Is Yota Tsuji the kind of supernova that can shoot right to a world title? He’ll need to be to defeat Sanada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship so soon after returning from his overseas excursion. Now a member of LIJ, Tsuji has Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi, Bushi and Titan out ringside to support him, and Shingo Takagi even leaves the Japanese commentary desk to join in. The Just 5 Guys crew is out to back the champ as well, watching as all six members of LIJ do the raised fist circle.
The “Yota” chants are evident and draw a smile from the challenger as the bell rings. Tsuji grabs a side headlock, then runs over the champ with a shoulder tackle. He spears Sanada when he tries a leapfrog, and the crowd loves it. They love it even more when he hits a somersault plancha to the floor.
Tsuji coms charging in from a football crouch but catches a kick to the face. Sanada decides to grab and lean back into the Skull End, and Tsuji is in the hold for quite some time. Sanada finally lets it go and attempts a moonsault, but he catches nothing but knees.
The two men stand and trade strikes, with forearms and chops going both ways. A backbreaker by Tsuji leads to a Boston Crab, with Yota smiling again as he leans back. Some fans are chanting for Sanada, but Yota chants drown them out.
A reverse Gory special is on target for Yota, but his moonsault not so much. Sanada isn’t quick to rise, however, as he is still shaking off earlier offense. The champ picks up the pace and hits a dropkick, knocking Tsuji out to the floor where he’s nailed by a plancha.
A huge missile dropkick by Sanada is immediately answered by a superkick. Both men are down, with the fans mostly urging on Tsuji. Back to chops they go, and once again Tsuji seems to be giving better than he gets. A driver of some sort gets him a two count, and he takes the champ up to the top rope. He delivers a Spanish Fly with a half twist and nearly gets a three from it.
Some back and forth leads to a Deadfall attempt, but Tsuji breaks free for a headbutt and a Stomp. He hooks the leg but Sanada just barely kicks out in time.
They run the ropes and Tsuji looks for a spear, but Sanada hits a dropkick, a moonsault, a Shining Wizard and Deadfall, and that burst of offense is enough to end it. LIJ doesn’t enter the ring to help out Tsuji, which the announcers note.
Sanada gets on the mic and says Tsuji should get on the grind and get some results for LIJ, then he can challenge for the title again. He says next time they are in Okada it will be for the G1, and that he will win it as champion and choose his challenger for Wrestle Kingdom. Taichi gives him a fist bump for that.
Sanada says today he can say that he really, really likes this town before a burst of gold streamers goes up and he’s held on the shoulders of his teammates.
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