THE FIRST MAJOR PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT OF THE YEAR COOKED UP SEVERAL MATCH OF THE YEAR CANDIDATES – AND ONE THAT COULD BE SEEN AS LEGENDARY.
In front of 40,000 people at the Toyko Dome in Tokyo, Japan Kazuchika Okada retained his IWGP Heavyweight Title against Kenny Omega in what many are not only calling a lock for match of the year in 2017 already, but a potential greatest match in the long storied history of professional wrestling.
The only other title that did not change hands was the IWGP Intercontinental Championship, with Tetsuya Naito besting Hiroshi Tanahashi following two Destino’s. Hirooki Goto finally won the big one as he captured the NEVER Openweight Title from Katsuyori Shibata.
Los Ingobernables de Japon had a banner night at the Tokyo Dome, with Himoru Takahashi winning the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title from KUSHIDA and the trio if EVIL, Sanada and BUSHI winning the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Titles in a four team gauntlet match against the CHAOS team of Jado, Will Ospreay and Yoshi-Hashi, Bullet Club represented by Hangman Page, Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi and the former champs, David Finlay Jr, Ricochet and Satoshi Kojima.
CHAOS came away with both major tag team titles in two shock victories, and Roppongi Vice bested the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles from The Young Bucks, and Toru Yano and Tomohiro Iishi playing the spoiler and nabbing the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Titles from the champs Guerillas of Destiny and their fellow challengers, Great Bash Heel. Bullet Club’s Adam Cole became a three time ROH World Champion beating Kyle O’Reilly and his compatriot Cody made his New Japan debut, beating Juice Robinson. Michael Elgin also made his return, winning the pre show New Japan Rumble.
(thanks to Wrestling Giffer for the gifs)