Date: January 4th, 2010
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 41,500

It is that time of the year again for the annual Tokyo Dome Show! This year the primary theme is New Japan vs. NOAH, as four matches feature the two promotions battling each other, including the invading Sugiura and Marufuji. Takayama also returns to try to defeat Nakamura for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and lots of really old stars mix it up in a New Japan ring for hopefully the last time. TAJIJI and Akebono also make a special appearance. Here is the full card:

- Jushin Liger, Koji Kanemoto, and Okada vs. Super Strong Machine, Wataru Inoue, and Hirasawa
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Ryusuke Taguchi and Prince Devitt vs. Ultimo Guerrero and Averno
- IWGP Tag Team Championship - 3WAY Hardcore Match: Team 3D vs. Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro and Naito
- TAJIRI and Masato Tanaka vs. Yuji Nagata and Akebono
- Abdullah The Butcher, Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka, and Ishii vs. Terry Funk, Choshu, Masahiro Chono, and Nakanishi
- NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions: Togi Makabe vs. Mohammed Yone
- IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: Tiger Mask vs. Naomichi Marufuji
- NJPW vs. NOAH Battle Effusions: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Go Shiozaki
- GHC Heavyweight Championship: Takashi Sugiura vs. Hirooki Goto
- IWGP Heavyweight Championship: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yoshihiro Takayama

Let's jump to it.

Super Strong Machine, Wataru Inoue, and Hirasawa vs. Jushin Thunder Liger, Koji Kanemoto, and Okada
Inoue and Kanemoto start things off as they trade elbows, kicks by Kanemoto and a high kicks ends Inoue to his knees. Kanemoto tags in Okada, double Irish whip to Inoue and Okada delivers a dropkick. Elbows to the back of the head by Okada, he goes off the ropes but Inoue catches him with a knee to the stomach. Inoue tags in Hirasawa, wristlock by Hirasawa and they trade elbows. Irish whip by Okada and he nails a dropkick. Hirasawa comes back with a spear and tags in Strong Machine while Okada tags in Liger. Tie-up, side headlock by Liger, Strong Machine Irish whips out of it but the two collide with neither going down. Liger goes off the ropes and finally knocks down Strong Machine, chops by Liger in the corner, Irish whip, reversed, and Strong Machine hits a lariat followed by a DDT. Senton by Strong Machine, cover, but it gets a two count. Hammerlock by Strong Machine but Okada runs in and attacks Strong Machine. Strong Machine tags in Hirasawa, Hirasawa elbows Liger into the corner, Irish whip, but Liger charges back with a shotei. Powerbomb by Liger, cover, but Hirasawa kicks out. Kanemoto is tagged in and he kicks Hirasawa in the corner. He goes for a second kick, Hirasawa goes for a spear but Kanemoto knees him as he comes in. Ankle lock by Kanemoto but Strong Machine breaks it up. Hirasawa tags in Inoue while Okada is tagged in, lariat by Okada, Liger comes in the ring and all three wrestlers attack Inoue, ending with an Okada missile dropkick for a two count. Back up, Inoue applies the Triangle Lancer but Kanemoto breaks it up. STO by Okada onto Inoue, cover, but Inoue barely gets a shoulder up. Okada waits for Inoue to get up, he goes off the ropes but Inoue catches him with a back bodydrop. Diving headbutt by Strong Machine onto Okada, and then Hirasawa hits one on Okada as well. Triangle Lancer by Inoue to Okada but both Kanemoto and Liger try to break it up. Strong Machine and Hirasawa get them back however, and Okada is forced to tap out. Your winners: Super Strong Machine, Wataru Inoue, and Hirasawa

Match Thoughts: Fine for an opener. Hirasawa is still kinda not good, wonder if he will ever come around. Wish Okada could have had more of a role on this show since he had a pretty good year, but it's so hard to get a good match at the Dome as it wasn't like he was in the match with only chopped liver, I could say the same about Liger or Kanemoto. Acceptable wrestling with no real issues but perfectly missable. Score: 4.0

(c) Ryusuke Taguchi and Prince Devitt vs. Ultimo Guerrero and Averno
This match is for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship. Taguchi and Guerrero start things off. Takedown by Guerrero but Taguchi rolls out of it, headscissors by Taguchi but Guerrero returns to his feet. Tie-up, they go into a Test of Strength, Guerrero goes for a headscissors but Taguchi pushes him off. Taguchi tags in Devitt as Guerrero tags in Averno. Devitt and Averno circle each other, tie-up, waistlock by Averno and he takes down Devitt, armdrag by Devitt and both wrestlers return to their feet. Side headlock by Averno, Devitt Irish whips out of it, armdrag by Devitt and he kicks Averno into the corner. Devitt tags in Taguchi and they hit a catapult elbow followed by a catapult dropkick in the corner. Cover by Taguchi but it gets two. Kicks by Taguchi but Averno picks him up and slams him to the mat. Averno tags in Guerrero, Guerrero and Taguchi trade chops, drop toehold by Guerrero and he gets a two count cover. Irish whip by Guerrero to Taguchi into the corner as Averno is tagged in, double Irish whip to Taguchi and they slam Taguchi to the mat. Cover, but Devitt breaks it up. Averno picks up Taguchi and drops him with a sit-down powerbomb, but it gets a two count. Averno picks up Taguchi, Irish whip to the corner and Averno hits a jumping elbow. Averno tags in Guerrero and Guerrero nails the headstand crush in the corner. Averno comes in the ring, double Irish whip in the corner but Taguchi avoids Guerrero and hits a hurricanrana onto Averno.

This gives him time to tag in Devitt, who hits a diving crossbody onto Guerrero. Irish whip to Averno, reversed, but Devitt delivers the Pele Kick. Averno falls out of the ring, Devitt goes off the ropes and nails a somersault tope suicida. Devitt goes back in the ring with a missile dropkick onto Guerrero, cover, but it gets a two count. Irish whip by Devitt to Guerrero into the corner, but Guerrero catches him and hits a front suplex from the second turnbuckle. Cover, but it gets a two count. Back up, Devitt kicks Guerrero but Guerrero nails an inverted suplex from the second turnbuckle. Cover, but Taguchi breaks it up. Taguchi stays in the ring as Averno comes in as well, Taguchi disposes of Averno but Guerrero chops him to the mat. Guerrero picks up Devitt but Devitt catches him with a jumping kick. Devitt makes the hot tag to Taguchi as Guerrero tags in Averno, elbow by Averno, Irish whip, and he drops Taguchi with a fireman's carry into an cutter for a two count. Taguchi avoids an Averno dropkick, Averno drops Taguchi onto the apron, Taguchi goes for a swandive hurricanrana but Averno catches him and powerbombs Taguchi to the mat. Averno picks up Taguchi and chops him into the corner, Irish whip, reversed, Averno goes up to the top turnbuckle but Taguchi joins him. Avalanche double underhook slam by Averno, cover, but Devitt breaks it up. Guerrero comes in the ring as well, but Devitt knocks him back and with Taguchi they delivers a double team move ending with a Devitt dropkick. They then grab Averno and do the same, this time ending with a Taguchi swandive dropkick. Double stomp by Devitt onto Guerrero and they nail Averno with the Black Hole Vacation. Cover, and Devitt picks up the three count. Your winners and still champions: Apollo55

Match Thoughts: I wish they could have gone longer but I enjoyed the hell out of this match.... I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was the anti-Southern Tag Spots. I know some people love them but I like when matches do the opposite. In the match, Taguchi gets the hot tag as Guerrero tags in Averno, Taguchi charges Averno, and Averno just destroys him with a few moves. Taguchi briefly comes back, goes for swandive rana, BAM powerbombed. No hot tag for Apollo55. When matches surprise me and go against the norm, I like that (I am easily amused). Besides that the match had a lot of cool spots and for where it was on the card it definitely delivered. Plus I always enjoy seeing the Luchadors, Guerrero is always fun. Devitt has really improved in the last two years and is one of the most entertaining wrestlers that New Japan currently has. Great match. Score: 8.0

(c) Team 3D vs. Giant Bernard and Karl Anderson vs. Yujiro and Naito
This match is for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship and is a Hardcore Match. They all brawl to start the match, with both teams targeting NO LIMIT. Eventually they start attacking each other as well. No tag rules or anything like that, they are just slowly walking around the ring punching each other. The fight spills to the outside with Bubba and Bernard staying in the ring. Tie-up, knee by Bernard, Irish whip, and the two collide with no result. Bubba goes off the ropes and again they collide with neither man going down. They get attacked from behind by NO LIMIT, double Irish whip, but Bernard and Bubba shoulder block them down. Devon comes in, double Irish whip to Bernard but he hits a lariat on both of them. Naito elbows Bernard, Irish whip, reversed, but Naito avoids the charge and with Yujiro he hits a catapult dropkick in the corner. Double Irish whip by NO LIMIT to Anderson, and they drop him onto the top rope before slamming him back into the ring. Devon has gotten a kendo stick and hits both Naito and Yujiro with it, then a ladder, some metal signs, and a trash can are thrown in the ring by Bubba as we have entered the trash portion of the match. Devon hits Yujiro with a metal cookie sheet, then Bubba gets a cheese grater and scraps it across Naito's head. Bubba puts the mini ladder on the ground and Devon slams Yujiro onto it. Bubba grabs a chair but Anderson kicks it into his face. Devon promptly clotheslines Anderson out of the ring as Bubba quickly seems to have recovered, and Bernard has finally returned as he faces off with Bubba. Both get chairs and they play dueling chairs, with Bernard getting the better of it.

Low blow by Bubba and they trade kicks, NO LIMIT return, but Bubba and Bernard are immune to their weapon shots. They eventually lariat down Yujiro and Naito before hitting lariats on each other. All wrestlers have returned as Yujiro and Naito hit diving crossbodys on Devon and Anderson, but they get a two count. Bubba smacks everyone with a roadside sign, then with Devon he hits a vertical suplex onto Bernard. WASSUP by Team 3D onto Bernard, and Devon goes to get a table. They get two into the ring, one set up near the corner and another set up by a different corner. They grab Anderson, Bubba gets onto the second turnbuckle and Anderson is powerbombed through the table. Naito gets in the ring, Bubba goes to the second turnbuckle to powerbomb and he gets powerbombed through a table as well. They set up a third, but Bernard has returned and lariats both of them. Yujiro gets in the ring and elbows Bernard, but Bernard throws him out of the ring. Bernard sets up a table at ringside, he puts Yujiro on it, goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits a splash down onto Yujiro, crushing him. Bernard gets back in the ring and is hit by a sign by Team 3D, they set up a table to powerbomb him through a table as well, but Bernard has none of that and chokeslams Devon through the table for a two count. Bernard kicks a sign back into Bubba's face, another cover, but again he gets two. Naito comes in the ring and knocks down Bernard, chops by Anderson onto Naito, they have a bit of a miscommunication but Anderson hits Naito with a spinebuster followed by a cutter for a two count. Anderson and Devon trade shots, and Anderson is dropped with the 3D. Cover, but Bernard breaks it up. Bubba and Devon attack Bernard on the outside, while in the ring NO LIMIT hits the Limitless Emotion on Anderson and pick up the three count cover! Your winners and new champions: NO LIMIT

Match Thoughts: Allow me to list the things wrong with this match:

1. Team 3D had the belts for the bulk of the year, and still didn't lose them at the end.
2. Bubba and Giant Bernard were the muscle of the match, and with Anderson being the one that got pinned made the victory seem empty, not special like NO LIMIT's first title win should have been.
3. Wrestling fans as a whole are pretty much over the cookie sheet hardcore matches, in fact have been for the last decade or so, and the crowd only seemed to pop for big table spots.
4. Selling was all over the place with some big moves having no effect, while some wrestlers would disappear for minutes at a time with no real reason
5. Team 3D in general.

That sums it up, although I was happy when I read the result that NO LIMIT won, the manner in which they did (getting beat up most the match and not pinning one of the dominating wrestlers) made it come across as flat. Hopefully now the tag belts can go back to being defended in entertaining matches for the first time since 2008 though, so at least something good did come out of it. Right winners, completely the wrong way. Score: 3.0

Yuji Nagata and Akebono vs. TAJIRI and Masato Tanaka
Akebono and TAJIRI start things off, rather reluctantly by TAJIRI. TAJIRI kicks Nagata off the apron just for fun, so Akebono tags him in. TAJIRI tags in Tanaka, and Tanaka trades elbows with Nagata. Tie-up, waistlock by Tanaka, Nagata applies a wristlock but Tanaka reverses it and both men are back to their feet. They go into a Test of Strength, and Nagata hits a belly to belly suplex. Cover, but TAJIRI breaks it up. Back up they trade strikes, Nagata goes for the Nagata Lock II but again it is broken up by TAJIRI. Nagata punches Tanaka back into the corner, Irish whip, reversed, and Tanaka hits a jumping elbow strike. Tanaka tags in TAJIRI, kicks to the arm by TAJIRI and he applies a wristlock. Nagata goes for the arm and applies a standing armbar. Elbows to the arm by Nagata and he kicks TAJIRI twice in the chest. Nagata tags in Akebono, Akebono picks up TAJIRI, scoop slam, and he stands on TAJIRI near the ropes. TAJIRI gets up in the corner, Irish whip by Akebono and he delivers a splash followed by an elbow drop. Cover, but Tanaka breaks it up. Akebono picks up TAJIRI and applies a bear hug before tagging in Nagata. Elbows by Nagata to TAJIRI, knees by Nagata and TAJIRI falls to the apron. Nagata pulls him back in, Irish whip, but TAJIRI delivers a handstand springboard elbow and tags in Tanaka. Tanaka elbows Nagata against the ropes and hits a diving elbow, but Nagata catches him when he goes for a second one and delivers an exploder. Tanaka and Nagata trade elbows, Nagata goes off the ropes but Tanaka catches him with a lariat. They trade moves before Nagata hits a backdrop suplex, but Tanaka fires back with the Sliding D. Both wrestlers slowly get up, knee by Nagata in the corner and he hits a pair of brainbusters. Tanaka tags in TAJIRI, Irish whip by Nagata to TAJIRI and he knees TAJIRI in the stomach. Akebono comes in the ring, double Irish whip to the corner, Akebono hits a splash and Nagata follows with a kick and an exploder. Body press by Akebono, cover by Nagata but Tanaka breaks it up. Nagata grabs Tanaka and with Akebono he hits a modified Magic Killer. Seated armbar by Nagata to TAJIRI, but Tanaka breaks it up. Nagata kicks Tanaka out of the ring, Akebono picks up TAJIRI but Nagata is grabbed at ringside as he goes off the ropes. Akebono picks up TAJIRI but TAJIRI blows mist in his face. Tanaka grabs Akebono and pushes him into the corner, Nagata goes for a backdrop suplex onto TAJIRI, Gedo grabs TAJIRI's arm to prevent Nagata from hitting the move, and when Nagata finally gets TAJIRI over TAJIRI reverses the move and lands on top of Nagata. TAJIRI then blows mist into Nagata's face as well, and Tanaka nails him with a Sliding D. Buzzsaw Kick by TAJIRI to Nagata, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winners: TAJIRI and Masato Tanaka

Match Thoughts: Besides feeling bad for Akebono who didn't look very comfortable, this was a decent match. The heels played the part of heels well, and when I first read the result I was surprised with Nagata getting pinned, but taking a mist+Sliding D+Buzzsaw Kick in pretty quick succession is a fitting ending. Too short to get excited about, but an acceptable mid-card match. Score: 5.5

Terry Funk, Choshu, Masahiro Chono, and Nakanishi vs. Abdullah The Butcher, Toru Yano, Takashi Iizuka, and Ishii
Funk and Yano start things off. Tie-up, Funk and Yano struggle for position along the ropes before Yano delivers a chop. Tie-up again, Funk pushes Yano into the corner, Yano reverses positions with him and he gives another chop before backing off. Another tie-up, Yano gets Funk against the ropes but this time Funk ducks the chop and hits a chop of his own. Funk picks up Yano while yelling "Get up to you son of a bitch!" and elbows him in the head. Funk tags in Choshu, stops by Choshu and Chono comes off the top turnbuckle with a diving shoulderblock. Choshu tags Funk back in and Funk punches Yano in the face. DDT by Funk, cover, but it gets a two count. Funk tags in Nakanishi, elbow by Nakanishi but Yano manages to tag in Ishii. Throat thrust by Abdullah from the apron gets the pop of the match so far as Ishii chops Nakanishi in the ring. Nakanishi comes back with a headbutt and chops Nakanishi back into the corner. Chono is tagged in, eye rake by Chono, Irish whip, reversed, and Ishii delivers a powerslam. Irish whip by Chono and he hits an atomic drop. Chono punches Ishii to the mat, cover, but it gets a two count. Iizuka tags in while Abdullah throat thrusts Chono, and Iizuka stomps on him while he is on the mat. Chono tags in Choshu, stomps by Choshu and he tags in Funk. Punches by Funk but Iizuka rakes him in the eyes. In comes Abdullah and he gives Funk a throat thrust. Headbutt by Abdullah to Funk and he hits him in the throat again, but Funk comes back with punches. Headbutt by Funk but it knocks out Funk, and Abdullah tags in Yano. Everyone comes in the ring but Abdullah accidentally hits Iizuka with a throat thrust, which leads to Iizuka attacking Abdullah. Ishii and Yano separate them, but this leads to Yano taking a Choshu lariat and Ishii getting a Shining Yakuza Kick from Chono. Choshu applies the Scorpion Deathlock to Yano but it is broken up. Nakanishi cleans house and slams Iizuka to the mat, cover, but it gets a two count (Abdullah is standing in the corner all this time since he needs help getting in and out of the ring). Iizuka gets his claw and hits Nakanishi with it, but Funk comes up and punches down Iizuka. Funk tosses Abdullah the metal claw, he waits for Iizuka to get up and thrusts him in the throat with it to a big pop. Yano gets it too, and Abdullah drops an elbow onto Yano. Nakanishi puts Iizuka into the Argentine Backbreaker and he is forced to submit! Your winners: Terry Funk, Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, and Nakanishi

Meanwhile, Abdullah is choking Yano at ringside while people try to get him off. A very good use of Abdullah.

Match Thoughts: About as good as it could have been. Abdullah sure was over with the live crowd, not that some of the other old wrestlers weren't but he in particular got some nice pops, especially when he used Iizuka's iron claw. Besides having trouble walking (which has been a problem for a good 15 years) Funk looked good here as he brought his usual intensity and didn't just mail it in. Abdullah turning on his team mates was a fun moment, and everyone played their roles well. Strange when a very overweight nearly 70 year old wrestler is the most over wrestler on the card up to this point, but thus is the world of professional wrestling. Score: 6.0

Togi Makabe vs. Mohammed Yone
This is the first New Japan vs. NOAH match. Yone charges Makabe as he is still on the ramp and ducks a lariat before delivering a kick to Makabe's face. Yone picks up Makabe's chain and hits him with a lariat. Yone brings Makabe to the ring and slides him in before going in after him, and Yone stomps Makabe while he is on the mat. Yone picks up Makabe and hits a vertical suplex, he then sits him up and kicks him in the back. More kicks by Yone but Makabe absorbs the blows. Punches by Makabe, Irish whip by Yone, reversed, and Makabe delivers a powerslam. A trio of lariats by Makabe and he hits another one in the corner. Mounted punches by Makabe and he hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Back up, Makabe goes off the ropes but Yone catches him with a lariat. Yone picks up Makabe, Irish whip to the corner and he hits a lariat followed by a spinning heel kick. Scoop slam by Yone, he goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits the guillotine legdrop for a two count. Yone sits up Makabe and kicks him in the back and the chest, but Makabe catches one and punches Yone. Yone returns with a high kick, he goes off the ropes and hits a lariat. Backdrop suplex by Yone, cover, but it gets a two count. Yone goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits another guillotine legdrop, but again it gets a two count. Back up, Makabe ducks a high kick and hits a German suplex followed by a lariat. On their feet again they trade elbows, Yone goes off the ropes but Makabe hits a polish hammer. Lariat by Makabe in the corner, he puts Yone onto the top turnbuckle and hits a spider German suplex. Avalanche King Kong Kneedrop by Makabe, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Togi Makabe

Match Thoughts: Ok, going in we all know this wasn't going to be a technical masterpiece, as both Makabe and Yone are wrestlers that need some help from their opponents to be entertaining. The match time was nice (under 6 minutes) but they still managed to be repetitive as by my count there was 10 lariats hit which is an average of about one every 33 seconds (most of which weren't hit very well). Choshu would be proud. Didn't help matters that Makabe missed the King Kong Kneedrop at the end, guess Yone rolled too far after the German suplex. I have no idea why this singles match took place, they could have made it more interesting by making it an inter promotional tag (although I dunno if Makabe/Honma vs. Yone/Rikio would have been any better), but at least it was short. Score: 4.0

(c) Tiger Mask vs. Naomichi Marufuji
This match is for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship and is the second match in the New Japan vs. NOAH series. Tie-up to start, waistlock by Marufuji, reversed into a wristlock by Tiger Mask, reversed again by Marufuji but Tiger Mask gets Marufuji to the mat. Marufuji gets back up and flips Tiger Mask down but Tiger Mask kicks him back. Tie-up, side headlock by Marufuji, Tiger Mask Irish whips out of it and Marufuji shoulderblocks him down. Marufuji goes off the ropes, back bodydrop by Tiger Mask, Marufuji avoids a Tiger Mask crossbody but Tiger Mask hits a spinning backbreaker and Marufuji rolls out of the ring. Marufuji eventually returns, neck crank by Marufuji, snapmare, he goes off the ropes and stomps down onto Tiger Mask's head with both feet. Marufuji twists Tiger Mask's neck with his feet, cover, but it only gets a one count. Side headlock by Marufuji and he throws Tiger Mask into the corner. Marufuji puts Tiger Mask's head over the second rope, then exits the ring so he can dropkick Tiger Mask in the head. Cover by Marufuji but it gets a two count. Cobra clutch by Marufuji, Tiger Mask fights out of it, they go off the ropes but Tiger Mask knocks down Marufuji with a kick to the chest. Tiger Mask applies a modified figure four to Marufuji, then applies a butterfly lock while keeping the leg hold applied. Tiger Mask eventually picks up Marufuji, Irish whip to the corner but Marufuji kicks Tiger Mask as he charges in and tosses him into the corner. Jumping elbow by Marufuji but Tiger Mask kicks him in the stomach. They both go off the ropes and Marufuji delivers a lariat. Marufuji picks up Tiger Mask and they trade elbows, Marufuji goes off the ropes and stomps Tiger Mask's head into the mat while he is crouched over. Super kick by Marufuji, cover, but it gets a two count. Marufuji waits for Tiger Mask to get up and hits another super kick, followed by the Shiranui. Cover, but it only gets two.

Back up, knee by Tiger Mask and he goes up to the top turnbuckle, but Marufuji has recovered and kicks him off with Tiger Mask landing on the apron. Marufuji swandives off the side ropes to dropkick Tiger Mask as he crawls back into the ring, Marufuji goes for an kick over the top rope but Tiger Mask kicks him in the leg as he comes over and both wrestlers flop to the floor. Both wrestlers slowly get up and trade kicks, but Marufuji knocks down Tiger Mask with a lariat. They finally make it back into the ring at 19, high kick by Tiger Mask in the corner and he hits a modified brainbuster for a two count. Tiger Mask goes for a tiger suplex but Marufuji elbows him off, but Tiger Mask puts Marufuji onto the top turnbuckle. Tiger Mask joins him but Marufuji pushes him off. High kick by Tiger Mask while Marufuji is still up top, Tiger Mask climbs up the ropes as well and nails an Avalanche Tiger Driver. Cover, but Marufuji barely gets a shoulder up. Tiger Mask picks up Marufuji and goes for a tiger suplex, Marufuji lands on his feet, but Tiger Mask tries again and this time gets it for a two count. Kick by Tiger Mask and he delivers the moonsault double knee, cover, but it gets a two count. Chickenwing armlock by Tiger Mask, they get back to their feet and Tiger Mask plants Marufuji with the Millennium Suplex. Tiger Mask drags Marufuji to his feet and goes for the Destroyer Suplex, but Marufuji pushes him off. Superkick by Marufuji in the corner followed by a slap and another super kick. Marufuji picks up Tiger Mask and puts him onto the top turnbuckle, he then joins him and delivers the Shiranui Kai. Cover, but Tiger Mask kicks out. Both wrestlers slowly get up but Marufuji grabs Tiger Mask and hits another super kick. Marufuji picks up Tiger Mask and drops him with the Tiger Frosion, cover, and he picks up the three count! Your winner and new champion: Naomichi Marufuji

Match Thoughts: This match was quite fun, Marufuji is one of my favorite wrestlers and Tiger Mask was game, which is always a special occasion. First about Tiger Mask, he looked actually motivated for a change and gave Marufuji everything he had, including his Millennium Suplex and an excellent Avalanche Tiger Driver that I haven't seen him hit before. Of course, it was Marufuji that kept the pace up in the match and while I agree with others that he does a lot of super kicks, otherwise his offense is generally almost constantly evolving and he keeps things interesting. Probably the best Tiger Mask match I have seen in years, very entertaining match. Score: 7.5

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Go Shiozaki
This is the third match in the New Japan vs. NOAH series. Tie-up to start, Shiozaki pushes Tanahashi into the ropes but he gives a clean break. Tie-up again, waistlock by Tanahashi, reversed into a wristlock by Shiozaki but Tanahashi takes Shiozaki to the mat. They jockey for position, arm drag by Tanahashi but Shiozaki applies an armbar on the mat. Tanahashi pushes Shiozaki into the ropes and he gives a clean break as well. Side headlock by Shiozaki, Tanahashi eventually gets out of it and applies a hammerlock into a side headlock of his own, Irish whip by Shiozaki but they collide with no result. Shiozaki goes off the ropes, armdrag by Tanahashi but Shiozaki delivers an armdrag as well. They go into a Test of Strength, which Tanahashi gets the best off but Shiozaki gets him back with a chop. Tanahashi comes back with an elbow but Shiozaki chops Tanahashi over the top rope to the floor. Shiozaki joins him outside the ring and chops him again before hitting a DDT. Catapult by Shiozaki into the ring post and he throws Tanahashi back into the ring with his head handing over the apron. Knee to the head by Shiozaki and he gets up on the apron, putting Tanahashi's head over the second rope. He goes for a running kick but Tanahashi catches his leg. Shiozaki elbows Tanahashi off but Tanahashi dropkicks him in the knee as he gets back into the ring. Dragon screw leg whip by Tanahashi, and he stomps on Shiozaki's leg. More stomps to the leg by Tanahashi but Shiozaki hits a chop. Takedown by Tanahashi and he elbows Shiozaki in the knee before stomping it again. Another elbow drop to the knee by Tanahashi but Shiozaki kicks out of it. Shiozaki chops Tanahashi back and they trade strikes, with Tanahashi's kicks to the legs getting the better of it. Tanahashi puts Shiozaki's leg over the second rope and dropkicks Shiozaki in the knee before twisting it in the ropes. Tanahashi charges Shiozaki but Shiozaki throws him into the corner, he goes off the ropes and delivers a jumping shoulderblock. Chops by Shiozaki but Tanahashi blocks one, Tanahashi goes off the ropes but Shiozaki catches him with an elbow. Another elbow by Shiozaki and he hits a superkick followed by a fisherman buster. Cover, but it gets a two count. Back up, chops by Shiozaki into the corner, Irish whip, and Shiozaki delivers a running chop. Irish whip again and he hits a second running chop, but Tanahashi comes back with elbows.

Shiozaki chops Tanahashi down in the corner and delivers a running knee. Shiozaki goes up to the second turnbuckle but Tanahashi avoids the diving knee. Tanahashi punches Shiozaki against the ropes, Irish whip, reversed, but Tanahashi hits the jumping elbow for a two count. Waistlock by Tanahashi, Shiozaki elbows out of it but Tanahashi delivers a chop block. Tanahashi goes off the ropes but Shiozaki catches him with a chop, another chop by Shiozaki, Tanahashi ducks the third and goes for a sling blade, but Shiozaki moves out of the way and drops him with a release German suplex. Superkick by Shiozaki, he goes off the ropes but Tanahashi catches him with the sling blade. Back up they trade strikes, elbows by Tanahashi and he goes for a Tiger Driver, Shiozaki blocks it so Tanahashi hits a butterfly suplex followed by a pair of sling blades. Tanahashi goes up to the top turnbuckle and goes for the High Fly Flow, but Shiozaki gets his knees up. Elbow by Tanahashi in the corner, Shiozaki chops him back and hits on the top turnbuckle, but Tanahashi grabs his leg. Slap by Tanahashi, he goes to the second turnbuckle but Shiozaki picks him up and slams him off for a two count cover. Shiozaki waits for Tanahashi to get on one knee and hits a chop and a lariat, cover, but again it gets two. Shiozaki goes off the ropes and nails a lariat, cover, but Tanahashi kicks out. Shiozaki picks up Tanahashi, scoop slam in front of the corner and he hits the moonsault, cover, but again Tanahashi gets a shoulder up. Shiozaki picks up Tanahashi and goes for the Go Flasher, but Tanahashi blocks it. Kick to the knee by Tanahashi, Shiozaki goes for a lariat but Tanahashi hits the trapped German suplex hold for a two count. Both wrestlers slowly get up and they trade elbows, then uppercuts and chops, and Shiozaki knocks down Tanahashi with a rolling chop. Shiozaki picks up Tanahashi and hits the short arm lariat, cover, but it only gets a two count. Shiozaki picks up Tanahashi and goes for the Go Flasher but Tanahashi reverses it with a dragon suplex hold for a two count. Tanahashi goes off the ropes and hits a sling blade, dropkick to the knee by Tanahashi and he hits a Falcon Arrow for a two count. Tanahashi quickly goes to the top turnbuckle and and hits the High Fly Flow, he then goes up top again and delivers a second one. Cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi

Match Thoughts: Besides a few spots of sloppiness, which isn't too surprising with wrestlers that aren't too familiar with each other, I thought this was a really entertaining match. Both these wrestlers have got "it," and while I am not claiming they are the next coming of Inoki I think both of their respective promotions have a definite ace for the next 5-10 years. Shiozaki and Tanahashi have the intangibles down pat, but they also brought the goods with solid strikes and an exciting final few moments. Unlike the next match, they stayed with the same direction from start to finish with each wrestler progressively trying more powerful maneuvers to get the win while at the same time not forgetting about the leg work Tanahashi did as he did use it to his advantage at various points in the match. Not to exaggerate but it felt like I was watching the future of puroresu and I think in years to come if the promotions stay on good terms that these two could have technically better matches in the future. Score: 7.5

(c) Takashi Sugiura vs. Hirooki Goto
This match is for the GHC Heavyweight Championship and is the final match in the New Japan vs. NOAH series. Tie-up to start, Sugiura pushes Goto into the ropes but Goto ducks his strike attempt. Tie-up again, this time Goto pushes Sugiura into the ropes and he slaps Sugiura as he backs off. They trade strikes as neither can get a clean advantage, armbar by Sugiura into a wristlock but Goto gets out of it and applies a kneelock. Side headlock by Goto, Sugiura Irish whips out of it but they collide with neither going down. Sugiura goes off the ropes with the same result, snapmare by Goto and he kicks Sugiura in the back. Sugiura returns the favor by doing the same to him and he pins him with one foot for a one count. Back up, Irish whip by Goto but Sugiura delivers a pair of boots and Goto falls out of the ring. Sugiura follows him out and kicks Goto in the back before dropping him abdomen first onto the guard rail. Sugiura gets back in the ring with Goto very slowly following, and Sugiura stomps him as he rolls into the ring. Snapmare by Sugiura and he applies a reverse chinlock, they get back up and trade elbows, Goto goes off the ropes but Sugiura catches him with a boot. Goto gets up in the corner, elbows by Sugiura and he goes for a vertical suplex, but Goto blocks it. Front suplex by Sugiura and he boots Goto in the corner twice, but Goto hits him with a lariat when he goes for a third. Another lariat by Goto, he goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers the diving elbow drop for a two count. Goto picks up Sugiura, Sugiura goes off the ropes but so does Goto and he knocks him down with a lariat. Goto picks up Sugiura and hits a German suplex hold but it gets a two count. Goto picks up Sugiura but Sugiura slides down his back, and Sugiura delivers a boot to the face. Karelin Lift by Sugiura and he puts Goto onto the top turnbuckle, but Goto throws him off. Sugiura comes back up though and hits a Frankensteiner, but Goto gets back up and lariats Sugiura from behind. Goto puts Sugiura onto the top turnbuckle and elbows him from behind before going out to the apron and hitting a neckbreaker from the top to the apron. Goto gets back in the ring and celebrates but Sugiura makes it back in at 19.

Goto picks up Sugiura, slam in front of the corner and he goes up to the top turnbuckle, hitting an elbow drop to the back of the head. Goto picks up Sugiura again but Sugiura flops back to the mat. Cover, but it gets a two count. Goto drags Sugiura to his feet and goes off the ropes, nailing a lariat. Cover, but Sugiura kicks out at one. Lariat to the back of the head by Goto, cover, but Sugiura gets a shoulder up. Goto picks up, Sugiura slides down his back, Goto goes off the ropes but Sugiura doesn't go down after a lariat. Slap by Sugiura but Goto levels him with a lariat for a two count. Backdrop suplex by Goto, but that also gets a two count. Goto picks up Sugiura and delivers a beautiful delayed Shouten, but it also gets a two count. Goto picks up Sugiura and goes for a death valley driver, Sugiura slides down his back but Sugiura suplexes him into the corner. Sugiura is up first and hits a running knee in the corner to Sugiura, but Goto catches the second one. Goto picks up Sugiura but Sugiura slides down his back and applies the ankle hold. Goto quickly gets to the ropes, Sugiura picks him up and hits a German suplex which he then rolls through and delivers a dragon suplex hold for a two count. Sugiura picks up Goto and goes for the Olympic Slam, Goto gets out of it but Sugiura knees him in the face. Sugiura goes for it again but Sugiura reverses it into his modified armbar. Sugiura eventually gets a foot on the ropes and Goto has to break the hold. Kicks to the midsection by Goto, Sugiura elbows him back and they trade strikes. Sugiura wins the slap battle but Goto hits a headbutt, he goes off the ropes but Sugiura catches him with a German suplex. Ankle Hold by Sugiura, Goto stands back up and gets out of the hold and they trade slaps again. Sugiura gets the better of it, he picks up Goto and plants him with an Olympic Slam. Cover, but Goto quickly kicks out. Sugiura gets Goto up and knees him in the head, cover, but Goto gets a shoulder up. Sugiura applies the Ankle Hold and he gets Goto in the grapevine, and Goto has to submit! Your winner and still champion: Takashi Sugiura

Match Thoughts: A good match but a step down from the previous matches. The bulk of the match was fine, the crowd was into it and it was very hard hitting. But I've never been a fan of wrestlers going for submission wins with no set-up. Sugiura was doing a good job dropping Goto on his head but he did nothing in the first 17 minutes to hurt the leg or ankle of Goto. I thought they were going for a big move finish (avalanche Olympic Slam for example) rather then a submission ending since that was the theme of the match up to that point. So besides the ending which took a bit of it out for me, the rest was fun although I still think Goto does the no selling too much as a transition from defense to offense. Still good, just not as great as I was hoping it would be. Score: 6.0

(c) Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Yoshihiro Takayama
This match is for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. They circle each other to start as Nakamura goes for leg kicks, but Takayama pounds him down to the mat. They jockey for position but Takayama grabs Nakamura by the leg and pushes him down. Back up, Takayama pushes Nakamura into the ropes but he gives a clean break. Punches to the face by Takayama which Nakamura returns with elbows, but the punches win out. Nakamura finally gets Takayama reeling with a few elbows and goes for the arm, but Takayama pushes him into the ropes and clubs Nakamura in the chest before kicking him while he is on the mat. Takayama picks up Nakamura and gives him a pair of knees before dropkicking him in the head. Takayama exits the ring, pulls Nakamura's head over the apron and just abuses him with knees and clubs to the back. Takayama gets the crowd to count Nakamura while he is out on the floor, which is awesome, but Nakamura rolls back into the ring. Elbow drops by Takayama, cover, but Nakamura gets a hand on the ropes. Punches by Takayama as Nakamura falls back into the corner, he puts Nakamura into the tree of woe and knees Nakamura in the midsection twice before dropkicking him in the head. Sleeper by Takayama, and he knees Nakamura in the midsection. Nakamura fires back with elbows, he goes off the ropes but Takayama knees him hard in the midsection to send Nakamura back to the mat. Two handed cover by Takayama but it gets a two count. Snapmare by Takayama and he kicks Nakamura in the chest, one handed cover and it gets a two count. Takayama picks up Nakamura and goes for a backdrop suplex, but Nakamura gets out of it and hits a jumping knee to Takayama's head. Nakamura kicks Takayama in the midsection, Irish whip from the corner, reversed, but Nakamura catches him with a dropkick.

Knees to the stomach by Nakamura to a downed Takayama, cover, but it gets almost a two count. Nakamura picks up Takayama, knees to the stomach and he hits a German suplex for a two count. Back up they trade strikes, Nakamura goes for the cross armbreaker and gets it applied, but Takayama wiggles to the ropes and forces a break. Kicks to the arm by Nakamura but Takayama catches one and kicks Nakamura in the side. Backdrop suplex by Takayama and he hits a jumping knee in the corner followed by a double underhook suplex. Cross armbreaker by Takayama but Nakamura gets a foot on the ropes. Repeated knees to the chest by Takayama, Nakamura goes out to the apron but Takayama brings him back in with a dragon suplex. Cover, but Nakamura gets a shoulder up. German suplex hold by Takayama for a two count, but Nakamura quickly grabs the arm and goes for the cross armbreaker again. Takayama kicks his way out of it and knees Nakamura hard in the face when he goes for a takedown. Nakamura loves those sliding knees to the face, I should have seen it coming. Nakamura is a little loopy but recovers at the referee's 8 count, and he knees Takayama in the stomach and then in the back. Both wrestlers are slow to get up with Nakamura up first, and he applies a sleeper hold. Takayama slams Nakamura back in the corner but Nakamura hits a hard slap. Takayama comes back with a punch and the two trade blows, with Nakamura connecting with a high kick followed by a running knee. Takayama blocks the Boma Ye but Nakamura knees him with the other leg. Boma Ye by Nakamura, cover, and he picks up the three count. Your winner and still champion: Shinsuke Nakamura

Match Thoughts: This match is actually a good example as to why I prefer Tanahashi as an ace rather then Nakamura. Here, Takayama brought it 100%, and was without a doubt the wrestler that looked the strongest coming out. His strikes were on point and came at a furious pace, to the point the crowd was actually behind him at times. This isn't the first time that Nakamura has been against an invader and wasn't the crowd favorite, but at least last time it was against a New Japan trueborn. In the crowd's defense, I wasn't buying it either, as everything Nakamura did, Takayama did better. Better punches, better knees, more toughness, and more charisma. That being said, the match was good. It was just hard for me to ignore that Takayama's strikes looked better but he lost to a Nakamura knee, I almost wish in this case Nakamura had won with something else then the Boma Ye. So I enjoyed it, I just don't think it had the intended purpose. Score: 6.5

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Final Thoughts:

Best Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Go Shiozaki. I rated the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match higher, but I think this match will have more long term significance. The two stars for opposing promotions gave it their all in this match, and while it was a bit sloppy in a few parts the crowd stayed into it and they had the "star power" to overcome any shortcomings. The strikes were crisp and the match slowly led to the climax which came at the right time as the match didn't seem too short or too long. Shiozaki was really channeling Kobashi here with the rolling chop and short arm lariat, and it all fit in perfectly to create a very entertaining match.

MVP: Naomichi Marufuji. Prince Devitt, Takayama, and Tanahashi all could have been the MVPs, but Marufuji pulling a big title win and getting a good match out of Tiger Mask gives him the nod. Winning a title by itself is an MVP-worthy accomplishment, but awakening the Tokyo Dome crowd after a lackluster Yone/Makabe match is even more of a daunting task. Per usual Marufuji was crisp with his execution and he had one of the best matches on the card.

Overall: From top to bottom this was a great card. It had two entertaining Jr. Heavyweight title matches, most of the NOAH vs. New Japan matches delivered, and even the old timers had a memorable match. There were a few stinkers as there always are on big cards, but here the good far outweighed the bad. The main event might not have accomplished its intended purpose but watching Takayama destroy Nakamura with strikes was really fun. Definitely a recommendation to watch, and if you are a fan of New Japan already then track this down as soon as you can as it is not one you'll want to miss.

Highly Recommended

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