemoto & Tiger Mask beat Taiji Ishimori & Ricky Marvin (c) (21:27) when Kanemoto used a Tiger suplex on Marvin to become the 12th champions.
- Special Singles Match: Go Shiozaki beat Shinsuke Nakamura (19:08) with a modified Go Flasher.

Jushin Thunder Liger has been absent from New Japan for quite a while now along with young lion Nobuo Yoshihashi, the two over in Mexico with CMLL. Liger has been on a rampage and a few days ago won the “G1 of Mexico”, the CMLL Universal Championship (Campeonato Universal). Liger beat La Sombra over three falls in the final, acquiring the help of OKUMURA (Shigeo Okumura) to wrap up the win.

Liger received a title belt for his win but it isn’t the sort that is defended, more like a trophy, unlike the CMLL World Middleweight Championship, which Liger has held since May.

The junior legend will remain in CMLL for a while yet as he is part of a cage match on CMLL’s 9/3 anniversary show, also featuring the likes of Mistico, Ultimo Guerrero, Volador, Atlantis, and others.

In addition to young lions King Fale and Kyosuke Mikami, the following have been announced for NEVER.2 on 9/16 in Osaka:

- Takuya Tomakomai (DRAGON GATE)
- Daisuke Hara (Osaka Pro)
- Tadasuke (Osaka Pro)
- Yohei Nakajima (free)

The cast for NEVER.1, which is the brand’s debut event on 8/24, is:

- Taichi (New Japan)
- King Fale (New Japan)
- Kyosuke Mikami (New Japan)
- Hiromu Takahashi (New Japan / debuting)
- Taichi Takizawa (K-DOJO)
- Shinobu (666)
- Kazuhiro Tamura (STYLE-E)
- Yusuke Kodama (SMASH)
- Madoka (free / former K-DOJO)
- Osamu Namiguchi (free / former ZERO1)

Satoshi Kojima must wait as Togi Makabe wants vengeance on Masato Tanaka after the latter’s sneak attack on the Unchained Gorilla yesterday! The former ECW World Heavyweight Champion returns to New Japan and challenges Makabe for the IWGP Heavyweight Title at the big Kobe World Hall show next month, the only match announced for that thus far. This saves Kojima vs. the winner for “DESTRUCTION ‘10″, the recently announced Sumo Hall show on October 11th. Kojima will also appear on the upcoming tour, titled “CIRCUIT 2010 G1 CLIMAX SPECIAL“, on various events, including the Kobe World Hall PPV where he may have a big match.

NJPW, 9/3/10 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall

1. Jado Return Match: Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Davey Richards, Jado & Gedo
2. Special Singles Match: Prince Devitt vs. Kenny Omega
3. Riki Choshu, Taichi & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Manabu Nakanishi, Tama Tonga & King Fale
4. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
5. Tomoaki Honma vs. Satoshi Kojima
6. Special Tag Match: Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
7. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano & Masato Tanaka

NJPW, 9/4/10
Nishio City Gymnasium

1. Satoshi Kojima vs. Tama Tonga
2. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & Tomoaki Honma vs. Toru Yano, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Masato Tanaka & Tomohiro Ishii

NJPW, 9/5/10
Twin Messe Shizuoka South Pavilion A

1. Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga
2. Tomoaki Honma vs. Satoshi Kojima
3. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Masato Tanaka & Takashi Iizuka

NJPW, 9/10/10 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Differ Ariake

1. Prince Devitt, Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Davey Richards, Jado & Gedo
2. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Hirooki Goto, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Special Tag Match: Togi Makabe & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima & Masato Tanaka

NJPW “FSW5 ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL EVENT”, 9/11/10
Fuji Speedway Event Plaza Dome Tent

1. Manabu Nakanishi & Tama Tonga vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
2. Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Takashi Iizuka, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii

NJPW, 9/12/10
Chichibu Cultural Sports Center

1. Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomoaki Honma vs. Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Togi Makabe, Hirooki Goto, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Masato Tanaka , Jado & Gedo

NJPW, 9/15/10
Toyama Techno Hall

1. Riki Choshu & Taichi vs. Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue
2. Hirooki Goto, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Togi Makabe & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka

NJPW, 9/17/10
Toyooka City Gymnasium

1. Riki Choshu & Taichi vs. Manabu Nakanishi & Tomoaki Honma
2. Yuji Nagata, Hirooki Goto & Wataru Inoue vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Togi Makabe & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii

NJPW, 9/18/10
Hiroshima Green Arena Small Arena

1. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Jado & Gedo
2. Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii
3. Tomoaki Honma vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
4. Special Tag Match: Togi Makabe & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Satoshi Kojima & Masato Tanaka

NJPW, 9/19/10
Izumo City Gymnasium

1. Riki Choshu, Manabu Nakanishi & Tiger Mask vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii
2. Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga
3. Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito

NJPW, 9/20/10
Okayama Orange Hall

1. Riki Choshu, Manabu Nakanishi & Tomoaki Honma vs. Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa
2. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Jado & Gedo
3. Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Hirooki Goto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka

NJPW, 9/22/10
Iwade Municipal Citizen Gymnasium

1. Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Tetsuya Naito & Tomohiro Ishii
2. Hirooki Goto & Koji Kanemoto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Davey Richards
3. Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka, Jado & Gedo

NJPW, 9/23/10
Takamatsu City Gymnasium

1. Riki Choshu & Tomoaki Honma vs. Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue
2. Hirooki Goto, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Jado & Gedo
3. Togi Makabe, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito

NJPW, 9/24/10
Niihama Citizen Gymnasium

1. Riki Choshu & Taichi vs. Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano, Yujiro Takahashi & Tetsuya Naito
3. Togi Makabe, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Masato Tanaka , Jado & Gedo

NJPW, 9/25/10
Tokushima Municipal Gymnasium

1. Riki Choshu, Yuji Nagata & Wataru Inoue vs. Giant Bernard, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Toru Yano, Jado & Gedo
3. Togi Makabe, Hirooki Goto & Tomoaki Honma vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, Masato Tanaka & Takashi Iizuka

NJPW, 9/26/10 (WPW/PPV)
Kobe World Hall

1. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Togi Makabe (c) vs. Masato Tanaka

NJPW “DESTRUCTION ‘10″, 10/11/10 (WPW)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Winner of Makabe/Tanaka (c) vs. Satoshi Kojima

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/15/10 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
11,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. G1 Climax - Block B: Yujiro Takahashi [4] beat Yuji Nagata [8] (5:28) with a moonsault press.
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [9] vs. Go Shiozaki [9] went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired.
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Satoshi Kojima [10] beat Hirooki Goto [8] (12:09) with a lariat.
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [8] beat Prince Devitt [8] (7:26) with the Kagamiwari.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Tetsuya Naito [7] beat Manabu Nakanishi [8] (10:52) with a front cradle.
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [9] beat Togi Makabe [8] (11:58) with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.
7. Special Tag Match: Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson beat Strong Man & Wataru Inoue (8:20) when Anderson used the Gun Stun on Strong Man.
8. G1 Climax Special 6 Man Tag Match: Genichiro Tenryu, Toshiaki Kawada & Tiger Mask beat Riki Choshu, Super Strong Machine & AKIRA (8:17) when Tiger used a flying cradle on AKIRA.
9. G1 Climax - Final: Satoshi Kojima beat Hiroshi Tanahashi (21:25) with a lariat.

* Freelancer Satoshi Kojima becomes the first outsider in history to win the G1 Climax in its 20th year. Though not an outsider in the same sense as say a Yoshihiro Takayama, because he was trained and raised in New Japan with frequent returns, this adds freshness to the G1 by ending the common formula of an outsider losing in the final that has been done so much.
* Kojima said he will now chase the IWGP Heavyweight Title and should appear in New Japan regularly, though whether he tours or not isn’t known yet.
* “Mr. G1″ Masahiro Chono appeared before the main event as a special ring announcer.
* Masato Tanaka reappeared after the sixth match, attacking Makabe and challenging him to an IWGP Heavyweight Title match! How this will be handled with Kojima’s newfound contendership remains to be seen.
* Nakamura vs. Shiozaki was said to be an excellent match with the time limit preventing Nakamura from reaching the final. A win and he would have but Shiozaki wouldn’t have due to his loss to Kojima in the group stage. A rematch has already been booked for NOAH’s 8/22 super-show with no time limit!

-

Block A:
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [9]
2. Togi Makabe [8]
- Manabu Nakanishi [8]
- Prince Devitt [8]
- Toru Yano [8]
6. Tetsuya Naito [7]
7. Strong Man [4]
8. Karl Anderson [4]

Block B:
1. Satoshi Kojima [10]
2. Shinsuke Nakamura [9]
- Go Shiozaki [9]
4. Hirooki Goto [8]
5. Yuji Nagata [8]
6. Giant Bernard [6]
7. Yujiro Takahashi [4]
8. Wataru Inoue [2]

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/14/10 (J SPORTS)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
6,500 Fans

1. Special 6 Man Tag Match: Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Taiji Ishimori , Ricky Marvin & Atsushi Aoki went to a draw (15:00) when the time limit expired.
2. G1 Climax - Block A: Strong Man [4] beat Tetsuya Naito [5] (7:55) with a powerbomb.
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [8] beat Wataru Inoue [2] (10:18) with a backdrop hold.
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Yujiro Takahashi [2] beat Giant Bernard [6] (8:03) with a crucifix hold.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Karl Anderson [4] beat Toru Yano [6] (9:16) with the Gun Stun.
6. G1 Climax - Block B: Go Shiozaki [8] beat Hirooki Goto [8] (17:52) with the Go Flasher.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [8] beat Manabu Nakanishi [8] (10:52) with a King Kong kneedrop.
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Prince Devitt [8] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [7] (11:35) by pinfall.
9. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [8] beat Satoshi Kojima [8] (16:45) with the Boma Ye.

* Nakamura defeats Kojima in a rematch five years in the making after their 60 minute draw in the same building some years ago.
* Shiozaki’s win over Goto in an exciting match makes tomorrow’s Nakamura vs. Shiozaki super-battle even more mouthwatering.
* Nakamura now shares 8 points with Nagata, Goto, Kojima, and Shiozaki heading into an exciting final day.
* Devitt scores a massive upset win over Tanahashi to stay well in contention for a spot in the final, doing the junior division proud as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion!
* Makabe’s win over Nakanishi means that those two, Tanahashi, and Devitt are really the only ones in with a shot of reaching the final from Block A tomorrow.
* Yujiro finally gets off the mark with a cradle win over Bernard, eliminating the gaijin ace from final contention.

-

Block A:
1. Togi Makabe [8]
2. Manabu Nakanishi [8]
3. Prince Devitt [8]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [7]
5. Toru Yano [6]
6. Tetsuya Naito [5]
7. Strong Man [4]
8. Karl Anderson [4]

Block B:
1. Yuji Nagata [8]
- Hirooki Goto [8]
- Shinsuke Nakamura [8]
- Satoshi Kojima [8]
- Go Shiozaki [8]
6. Giant Bernard [6]
7. Wataru Inoue [2]
8. Yujiro Takahashi [2]

-

NJPW, 8/15/10 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan

1. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata vs. Yujiro Takahashi
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Go Shiozaki
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto vs. Satoshi Kojima
4. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano vs. Prince Devitt
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Manabu Nakanishi vs. Tetsuya Naito
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
7. Special Tag Match: Strong Man & Wataru Inoue vs. Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson
8. G1 Climax Special 6 Man Tag Match: Riki Choshu, Super Strong Machine & AKIRA vs. Genichiro Tenryu, Toshiaki Kawada & Tiger Mask
9. G1 Climax - Final:

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/13/10 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
2,005 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House

1. G1 Climax - Block B: Wataru Inoue [2] beat Yujiro Takahashi [0] (8:19) with the Spear of Justice.
2. G1 Climax - Block A: Manabu Nakanishi [8] beat Strong Man [2] (8:41) with the Hercules Cutter.
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Satoshi Kojima [8] beat Giant Bernard [6] (11:44) with a lariat.
4. Special Tag Match: Go Shiozaki & Atsushi Aoki beat Shinsuke Nakamura & Gedo (12:19) when Shiozaki used the Go Flasher on Gedo.
5. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [6] beat Karl Anderson [2] (11:07) with a King Kong kneedrop.
6. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [8] beat Yuji Nagata [6] (15:22) with a foot-arrangement cradle.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Prince Devitt [6] beat Tetsuya Naito [5] (11:42) with the Bloody Sunday.
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [7] beat Toru Yano [6] (14:49) with the Sling Blade.

* Tanahashi follows up on his Hair vs. Hair win over Yano by beating him today, moving ahead of Yano, Makabe, and Devitt into second place, behind only the on-fire Nakanishi.
* Goto and Kojima move ahead in Block B after both pick up huge wins today, Goto pinning Nagata in a reportedly excellent match and Kojima lariating Bernard, whose strong G1 Climax has slowed down a bit now.
* Wataru won the battle of the winless today, beating Yujiro in the opener to finally get off 0 points and leave Yujiro rock bottom, far behind the top six.

-

Block A:
1. Manabu Nakanishi [8]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [7]
3. Togi Makabe [6]
- Toru Yano [6]
- Prince Devitt [6]
6 Tetsuya Naito [5]
7. Strong Man [2]
8. Karl Anderson [2]

Block B:
1. Hirooki Goto [8]
- Satoshi Kojima [8]
3. Yuji Nagata [6]
- Giant Bernard [6]
- Shinsuke Nakamura [6]
- Go Shiozaki [6]
7. Wataru Inoue [2]
8. Yujiro Takahashi [0]

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/12/10 (J SPORTS)
Sendai Sun Plaza Hall
2,000 Fans

1. G1 Climax - Block A: Strong Man [2] beat Karl Anderson [2] (6:30) with a back flip.
2. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [6] beat Tetsuya Naito [5] (10:59) with the Uragasumi.
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [6] beat Yujiro Takahashi [0] (13:03) with the Shouten.
4. Special Tag Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi & TAJIRI beat Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma (9:39) when Tanahashi used the High Fly Flow on Honma.
5. G1 Climax - Block B: Go Shiozaki [6] beat Giant Bernard [6] (11:07) with a small package hold.
6. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [6] beat Wataru Inoue [0] (11:18) with the Boma Ye.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Manabu Nakanishi [6] beat Prince Devitt [4] (9:23) with a German suplex hold.
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [6] beat Satoshi Kojima [6] (16:18) with a backdrop hold.

* Nagata’s victory over Kojima, following his win over Shiozaki on the last show, have boosted his G1 but Block B is a major dogfight with six on 6 points, a mile ahead of Wataru and Yujiro, who share bottom place.
* Nakanishi now leads Block A after pinning Devitt, ahead of Yano on the “direct confrontatuion” rule.
* Yano’s win over Naito also put him in a qualification spot, with Tanahashi and Naito deadlocked in third.
* CMLL’s Strong Man finally won on his fifth attempt, pinning Anderson in the opening match.

-

Block A:
1. Manabu Nakanishi [6]
2. Toru Yano [6]
3. Hiroshi Tanahashi [5]
- Tetsuya Naito [5]
5. Togi Makabe [4]
6. Prince Devitt [4]
7. Strong Man [2]
8. Karl Anderson [2]

Block B:
1. Yuji Nagata [6]
- Hirooki Goto [6]
- Giant Bernard [6]
- Shinsuke Nakamura [6]
- Satoshi Kojima [6]
- Go Shiozaki [6]
7. Wataru Inoue [0]
- Yujiro Takahashi [0]

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/10/10 (Samurai! TV)
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
4,900 Fans

1. G1 Climax - Block A: Tetsuya Naito [5] beat Karl Anderson [2] (11:52) with a Stardust press.
2. G1 Climax - Block B: Satoshi Kojima [6] beat Wataru Inoue [0] (13:56) with a lariat.
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Giant Bernard [6] beat Hirooki Goto [4] (11:25) with the Bernard Driver.
4. Special Tag Match: Prince Devitt & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Toru Yano & Gedo (8:45) when Taguchi used the Dodon on Gedo.
5. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [4] beat Yujiro Takahashi [0] (11:47) with the Boma Ye.
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [4] beat Strong Man [0] (5:57) with a King Kong kneedrop.
7. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [4] beat Go Shiozaki [4] (16:25) with a backdrop hold.
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [5] beat Manabu Nakanishi [4] (15:01) with the High Fly Flow.

* New Japan’s biggest attendance at Yokohama Bunk Gymnasium for half a decade.
* Tanahashi, Nakamura, and Makabe all continue their comebacks after poor starts to the G1 with victories today.
* Shiozaki suffers his second loss on the trot to a veteran, falling to Nagata today.
* Both Wataru and Yujiro remain winless, though Yujiro’s tag partner Naito continues to have an impressive G1.

-

Block A:
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [5]
- Tetsuya Naito [5]
3. Togi Makabe [4]
- Manabu Nakanishi [4]
- Prince Devitt [4]
- Toru Yano [4]
7. Karl Anderson [2]
8. Strong Man [0]

Block B:
1. Giant Bernard [6]
- Satoshi Kojima [6]
3. Yuji Nagata [4]
- Hirooki Goto [4]
- Shinsuke Nakamura [4]
- Go Shiozaki [4]
7. Wataru Inoue [0]
- Yujiro Takahashi [0]

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/8/10 (WPW)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium
8,500 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. Special Tag Match: Yujiro Takahashi & Takashi Iizuka beat Yuji Nagata & TAJIRI (8:06) when Nagata was DQ’d.
2. G1 Climax - Block A: Manabu Nakanishi [4] beat Karl Anderson [2] (7:29) with the Dai*Nakanishi German.
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [4] beat Strong Man [0] (5:16) with a horizontal cradle.
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [4] beat Wataru Inoue [0] (10:14) with a foot-arrangement cradle.
5. G1 Climax - Block B: Satoshi Kojima [4] beat Go Shiozaki [4] (15:13) with a lariat.
6. G1 Climax - Block B: Shinsuke Nakamura [2] beat Giant Bernard [4] (10:39) with the Boma Ye.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [3] vs. Tetsuya Naito [3] went to a draw (30:00) when the time limit expired.
8. G1 Climax - Block A: Togi Makabe [2] beat Prince Devitt [4] (13:36) with a King Kong kneedrop.

* Makabe finally gets off the mark in the IWGP Heavyweight vs. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight main event, pinning Devitt. This moves him to a 1-2 record but Devitt is still 2-1.
* Tanahashi continues to struggle a little, only managing to draw with NO LIMIT’s Naito today. Naito beat Tanahashi in the New Japan Cup this year in what was a major upset, so continues to impress in big singles matches.
* Nakamura also got off the mark following a poor start, beating Bernard in the first ever singles match between the two.
* In the battle of “outsiders”, freelance Kojima lariated Shiozaki in somewhat of a surprise outcome, as these sort of matches often go to 30 minute draws in the G1.

-

Block A:
1. Manabu Nakanishi [4]
- Prince Devitt [4]
- Toru Yano [4]
4. Hiroshi Tanahashi [3]
- Tetsuya Naito [3]
6. Togi Makabe [2]
- Karl Anderson [2]
8. Strong Man [0]

Block B:
1. Hirooki Goto [4]
- Giant Bernard [4]
- Satoshi Kojima [4]
- Go Shiozaki [4]
5. Yuji Nagata [2]
6. Shinsuke Nakamura [2]
7. Wataru Inoue [0]
- Yujiro Takahashi [0]

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/7/10 (Samurai! TV)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium
4,500 Fans

1. Special Tag Match: Manabu Nakanishi & TAJIRI beat Tetsuya Naito & Takashi Iizuka (12:41) when Naito was DQ’d.
2. G1 Climax - Block A: Prince Devitt [4] beat Karl Anderson [2] (10:44) with the Bloody Sunday.
3. G1 Climax - Block B: Giant Bernard [4] beat Yuji Nagata [2] (13:05) with the Bernard Driver.
4. G1 Climax - Block B: Go Shiozaki [4] beat Wataru Inoue [0] (16:03) with the Go Flasher.
5. G1 Climax - Block B: Satoshi Kojima [2] beat Yujiro Takahashi [0] (8:20) with a lariat.
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Hiroshi Tanahashi [2] beat Strong Man [0] (6:50) with the High Fly Flow.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Toru Yano [2] beat Togi Makabe [0] (7:18) with the Uragasumi.
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Hirooki Goto [2] beat Shinsuke Nakamura [0] (16:51) with a foot-arrangement cradle.

* Makabe and Nakamura, two potential favourites to win the tournament, have both had disasterous starts, with losses on days one and two. Both fell to close rivals today. For Nakamura, this start is the opposite of last year where he stormed through the entire tournament before losing to Makabe in the final.
* Tanahashi made sure he wasn’t in the same boat by pinning Strong Man, who has also started badly.
* Devitt, Bernard, and Shiozaki continued their promising starts by picking up their second wins on the trot.

-

Block A:
1. Prince Devitt [4]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [2]
- Manabu Nakanishi [2]
- Karl Anderson [2]
- Toru Yano [2]
- Tetsuya Naito [2]
7. Togi Makabe [0]
- Strong Man [0]

Block B:
1. Giant Bernard [4]
- Go Shiozaki [4]
3. Yuji Nagata [2]
- Hirooki Goto [2]
- Satoshi Kojima [2]
6. Wataru Inoue [0]
- Shinsuke Nakamura [0]
- Yujiro Takahashi [0]

–> “G1 CLIMAX XX ~20TH YEARS ANNIVERSARY~” <--

NJPW, 8/6/10 (Samurai! TV)
Tokyo Korakuen Hall
1,900 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. G1 Climax - Block B: Giant Bernard [2] beat Wataru Inoue [0] (9:19) with a neck-hanging bomb.
2. G1 Climax - Block A: Manabu Nakanishi [2] beat Toru Yano [0] (7:30) with the Dai*Nakanishi German.
3. G1 Climax - Block A: Prince Devitt [2] beat Strong Man [0] (7:36) by pinfall.
4. Satoshi Kojima Return Match: Hirooki Goto & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Satoshi Kojima & El Samurai (13:50) when Taguchi used the Dodon on Samurai.
5. G1 Climax - Block B: Go Shiozaki [2] beat Yujiro Takahashi [0] (10:36) with the Go Flasher.
6. G1 Climax - Block A: Karl Anderson [2] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [0] (11:42) by pinfall.
7. G1 Climax - Block A: Tetsuya Naito [2] beat Togi Makabe [0] (14:34) with a high-angle front cradle.
8. G1 Climax - Block B: Yuji Nagata [2] beat Shinsuke Nakamura [0] (17:43) with a backdrop hold.

* A day of surprises, even Nagata beating Nakamura in this day and age being quite an upset.
* Last year’s winner and IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Makabe, loses to Naito who you may remember also beat Tanahashi in the New Japan Cup.
* Tanahashi, after an unceremonious start last year too, was upset by Karl Anderson on day one this year.
* A day after being announced as Marufuji’s replacement, Prince Devitt scores a surprise win over the massive Strong Man.

Naomichi Marufuji’s replacement in the G1 Climax has been named as none other than the man who brought down Marufuji to end his IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title reign, Prince Devitt! The IWGP Jr. 2-crown holder will continue his big year and step into some big matches, facing Strong Man (8/6), Anderson (8/7), Makabe (8/8), Nakanishi (8/12), Naito (8/13), Tanahashi (8/14), and Yano (8/15).

President Sugabayashi said there had been a lot of candidates from inside and outside of Japan but in the end they thought they should give the chance to home-based Devitt after he did manage to beat Marufuji, as well as win the Best of the Super Jr. and recapture the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title.