by Rob Goodwin @REALRobGoodwinMatch #1 - Yuji Niigata vs. Katsuya KitamuraThere's no denying that Kitamura is headed for great things, especially once he gets back from his inevitable excursion following the culmination of this best of 7 series. After losses to Juice Robinson, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Michael Elgin in his opening 3 bouts, I don't really see things improving here. Yes, Yuji Niigata might be seen as a veteran with nothing to gain, but the respect still needs to be paid by the Young Lion, and Niigata, though unable to put on matches like those in his prime, can still teach the Young Lion a lot in this match. YUJI NIIGATA to defeat Kitamura in match 4 of his trials. Match #2 - Roppongi 3K (c) vs. SUZUKI-GUN [El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru] Though not for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, I can only see this match going one way in truth. After a quite frankly hellacious and wonderful match between the champs and the Young Bucks during the 2nd night in Sapporo, Roppongi 3K need to begin building momentum by beating other teams around them after hot potatoeing the tag belts between themselves and the Bucks. Whether this means that El Desperado and Kanemaru are the new challengers to the straps or whether we will see another installment in the excellent encyclopedia of Young Bucks and Roppongi 3K matches, I'm going for ROPPONGI 3K to come out on top here! Match #3 - Taguchi Japan [David Finlay & Juice Robinson] & Toa Henare vs. CHAOS [Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii & Jay White (c)] I would argue that behind the match later in the card between Naito and YOSHI-HASHI, this is the lock of the night. Look at the team CHAOS have put together, do you see anyone who is going to take the pin in that team? Now look at Taguchi Japan; apart from Juice, the other 2 are there to eat the pin. I think Ishii and Yano could well be the next challengers to EVIL and SANADA's IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team belts, and therefore they need to be made to look strong, whilst Jay White has just defeated Kenny Omega to clinch the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. I just do not see them losing. There's not a lot of direction for Taguchi Japan at the moment I feel, and I know they can be seen as a comedy act, but I'd love to see more from them. Also, slightly on a tangent, I have Juice Robinson as my dark horse for the New Japan Cup - you heard it here first! Match #4 - Taguchi Japan [Rysuke Taguchi & KUSHIDA] Michael Elgin and Togi Makabe vs. SUZUKI-GUN [Minoru Suzuki (c), Takashi Iizuka, Taichi & Taka Michinoku] I am incredibly sad that I must endure another Iizuka match. That aside, this match could potentially hold a lot of intrigue. I think it's pretty clear that Makabe is lined up to be the next challenger for the IWGP Intercontinental belt after he came out in Sapporo and saved Henare from Suzuki's post-match attack, that is what makes this so hard to call. Makabe hasn't really done a lot recently and could therefore do with the pinfall victory, but obviously not over Suzuki. Yet, I don't really see Suzuki-Gun losing two matches on the same show. However, I am going to go for TEAM MAKABE in this. As I stated before, Makabe needs some momentum if he truly is to challenge Suzuki for the belt at a later date, so I see him getting the pin over Taichi! Match #5 - Gedo vs. BUSHI Poor Gedo and BUSHI. This really is the match that no-one cares about in this riveting feud between LIJ and CHAOS isn't it. It's a shame, as BUSHI can definitley go in the ring (as proved by his capture of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in 2016, before losing it fairly promptly to KUSHIDA.) Short of just being Okada's valet to the ring, I don't really understand what Gedo brings to the table (and that really is my NJPW noob status talking as I understand he is a former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Jado) whilst BUSHI could do with the momementum that a victory could give him here. Match #6 - YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito TETSUYA NAITO. 100% It has to be. I'm sorry, and I mean no disrespect to YOSHI-HASHI, there is not a chance on this planet that they are handing Naito - possibly the most over man in the company right now, a man who has recently endured a heart-breaking loss at the Tokyo Dome in a match that everyone was convinced he would win for the Heavyweight Championship - a defeat on the following show. This being despite NJPW’s best attempts to build some heat behind HASHI after he attacked the leader of LIJ for failing to acknowledge him. Don't get me wrong, YOSHI-HASHI will have a great showing I'm sure - and let's face it, if there is a man to carry him to a great match it's Tetsuya Naito - and it will resemble a competitive bout, but I fully expect Naito to come out victorious. Match #7 - Will Ospreay (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi |
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