NJPW King Of Pro-Wrestling 2016

Ryogoku Rumble Report: NJPW's Autumn Showdown

The Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo's iconic sumo arena, played host to a thrilling night of professional wrestling as New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) presented its latest television offering on October 10th. The sold-out crowd of 9,671 enthusiastic fans bore witness to a stacked card featuring some of the best talent the world has to offer.

Opening Salvo: CHAOS vs. BULLET CLUB

The night began with a high-flying, hard-hitting six-man tag team match between CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Will Ospreay, and YOSHI-HASHI) and BULLET CLUB (Adam Cole, Bad Luck Fale, and Yujiro Takahashi). This bout showcased the unique blend of technical grappling and aerial stunts that NJPW fans have come to expect. CHAOS emerged victorious, with Ishii securing the win for his team after a series of impressive moves.

Eight-Man Tag Chaos Ensues

The first half of the evening concluded with two eight-man tag team matches. The first saw Great Bash Heel (Bobby Fish and Ryusuke Taguchi) paired against CHAOS (Beretta, Jado, Rocky Romero, and Toru Yano). This contest was marked by a series of intense exchanges between the teams, ultimately resulting in a win for Great Bash Heel.

The second eight-man tag match featured Go Shiozaki, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masa Kitamiya, and Maybach Taniguchi taking on Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima, and Yuji Nagata. This bout was characterized by a strong showing from the underdog team of Shiozaki et al., who managed to pull off an upset victory.

Title Action: The Junior Heavyweights

The main event portion of the card kicked off with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship on the line. Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) put their titles on the line against David Finlay and Ricochet in a thrilling contest that showcased the technical prowess of all four competitors. In the end, the reigning champions retained their titles after a hard-fought victory.

Tag Team Tussles

The evening's tag team action continued with Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) facing off against the Briscoe Brothers in an IWGP Tag Team Championship match. This contest was marked by a series of intense exchanges between the teams, ultimately resulting in a win for the reigning champions.

Openweight Mayhem

The night's main event began with a never-ending openweight match featuring Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jay Lethal, KUSHIDA, and Michael Elgin taking on Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito). This bout was marked by chaos and unpredictability, with all eight competitors getting their share of shine time. Ultimately, the victors emerged in a dominant display.

NEVER Openweight Title Showdown

The evening's penultimate match saw Katsuyori Shibata defend his NEVER Openweight Championship against Kyle O'Reilly in a highly competitive contest. This bout showcased the technical prowess of both competitors, with Shibata ultimately retaining his title after a thrilling exchange.

IWGP Heavyweight Contendership and Title Matches

The main event concluded with a pair of IWGP Heavyweight championship matches. First up was Kenny Omega facing off against Hirooki Goto in an #1 contendership match for the title. This bout showcased the technical prowess of both competitors, ultimately resulting in a win for Omega.

Finally, Kazuchika Okada put his title on the line against Naomichi Marufuji in a highly anticipated contest. This bout was marked by a strong showing from both competitors, with Okada ultimately retaining his title after a dominant display that left the crowd in awe.

Closing Thoughts

The autumn edition of NJPW's Ryogoku Rumble proved to be an unforgettable night of professional wrestling, featuring a stacked card with some of the best talent the world has to offer. From opening salvo to main event, this show had something for everyone – a true testament to the strength and depth of New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Score: 8.5/10

This report was written by Jonathan Wilson for zohash.com.

Card Details

Date: 10 Oct 2016
Promotion: New Japan Pro Wrestling
Arena: Ryogoku Kokugikan
Attendance: 9671
Type: TV-Show
Broadcast Type: Live
Broadcast Date: 10 Oct 2016

Matches

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI) defeat BULLET CLUB (Adam Cole, Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi) in a Six Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 08:40
Great Bash Heel, Bobby Fish and Ryusuke Taguchi defeat CHAOS (Beretta, Jado, Rocky Romero and Toru Yano) in a Eight Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 08:10
Go Shiozaki, Katsuhiko Nakajima, Masa Kitamiya and Maybach Taniguchi defeat Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, Satoshi Kojima and Yuji Nagata in a Eight Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 11:49
Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson)(C) defeat David Finlay and Ricochet in a IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match
Match Time: 12:47
Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa)(C) defeat Briscoe Brothers in a IWGP Tag Team Title Match
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Jay Lethal, KUSHIDA and Michael Elgin defeat Los Ingobernables de Japon (BUSHI, EVIL, SANADA and Tetsuya Naito) in a Eight Man Tag Team Match
Match Time: 10:42
Katsuyori Shibata(C) defeat Kyle O'Reilly in a NEVER Openweight Title Match
Match Time: 18:09
Kenny Omega defeat Hirooki Goto in a IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contendership Match
Match Time: 21:52
Kazuchika Okada(C) defeat Naomichi Marufuji in a IWGP Heavyweight Title Match
Match Time: 28:00