Recapped: 01/23/2017
What happened: On Day 1 of the tour, many outcomes set up challengers for later shows (though Máximo beat Hechicero before their title match.)
What was good: The third and fourth matches were the best on the show. The event was generally watchable, though not as good as the NJPW World shows. Even when good, the matches also often felt like shorter warmup versions of later matches.
Where can I watch it: It’s on the Real Hero archive.
I’m watching this last, though this as the first show to actually take place.
Match 1: Henare & Soberano Jr. vs Jado & Raziel
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: técnicos (Soberano Jr.)
Match Time: 8:30
Review: [ok] a match totally to introduce the fans to Soberano. Henare got some offense too, but can’t get all that match given his role in the promotion, so this was really built around Soberano big highspots. He looked good on them, as he did all tour. I’m still skeptical he’ll be back in NJPW any time soon, because of his age and because of the guys ahead of him, but it wouldn’t seem crazy. Raziel deserves credit for feeding him well all tour and mocking Henare’s non stop yelling was good. Jado was not good.
Match 2: Jushin Liger, Stuka Jr., Tiger Mask vs Ephesto, Gedo, Okumura
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: rudos (Okumura hanging DDT Stuka)
Match Time: 7:22
Review: [below average] the weakest match on the entire tour as far as I’ve seen. The match just comes off as as mess early on, like a bad indie match, and never really picks up enough to make up for it. It’s lovely to see Mima and she has a lot of fun, but a week of her frequently interfering goes a long way. Lyger’s backbreakers on her were so not good.
Match 3: Blue Panther Jr. & David Finlay vs EVIL & Sanada
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: LIJ (Sanada Skull End on Finlay)
Match Time: 8:00
Notes: This is the first night, and Blue Panther Jr. already his shoulder taped and seems to be protecting his right arm.
Review: [ok] As it turned out, this was probably Blue Panther Jr.’s big chance to show something on the tour. This could’ve been a quick squash match given the disparity in stature, but they gave Panther time to do something. He did not do much impressive, looking worse than usual and messing up the hot tag timing. Panther was always going to be the fourth best guy in the match, but looked so by a large margin. This isn’t on the level of the other LIJ matches and is thoroughly skippable. Good to see former The Crash superstar Sanada doing well anyway.
Match 4: Dragón Lee & Titán vs Bushi & Hiromu Takahashi
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: Tecnicos (Titan El Inmortal Bushi)
Match Time: 7:47
Review: [good] a lesser version of their tour ending match, and one with a lot of repeat material thru the first 2/3rds, but picking up well in the last few minutes. The combo spot Dragon Lee & Titan didn’t quite work any better here, but the energy and effort is good, and it felt a lot longer than was listed. You probably don’t need to see both matches, but they’re both good.
Match 5: Kushida, Mistico, Volador Jr. vs Bárbaro Cavernario, Euforia, Último Guerrero
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: rudos (Último Guerrero Guerrero Special Volador Jr.)
Match Time: 14:19
Notes: Cavernario has his club here, and not for the rest of the tour.
Review: [good] This match kept going and going. It started out kind of ordinary, it turned into a greatest hits piece, and then it kept going beyond that to become something a little bit more. This still was the usual guys doing all their spots for the unfamiliar audience and didn’t offer a lot new, but they did just about everything in a match that went longer than it felt it was going. This fits along the usual Sky Team/Guerreros matches.
Match 6: Atlantis & Máscara Don vs Naito & Rush
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: técnicos (Atlantida on Rush)
Match Time: 9:39
Review: [below average] Maybe this was the worst match? Atlantis was working very hard and Rush & Naito tried at times, but this didn’t really work for a long as it went. Mascara Don is not any good. I realize the pescado is supposed to be a charming bit for being so terrible, but that forgets the part that it is a terrible pescado. Rush’s corner dropkick fakeout dies a death here; it’s only when he poses that the fans realize something was meant to have occurred. Avoid.
Match 7: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Máximo Sexy, Ryusuke Taguchi vs Hechicero, Okada, Will Ospreay
EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka, Japan, 01/13/2017
Winner: técnicos (Máximo huracanrana Hechicero)
Match Time: 12:02
Notes: Máximo kissed Tanahashi after the match
Review: [ok] fine enough a match, but never feel like it came together as a main event. Everyone was having fun but it wasn’t as amusing as the better comedy matches and they didn’t as much as the action matches. Crowd enjoyed Máximo but he or Hechicero didn’t seem like a big focus to this match; maybe there just wasn’t a big focus.
