Normally I only dedicate a thread to Wrestle Kingdom and the G1
Climax, but this year's Dominion card is monumental and worthy of
specal attention.

IWGP Heavyweight Championship

No Time Limit - Two out of Three Falls

Kazuchida Okada (c) vs Kenny Omega

Okada is current having the all-time greatest IWGP Heavyweight Championship
reign. He's the current record holder for longest title reign (712 days
and counting) and most defenses (12). As incredible as his
accomplishments are, he's not completely satisfied. That's because one
of his title defenses was a time limit draw. He isn't content with that.
For that reason, after defeating Tanahashi at Wrestling Dontaku, he
called out Kenny Omega to be his next challenger. Given the result of
their last title match, Okada suggested that they remove the time limit.
Omega liked the idea, but upped the ante by suggesting they fight a
best two out of three falls match. Okada unhesitatingly agreed, and thus
this historic match is born.

Two
out of Three Falls matches are among the rarest match types in all
pro-wrestling, especially in Japan. This will be the fifth such match in
the company's history, and the first singles best-of-3 match since
1980. Both men will have to wrestle smartly, in order to conserve their
energy. Their previous matches have shown that the first fall could take
a very long time indeed, potentially over an hour. Given the history
between these two wrestlers, the enormous stakes, and the fresh match
type, this could legitimately be one of the greatest wrestling matches
of all time.

IWGP Intercontinental Championship
Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho shocked the world by appearing in NJPW late 2017 in order to challenge and then fight Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12. He lost to Omega in what many consider to be the match of the night. We thought Chris Jericho was done. One day later, he shocked the world again by attacking Tetsuya Naito at New Year's Dash. Jericho then vanished from the company, almost forgotten about, but shockingly returned to brutally attack Naito at Wrestling Hinokuni. Despite making a bloody mess of Naito, and verbally attacking him with two video promos, Naito remained unmoveably tranquilo. Will be able to keep his cool when he faces the unpredictable wildman Chris Jericho in the ring? Will Chris Jericho become a 10 time Intercontinenal Champion?

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship

Will Ospreay (c) vs Hiromu Takahashi

The Junior Heavyweight Division, currently spearheaded by Will Ospreay, has seen a return to prominence in recent years. The Junior Heavyweight Title match has moved one place up the card in the last four years, and is now positioned third from top, behind two historic matches. Hiromu Takahashi has been a key part in its resurgence, establishing himself as a major force in the division the moment he debuted at Wrestle Kingdom 11. He went through a slump in late 2017, but his quirky personality and affiliation with Los Ingobernables de Japón has always kept him relevant and beloved by the fans. They were fully behind him all the way as he participated in, and won, the 2018 Best of Super Juniors Tournament, thus earning a title shot. Ospreay has perhaps never been more confident, citing his 2-0 record against Takahashi and claiming this will be an easy victory. However, the dangerously unpredictable Takahashi can never be underestimated, especially with a truckload of momentum behind him and a new finisher (Triangle Choke) that brought him almost every one of his victories in the BOSJ. These two men are going to be the frontrunners of the division for a long time, so expect greatness.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jushin Thunder Liger and Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Bullet Club (Cody, Hangman Page and Marty Scurll)

IWGP Tag Team Championships

EVIL and SANADA (c) vs The Young Bucks

The Heavyweight Tag Team Division has been stagnant for many years, but the two teams battling for the belt this year are fresh on the scene. EVIL and SANADA have been allied for years, but didn't compete for tag team gold until Wrestle Kingdom, where they won the belts from Killer Elite Squad. They haven't made much of an impact as champions, only defending the belts twice in six months. The Young Bucks are the self-proclaimed best tag team in the world. Having overstayed their welcome in the Junior tag team division, they became heavyweights, and quickly threw themselves in the title hunt. This is a fresh match that could add some much needed excitement to the tag team scene.

NEVER Openweight Championship

Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Michael Elgin vs. Taichi

Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano vs Minoru Suzuki and Zack Sabre Jr.

Juice Robinson and David Finlay vs White and YOSHI-HASHI

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship

Suzuki-gun (El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (Sho and Yoh)

This is a fantastic card! Maybe even better than the WK 12 Card. I really think it’s time for Omega to be IWGP Champ and for Okada to lose the belt.

Okada Omega should be no less than 90 minutes!

I think Big Pete is right: this is going to top Wrestle Kingdom. I'm so absolutely on board for this show, it isn't even funny. If I didn't have to be somewhere early Saturday morning I would be watching this show live. Instead it'll have to wait for the afternoon when I'm back home, but it's the first thing I'm doing when I walk in the door.

This main event could go 90 minutes and I don't think anyone would be surprised if it did. I think the no time limit means it goes at least 70, since they really drove home that Okada isn't happy with the draw. And I also think that's how Kenny finally dethrones him, by simply outlasting The Rainmaker. This match could be the best story ever told in a ring.

Naito vs. Jericho will certainly deliver, but I think the outcome is obvious (Naito retains, I really don't see them putting a title on Jericho given his status) and that takes away from the match a bit. It'll still be great though.

Ospreay vs. Takahashi will be amazing. Hopefully Takahashi is well-rested after the finals.

I actually kind of hope EVIL and SANADA retain. The Young Bucks have jumped to heavyweights and I think it should be a transition for them. Everyone expects them to get the titles right away (and they might) but I hope they have to work for it, and EVIL and SANADA get a chance to hold the titles for a while longer.

Man, all these matches have a ton of potential. What a stacked card. I can't wait.

I only just noticed the formatting of the OP is all dodgy and inconsistent. No idea how that happened. This forum is great, but it was much easier to construct elaborate posts on the old board.

Okada and Omega have their work cut out for them. They're definitely going more than an hour. To make such a match compelling throughout is very challenging. They've had a great 45 minute match and a great 60 minute match, albeit not ones without significant lulls in the action. They have experience working one another, maybe they can iron out the kinks and wrestle close to a perfect match. Meltzer will give it over 10 stars. The odds are in Kenny's favour, but I'd say only about 60/40. The company's faith in Okada is strong.

I imagine Jericho and Naito will go the quasi-hardcore match route, to distance themselves from the "epic" main event as Jericho did at Wrestle Kingdom. But I hope they can do enough to distance themselves from Jericho vs Omega or it could come across as a rehash. I get the feeling Naito doesn't have the same level of imagination as Kenny, and I don't see him working the hardcore style as well. It'll be interesting to see what they come up with.

Ospreay is very hit-and-miss for me, so I have reservations about his defense with Takahashi. Hiromu is always on form and always brings something new to the table. I don't think this match is going to steal the show but it has the potential to be a classic of the NJPW Junior Division.

The rest of the card is pretty lame to me. Even the tag title match. Even Mysterio and Liger teaming together. Nobody gives a fuck about the NEVER Openweight title, although the triple threat is perhaps even rarer than 2 out of 3 falls in Japan, so that's something I guess. Throwaway tag team matches at the bottom.

Is this the first ever gimmick match for the title?

Jun 7, 2018 13:48:31 GMT @ness said:

Is this the first ever gimmick match for the title?

Not according to my friends at CageMatch.com

8/28/03 - Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Masahiro Chono - Cage Death Match

There's also been two triple threat matches for the championship.

10/8/05 - Brock Lesnar vs. Masahiro Chono vs. Kazuyuki Fujita

5/17/14 - AJ Styles vs. Michael Elgin vs. Kazuchika Okada

Jun 7, 2018 14:08:18 GMT Big Pete said:

Jun 7, 2018 13:48:31 GMT @ness said:

Is this the first ever gimmick match for the title?

Not according to my friends at CageMatch.com

8/28/03 - Yoshihiro Takayama vs. Masahiro Chono - Cage Death Match

There's also been two triple threat matches for the championship.

10/8/05 - Brock Lesnar vs. Masahiro Chono vs. Kazuyuki Fujita

5/17/14 - AJ Styles vs. Michael Elgin vs. Kazuchika Okada

Did you know any of those beforehand or did you troll through all the title matches? I recall the ROH match and thought it was a nice little trivia piece for them having what I assumed was the only non-singles match, but I guess that isn't the case. Guess it's still a trivia question for being a title defense on US soil.

Do you guys think it's possible they pull a Joe/Punk III with the no time limit? Probably not since it's 2/3 Falls, but would be an interesting twist even if unlikely since it has taken like 70 to get just one fall in the past. Just out of morbid curiosity I want them to top 90 so Punk/Hero's time stamp is surpassed. I'm sure matches have gone longer, but that always seemed to be the big one.

How could you forget where you were on August 23rd 2003?

Seriously though, I couldn't even remember the ROH Triple Threat. It's another reason why the IWGP Championship is one of the best titles in all of Pro Wrestling.

Less than 12 hours. Time to get hype.

No way I'll watch it live due to work, but I'm hoping I can avoid the spoilers until then. But of course they'll probably only be on the second fall this time tomorrow...

I'm out all day on Saturday. Won't be able to watch until Sunday. Enjoy the show guys!

Jun 8, 2018 21:08:43 GMT @ness said:

No way I'll watch it live due to work, but I'm hoping I can avoid the spoilers until then. But of course they'll probably only be on the second fall this time tomorrow...

The show starts at midnight tonight for me and I don't feel like pulling an all-nighter, so I'm going to wake up, have the show prepped, and just stay off the internet until I can sit down and watch it. My only real threats are here and twitter, so as long as I avoid those while I eat breakfast and chill for a bit, I should be fine.

SPOILER: Click to show

Well who'd have thought that two Canadians would hold the two top titles in NJPW?

That was a great match and a very cool moment.

I am never disappointed by New Japan. Fantastic night and some epic matches. Okada & Omega do it again.

Jun 9, 2018 11:37:30 GMT PB said:

SPOILER: Click to show

Well who'd have thought that two Canadians would hold the two top titles in NJPW?

That was a great match and a very cool moment.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
What's interesting, the three big singles belts are held by gaijins

Jun 9, 2018 12:19:37 GMT NATH45 said:

Jun 9, 2018 11:37:30 GMT PB said:

SPOILER: Click to show

Well who'd have thought that two Canadians would hold the two top titles in NJPW?

That was a great match and a very cool moment.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
What's interesting, the three big singles belts are held by gaijins

SPOILER: Click to show

{Spoiler}
With the exception of the Junior belts, all of them are held by gaijins. That's nuts.

Guess we know who is winning G1...

I haven’t gotten the chance to watch the show yet, but if Okada/Omega is as good as everyone says (yet again), where will their series of matches rank amongst some of the all-time great rivalries (think Flair/Steamboat)?

Omega/Okada was one of the greatest matches of all-time! Rest of the show was great to!

Well you can mark Omega/Okada down as THE moment of the year. Two of the best athletes going 60+ minutes in a match filled with twists and turns. They couldn't have handled Omega's maiden run any better and I'm sure it will go down in history as a significant moment.

My favourite part of the match was easily the third fall. If I'm being perfectly honest, I feel like the first two falls felt like they were going through the motions, threatening to go down interesting paths only to arrive at a familiar destination. The third fall changed that because instead of kicking out of a million moves, it was a matter of guys trying and failing to land the killer blow. Just when it'd appear the match would be over, one of the guys would crumple or create enough distance to launch a counter. It captured the drama well and really sold how important the championship was which is ultimately the goal. I'm sure Meltzer will ruin the match by giving it 7 stars, but for a 60 minute plus match match it certainly felt worthwhile.

It's this generation RVD/Lynn. Two men who have gotten over for their in-ring ability working a match not too many people in the world can hope to match. If you're looking for details like in Bret/Austin you may walk away disappointed but there's no denying the value of the match.

I'll get to the rest of the show at another time. The only other match I've seen is Jericho/Naito, which was something of an odd match since all the interesting stuff happened before the bell rang. When the match finally got underway there was little separating it from a regular Jericho match, including all the flashy counters and regular spots.

Jun 9, 2018 11:37:30 GMT PB said:

SPOILER: Click to show

Well who'd have thought that two Canadians would hold the two top titles in NJPW?

That was a great match and a very cool moment.

That's 3 Canadians, actually. Elgin, Jericho and Omega.

This was the greatest show I've ever seen. Nothing will ever top this. I'm not even ashamed to admit I teared up when Omega won. I'm over the fucking moon right now. I need to calm down before I share all my thoughts.

Jun 9, 2018 16:10:14 GMT KJ said:

I haven’t gotten the chance to watch the show yet, but if Okada/Omega is as good as everyone says (yet again), where will their series of matches rank amongst some of the all-time great rivalries (think Flair/Steamboat)?

Greatest of all time. I'm biased but fuck it. This was the greatest feud ever.

Alright here goes. Please keep in mind that I have been day drinking.

Please consider day drinking and watching Japanese wrestling at least once. It's the most fun I've had by myself since I discovered masturbation.

Anyway..

Sho & Yoh need to be Jr Tag champs already. They carried that match and Rappongi 3K deserve better. Give them the straps ffs.

THE JUICE IS LOOSE. I agree with Callis; he shouldn't have held the belt and disrespected Jay White, but Juice is one of my favourite under card guys and I hope he holds a title soon.

Every time Suzuki and Ishii get in the ring together I expect someone to die. That match was a lot of fun. Toru Yano is weird.

Thank fuck Michael Elgin won that match. He absolutely deserved it. He's awesome and it's about time he got a title on his waist again.

I'm not happy the Young Bucks won but with the overall narrative I see why they did. Still, I wish EVIL and Sanada had a longer run and the Bucks had to work for the Heavyweight titles a bit more. Kind of sucks they just got handed to them.

The six-man tag was kind of a let down. I enjoyed Scurll cursing out Rey Mysterio but that match was a lot of goofiness and not very much of anything else. For Mysterio's first NJPW match I didn't think it was that good, and the fact that he teamed with Tanahashi and Liger, and LOST, and barely got to do anything...that was poorly booked.

Takahashi vs. Ospreay was amazing. I liked it better than anything I saw at BOSJ. Takahashi is quickly becoming one of my favs. What a match, and holy shit how is Ospreay still alive? That guy has a death wish. And him shouting "FUCK YOU, FUCKING CUNT" after that chop in the corner is one of the all-time highlights of wrestling.

Jericho vs. Naito was incredible. I'm a huge sucker for brawls when they're done correctly and this was absolutely one of the best brawl matches I've ever seen. Jericho is a beast and Naito worked this fight so well. Chris Jericho is the GOAT and I'll fight anyone that says otherwise. He pulled off clown make-up and a fedora. Fucking argue with me, I dare you. AND HE WON!! I didn't see that coming at all! Incredible.

Omega and Okada leaves me at a loss for words. I was legit emotional by the end and shed a few tears when Kenny finally got it. I've never been more invested in a feud before. I'm in my damn 30s and it's still real to me, damn it. Incredible finish to an incredible feud. I'm so glad Kenny won. I can't say anything else because you just need to sit down and watch that match. Greatest story ever told in a wrestling ring, no contest.


...

3 Canadians hold singles titles in NJPW. I've never been more satisfied with a show in my life. 

Outside of what's already been covered, I am intrigued with the new GM's statement about taking NJPW to the next level. Does NJPW invade the US with Omega and The Golden Elite at the fore-front?

I'm having a hard time evaluating Okada vs Omega IV as a whole. Clearly it was slow at the start, but I was never bored like I was for the first half of their first match. I didn't feel as shocked as the first fall as I should have been. It was a minor surprise, but it didn't have me jumping out of my seat or anything. Still, I think it was a great way to change things up and take the match in an unexpected direction. Similarly, the second fall wasn't that shocking to me. You'd thought it would have been a bigger deal that Omega hit the OWA for the first time, but it wasn't, at least to me. I love the way Okada sold it, though. He was out for almost the entire two minute break, but he had recovered enough to prevent him from being killed immediately when the match resumed. The third fall was magnificent. It was a more intense version of the closing stages of their second match, both guys barely able to do anything but they have just about enough to stay alive with a counter or desperate strike. Interesting that Omega was trying all these different moves while Okada was doggedly sticking with the Tombstone and Rainmaker. I thought we might see a OWA kick out for the first time ever in this match, but when Omega hit two in a row, it left no doubt. Definitely the right call. Okada's done everything as champion, this was the perfect time to move on. Excellent match but I don't think it's the best in their series, and certainly not the GOAT match as many redditors are claiming.

Jericho vs Naito was great, but they didn't surpass Jericho vs Omega. Jericho dominating Naito after the sneak attack was the perfect way to start the match, and justified the match being on an even standing despite Naito being much younger and fitter. Naito's comeback was cool, but the mixed crowd reaction hurt it, and there were a couple of botches/miscommunications that knocked the match down a bit. Some great spots with the Walls of Jericho, which looked like a potential match ender for the first time in years. Low blow and Codebreaker was a fantastic finish, but it would have been better if it actually looked like Jericho countered the Destino. Instead he just stood there while Naito dropped behind him, so it didn't look like a counter at all. It speaks volumes about the main event that Chris Jericho winning a title in NJPW while still being a WWE guy is not the most significant title change of the night.

I liked Ospreay vs Takahashi more than the BOSJ final, but it's not up there among the best junior matches of recent years. But I left the match happy because I love Hiromu and he's on top of the world.

A bit surprised that the Young Bucks won but it was a great match and one of the best tag team matches NJPW has had in a long time.

Jun 10, 2018 15:22:35 GMT Emperor said:

I'm having a hard time evaluating Okada vs Omega IV as a whole. Clearly it was slow at the start, but I was never bored like I was for the first half of their first match. I didn't feel as shocked as the first fall as I should have been. It was a minor surprise, but it didn't have me jumping out of my seat or anything. Still, I think it was a great way to change things up and take the match in an unexpected direction. Similarly, the second fall wasn't that shocking to me. You'd thought it would have been a bigger deal that Omega hit the OWA for the first time, but it wasn't, at least to me. I love the way Okada sold it, though. He was out for almost the entire two minute break, but he had recovered enough to prevent him from being killed immediately when the match resumed. The third fall was magnificent. It was a more intense version of the closing stages of their second match, both guys barely able to do anything but they have just about enough to stay alive with a counter or desperate strike. Interesting that Omega was trying all these different moves while Okada was doggedly sticking with the Tombstone and Rainmaker. I thought we might see a OWA kick out for the first time ever in this match, but when Omega hit two in a row, it left no doubt. Definitely the right call. Okada's done everything as champion, this was the perfect time to move on. Excellent match but I don't think it's the best in their series, and certainly not the GOAT match as many redditors are claiming.

Jericho vs Naito was great, but they didn't surpass Jericho vs Omega. Jericho dominating Naito after the sneak attack was the perfect way to start the match, and justified the match being on an even standing despite Naito being much younger and fitter. Naito's comeback was cool, but the mixed crowd reaction hurt it, and there were a couple of botches/miscommunications that knocked the match down a bit. Some great spots with the Walls of Jericho, which looked like a potential match ender for the first time in years. Low blow and Codebreaker was a fantastic finish, but it would have been better if it actually looked like Jericho countered the Destino. Instead he just stood there while Naito dropped behind him, so it didn't look like a counter at all. It speaks volumes about the main event that Chris Jericho winning a title in NJPW while still being a WWE guy is not the most significant title change of the night.

I liked Ospreay vs Takahashi more than the BOSJ final, but it's not up there among the best junior matches of recent years. But I left the match happy because I love Hiromu and he's on top of the world.

A bit surprised that the Young Bucks won but it was a great match and one of the best tag team matches NJPW has had in a long time.

Interesting that the first two falls didn't create the reaction for you they did for me. I loved the surprise nature of the first fall and it did have me jump out of my seat. Then the intensity of the second fall, and Okada's selling in particular had a huge impact on me. I think this is the match from them I have enjoyed the most and really just about as perfect as this sort of match can be.

I'm a little less positive about Jericho/Naito. I like the booking of the match and lots of the execution - but it never felt real to me. There were  couple of points were there seemed to be a communication barrier and one guy would stand waiting for the other to hit a move. I found myself taken out of the match quite often by this. If it hadn't distracted me I would have enjoyed it a lot more, because the booking of it was very sensible and the finish was a great surprise. 

I haven't watched the rest yet.

God damn was Jericho great. Angry violent Jericho may be my favorite Jericho so far.

Wonder how they will end Omega vs Okada. Is this it or does Okada get a rematch?

The match was cleverly booked for two reasons. First, Okada got the first fall, so Okada would have retained were it a regular match. That can be used to spice up their next match. Second, on this occasion Omega was the first to hit his finisher. That's the first time Omega has hit the One Winged Angel before Okada hit the Rainmaker. Unless that happened in their G1 match too. I don't remember.