New Japan returned to the hallowed Sumo Hall in Tokyo today for another successful show, with a sell out of 9,000 fans (less than the usual “sell out” due to a gigantic screen installed for the show). Shinsuke Nakamura has a history of losing to a big name, but then learning from the experience and avenging it in time. Mighty Mighty Muto Keiji is another story though, as the IWGP Heavyweight Champion - who ended what looked to be on course to be a defining IWGP reign for Nakamura in April - again warded off his young challenger. 28-year-old Nakamura, already a 2-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, again pushed Muto far in what was an exciting main event, but fell to something of a flash Frankensteiner, after Nakamura kicked out of the moonsault press that defeated him in April. Muto mentioned backstage that his old friend Shinya Hashimoto once lost to Genichiro Tenryu twice in a row, but gained experience from the trial, and bounced back a third time to beat Tenryu. He seemed to be suggesting that perhaps Nakamura could do this, having come closer to beating Muto today, but only time will tell. Muto is going to take the belt to Taiwan now for All Japan’s trip there and try to raise the global worth of it. Nakamura said he will fight Muto as many times as he has to and its not only about winning the belt, but forcing a true change of generation and matching the very existence of the seemingly unmatchable Keiji Muto.

New Japan vs. ZERO1/ZERO1-MAX has raged on for a long time now. There have been victories and defeats, but generally New Japan has always had the edge - except for against one man. The three-in-a-row Fire Festival winner and almost Goldberg-esque ace of ZERO1 has been Masato Tanaka, and New Japan wrestlers have failed to knock him down, with Nakanishi, Makabe, and Kanemoto all losing singles matches to him. Today, Tanaka faced his first opponent from the very top level of New Japan, risking his World Heavyweight Title against the one and only Yuji Nagata. The last fort of ZERO1 was finally compromised as in what was described as an off-the-charts match saw Nagata smash Tanaka with repeated backdrops, until getting the three count with one. Large “Nagata” calls rang out after the match as the third generation leader, who so often has threatened to be overshadowed by the new generation only to fight back, lifted the second singles belt of his career. Nagata, who recently beat Otani in a singles match too, declared ZERO1-MAX done and beaten after the match, leading to wrestlers from the company pouncing and a big brawl. No one from 01 remains untoppled now, but that won’t stop their roster from working hard to reclaim the company’s leading title, much like New Japan wrestlers are working hard to win back the company’s own title. Kohei Sato seems in line for a shot at the title, a man who could pose the biggest threat to Nagata from 01.

Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Takashi Iizuka has been the blood feud of 2008, stemming from Iizuka’s betrayal of Tenzan in April and subsequent nationwide war. Tenzan seemed close to liquidating the grudge in July when he won a Lumberjack Death Match, but it didn’t slow down, and today they met again in a Chain Death Match on the biggest stage yet. As expected, this match had brawling, weapons, blood, and drama, with the fans very much behind Tenzan. Both men bled heavily and fought for their lives, with GBH interfering to help Tenzan, but Kojima getting involved to even the odds. The ever dangerous Iizuka trapped Tenzan in a sleeper hold with 20 minutes gone, adding a chain to the equation to choke him out. The fans chanted Tenzan’s name in encouragement, but referee Tiger Hattori perceived he was in great danger and stopped the match, giving Iizuka his biggest win of recent years! TenKoji, having failed to lift the AJPW World Tag Team Title the other day and now with Tenzan having fallen to Iizuka, are suffering bumps in their revival, but Kojima swore they would be revitalized soon, and will first look to win the G1 Tag League. As for Tenzan vs. Iizuka, the war is likely go on, but with Lumberjack and Chain Death Matches having not ended the grudge, what match concept is going to manage it…?

G1 Climax winner Hirooki Goto has suffered an unfortunate summer after his unlikely tournament win. Beating Makabe in the tournament final seemed step one to quick superstardom, but reality has set in, and big losses have followed. He failed narrowly to beat Muto and bring home the IWGP Heavyweight Title, then dropped his fall back to Makabe in an IWGP Tag Team Title shot with Nakamura. Today he faced New Japan’s strongest foreigner and the man who betrayed RISE recently, Giant Bernard. Goto put up another ferocious fight today, and indeed it took interference from Karl Anderson to give Bernard a win, as he dropped Goto with the Bernard bomb to hand RISE’s second-in-command another key loss. Goto was appalled by GBH’s constant interference, saying so backstage, but is now focusing on the G1 Tag League, where he and Nakamura will both want to retaliate from today’s losses quickly.

Manabu Nakanishi and Yutaka Yoshie are back together and quickly taking names. They headlined the recent PREMIUM show and bested Shinjiro Otani and Daisuke Sekimoto in the main event, and today managed another big win over the all-star team of Chono and Tanahashi. Tanahashi has been lacking form and vigor since returning from injury, and today’s pinfall loss to Nakanishi was the iceing on the cake. But now he is off to TNA in America indefinitely, where he has a chance to refresh himself, learn new things, and come back stronger than ever in time for the January 4th Tokyo Dome show. GBH recruit and IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Low Ki, continues to storm the junior division after upsetting Tiger Mask to lift wrestling’s most prestigious junior title in Kobe recently. He today pinned the legend Liger in a six man tag, but was the victim of a surprise attack from former champion Taguchi after the match, eating a Dodon. Taguchi then officially challenged Low Ki to a match for the belt, and expect that to take place some time soon.

NO LIMIT have been emerging little by little this year. Big matches, big losses, experience gained. And it all led to their biggest feat today, when they upset RISE’s Minoru & Devitt (what a great day for RISE!) to become the 22nd generation champions! Yujiro has always been the strong link of the team, his growth over recent years making him more of a threat little by little, and he dropped Minoru with an Intercollegiate slam for the three count! The young lions are very conscious that they recent failed to win the GHC Jr. Tag Team Title from Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Kotaro Suzuki and declared that after entering the G1 Tag League, they will look to re-invade NOAH and avenge their loss in a big 2-crown title vs. title match.

NJPW “DESTRUCTION ‘08″, 10/13/08 (WPW/PPV)
Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan
9,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy Full House

0. Wataru Inoue & Ryusuke Taguchi beat Milano Collection AT & Taichi Ishikari (7:04) when Taguchi used a small package hold on Ishikari.
1. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Title: Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito beat Minoru & Prince Devitt (c) (11:34) when Yujiro used an Intercollegiate slam on Minoru to become the 22nd champions.
2. Jado, Gedo & Low Ki beat Jushin Thunder Liger, Koji Kanemoto & Tiger Mask (7:46) when Ki used the Ki Krusher ‘99 on Liger.
3. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii beat Satoshi Kojima , KAI & Hiroshi Yamato (10:06) when Yano used the Oni Koroshi on Yamato.
4. Manabu Nakanishi & Yutaka Yoshie beat Masahiro Chono & Hiroshi Tanahashi (10:24) when Nakanishi used the Hercules Cutter on Tanahashi.
5. Giant Bernard beat Hirooki Goto (13:44) with the Bernard Driver.
6. Chain Death Match ~ TENZAN VS. GBH 2nd Conviction: Takashi Iizuka beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan (21:24) by referee stop.
7. World Heavyweight Title: Yuji Nagata beat Masato Tanaka (c) (18:06) with a backdrop hold to become the new champion.
8. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Muto (c) beat Shinsuke Nakamura (21:39) with a Frankensteiner (4th defense).

“I LOVE NEW JAPAN!”. That was the message Shinsuke Nakamura sent out at the signing ceremony for his IWGP Heavyweight Title match with Keiji Muto yesterday. Half a year has passed since Nakamura’s potentially enormous title reign, that saw him lift the belt from Tanahashi at the Tokyo Dome then end the IWGP 3rd Belt nightmare by submitting Kurt Angle at Sumo Hall, went wrong in very untimely fashion. Muto has since gone on to successfully defend the title against Nakanishi, Goto, and Makabe, while also as his alter-ego, Great Muta, recently lifting the Triple Crown off another of Japan’s rising young stars, Suwama. With all these belts in hand, Nakamura considers the current Keiji Muto to be a more exciting opponent than the one who bested him in Osaka on April 27th. Nakamura is desperate for a generation change and admits even a victory on Monday may not force that - it has to be something memorable, a grand performance. Nakamura has been studying Muto’s defenses and now claims he knows him better than ever.

Muto believes Nakamura is New Japan’s best assassin and the worst (in a good meaning) fighter they could throw at him right now. All Japan has a show in Taiwan on November 6th and wants to keep the belt until then, so that he can raise the value of the IWGP Heavyweight Title on a global level by defending it there. Muto said he has been in Taiwan promoting the show, and that he thinks he advertised the IWGP belt well, and didn’t even take his Triple Crown belts. Muto wants to take the title not only to Taiwan, but Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and South Korea. He warned that if he loses the title now, the chance to promote it across Asia may disappear.

Nakamura said that the International Wrestling Grand Prix Title should be known everywhere, but insisted that a New Japan title should be held by a wrestler currently belonging to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He feels their last match fell into Muto’s formula and that was his downfall, so this time he wants to force Muto into his world, and believes that could make the difference. As for Muto’s Far East plan, Nakamura smiled and said he could do this instead of Muto and show “New Japan LOVE”. These two titans of different generations go to war for the second and most likely final time in 2008 in the main event at Sumo Hall on the 13th.

The scene above has been all too common this year. On the very same show where Muto dethroned Nakamura, the “Friendship” tag team of Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Takashi Iizuka challenged GBH’s Togi Makabe & Toru Yano for the IWGP Tag Team Title. In what probably remains the biggest shock of the year to date, Iizuka betrayed Tenzan and for the first time in his career became a heel, shaving his head and joining GBH. That led to an intense blood feud that has swept Japan ever since. Even Tenzan’s victory in their Lumberjack Death Match at Korakuen Hall in Japan hasn’t ended the feud, and the two will meet in another attempt to conclude the grudge at Sumo Hall in a Chain Death Match. Both men were supposed to show up and sign their names to agree to this dangerous stipulation, but Iizuka instead sent Makabe and Yano to represent him. This predictably led to an argument, with Makabe laughing at Tenzan’s claim that TenKoji are the strongest tag team while he and Yano hold the IWGP Tag Team Title. Yano eventually signed in place of Iizuka, and sick of it all, Tenzan turned to leave, only to find Iizuka stood there with his iron glove on. He attacked Tenzan savagely, leaving him in a heap on the ground, then left with a smug expression on his face.

It hasn’t been a very good few weeks for young lions, Yujiro and Tetsuya Naito, aka NO LIMIT. First of all, they failed in a brave attempt to win the GHC Jr. Tag Team Title from seniors Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Kotaro Suzuki, then Naito fell to DRAGON GATE’s Masaaki Mochizuki on the latest PREMIUM show. Naito, who also dropped the fall in the title match, said he is sick of losing and wants results now. As such, he and Yujiro are both hungry and desperate to win this match. Minoru thinks NO LIMIT are starting to improve and may give he and Devitt a tough match. He warned fans who decide to skip the opener, that they will lose 90% of their value for money, and likewise those who buy the PPV. He said this is a show where fans must view the opening match. Devitt agreed that NO LIMIT are improving, and thinks their accumulated experience makes them worthy opponents. He wants to bypass this hurdle though, so that he and Minoru can defend their title on January 4th at the Tokyo Dome.

For the first time since Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Jun Akiyama opened the 2003 G1 Climax, New Japan packed Kobe World Hall to the rafters today with a capacity crowd of 8,000 fans turning out to see the first ever IWGP Heavyweight Title match in the hotspot. Togi Makabe has found himself in second place so much over the past year and half, finishing runner-up in no less than three tournaments, and failing to win the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Each time he is in touching distance, but never gets the job done, and sadly for him, it was the same today. And yet one can’t overlook Makabe pushing Keiji Muto to his limit and beating him bloody, again coming close to winning the prestigious title. But mighty Muto continued a reign that started in April, wrapping Makabe’s own chain around his knee and hitting a Shining Wizard, then following with a moonsault press to complete a successful V3 defense. It was the man who Muto took the belt from, young superstar Shinsuke Nakamura, who appeared in the ring after the match and challenged Muto for a chance to regain what was taken from him. Muto shook hands with Nakamura and “HOLD OUT” hit, and now the rematch looks on for 10/13 Sumo Hall! TenKoji’s reunion continued with another win over GBH as they bested Iizuka & Ishii, Tenzan submitting the WEW Heavyweight Champion with his Anaconda Vice. Iizuka also used a chain in this match to torment Tenzan, and there were signs that Tenzan vs. Iizuka in a Chain Death Match could also be added to Sumo Hall.

A new threat has emerged in New Japan’s junior division. He first appeared last year as TNA superstar Senshi, then again as RISE’s new recruit earlier this year, but was injured right away. Then he returned at the beginning of this tour as a GBH member, and already Low Ki has struck gold, today ending a fairly brief fourth reign as IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion for Tiger Mask. This was Tiger’s V1 defense and it went wrong as Low Ki drilled Tiger with his Ki Krusher ‘99 for the unlikely title win. Tiger Mask swore on his honour to avenge this loss and win back the belt, but another title has entered GBH custody for the time being. On the undercard, New Japan Sekigun and RISE united, as Tanahashi, Nakamura, Goto & Wataru beat the team of Yano, Bernard, Fuller & Anderson when Nakamura forced Anderson to tap out. There are signs of Tanahashi, who has been quiet since returning from a long-term injury, of heading to America for an expedition, possibly with some TNA appearances again.

NJPW, 9/21/08 (WPW)
Kobe World Hall
8,000 Fans - Super No Vacancy

0. Kazuchika Okada beat Nobuo Yoshihashi (5:07) with a crab hold.
1. GREATEST Jr. BATTLE in KOBE: Koji Kanemoto beat Jushin Thunder Liger (8:12) with an ankle hold.
2. Milano Collection AT beat Taichi Ishikari (8:27) with the Victoria Milanese.
3. Yuji Nagata, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito beat Manabu Nakanishi, Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt (11:06) when Nagata used a backdrop hold on Devitt.
4. Jado, Gedo & Tomoaki Honma beat Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono & Mitsuhide Hirasawa (7:29) when Honma used a diving headbutt on Hirasawa.
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Wataru Inoue beat Toru Yano, Giant Bernard, Rick Fuller & Karl Anderson (16:16) when Nakamura used a flying cross armbreaker on Anderson.
6. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Low Ki beat Tiger Mask (c) (15:17) with the Ki Krusher ‘99 to become the 55th champion.
7. TENKOJI vs. GBH “Crimson WARS”: Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima beat Takashi Iizuka & Tomohiro Ishii (12:23) when Tenzan used the Anaconda Vice on Ishii.
8. IWGP Heavyweight Title: Keiji Muto (c) beat Togi Makabe (19:16) with a moonsault press (3rd defense).