It is finally here! It's Jeff Jarrett's Global Force Wrestling and it's their debut pay per view. Global Force Wrestling teamed up with Japan's New Japan Pro Wrestling and created Wrestle Kingdom 9. Wrestle Kingdom 9 took place live in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome. Wrestle Kingdom 9 had a giant card full of current NJPW talent, past TNA and past WWE talent, which all rolled into one gave you Global Force Wrestling's debut pay per view! Let's get to the recap.
*** Pre-Show ***
- 15 Man New Japan Rumble: The New Japan Rumble was basically similar to the WWE's Royal Rumble, where a wrestler entered every few minutes. The Rumble consisted of New Japan talent, including Japanese legend, Jushin Thunder Liger. What was also unique about The Rumble was over the top rope to the floor, pins, submissions and DQ's eliminated you from the match. The final four competitors in the rumble came down to Yohei Komatsu, Tama Tonga, Yoshi Hashi and Yuji Nagata. Nagata started the rumble at number one and made it all the way to the final four. Komatsu rolls Nagata up for a near fall. Tonga grabs Komatsu and drops him with a DDT, covers and scores the pinfall on Komatsu. Tonga hits a "TKO" on Hashi for a near fall. Tonga, next, charges at Hashi. Hashi sees Tonga coming and back body drops Tonga to the floor. Hashi and Nagata are the final two. Hashi locks Nagata in a sleeper/side head lock combo. Nagata flips Hashi into a suplex/bridge pinning combo and scores the pinfall. Yuji Nagata pulls a Shawn Michaels, starts at number one and goes on to win the rumble.
WINNER: YUJI NAGATA
*** Wrestle Kingdom 9 ***
- "IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship, Fatal Four Way Match": Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly (c) vs. Alex Shelley and KUSHIDA vs. Rocky Romero and Alex Koslov vs. The Young Bucks: Fast pace action throughout the match. Koslov worked over his opponents with Russian kicks, a plancha and at one time got a near fall on Fish with a double stomp. Koslov got another near fall later in the match after countering a brain buster into an inside cradle. Romero cleaned house with clotheslines and took Shelley out with a suicide dive to the floor at one point in the match. KUSHIDA cleaned house in the match as well, flew off the turnbuckles and took out everyone on the floor and scored some double team wrestling with his partner, Shelley. The Young Bucks showed why they're the independent scenes hottest tag team, unloading super kicks on everyone, hitting a drop kick/plancha combo and scoring a near fall with the "Meltzer Driver". Fish and O'Reilly land double team moves, hitting the wheelbarrow codebreaker into a wheelbarrow suplex. Fish and O'Reilly close things out by hitting their finisher "Chasing the Dragon" on Koslov for the pinfall to retain the tag team titles.
WINNERS: STILL IWGP JUNIOR TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, FISH AND O'REILLY
- "Six Man Tag Match": Tomoaki Honma, Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima vs. Jeff Jarrett, Bad Luck Fale and Yujiro Takahashi (The Bullet Club): The Bullet Club jump their opponents from behind before the bell even rang. The Bullet Club showed why they are the most feared faction in Japan in this match. Takahashi landed deadly kicks to Tenzan, even eye raked Tenzan at one point and hit a fisherman's suplex on Tenzan for a near fall. Tenzan got the good guys back in the match with a perfectly landed kick and a cutter on Takahashi, tags in Honma and Honma takes out Takahashi and Jarrett, delivering back elbows, hits Takahashi with a bulldog and later a flying headbutt. Jeff Jarrett grabs his trademarked guitar and tried to hit Honma but accidentally hits his own partner, Takahashi. The match closes out with Tenzan and Kojima taking out Jarrett with a belly to back suplex and Takahashi with a back drop. Honma climbs the ropes and hits a flying head butt for the pinfall.
WINNERS: HONMA, TENZAN AND KOJIMA
- "Eight Man Tag Team Match": Toru Yano, Naomichi Marufuji, Shane Haste and Mikey Nicholls vs. Takashi Iizuka, Shelton Benjamin, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.: One thing GFW didn't rip us off of tonight was tag team wrestling and showcasing all their talent. Huge eight man brawl started things off in this match. Yano gets double teamed, than worked on by Benjamin. Haste and Nicholls returned the favor by double teaming Archer. Smith tagged in and cleaned house with kicks and a power bomb and Archer was able to avenge his double team with a choke slam to Nicolls. Benjamin delivered a leap onto the ropes and suplexed Marufuji off, who was fighting with Iizuka. The match closes out with Majufuji landing a series of kicks on Iizuka and Iizuka getting hit with a Haste and Nicholls double team move for the pinfall.
WINNERS: YANO, MARUFUJI, HASTE AND NICHOLLS
- "UWFI Rules Match": Minoru Suzuki vs. Kazushi Sakuraba (Match ends by submission, KO or referee stoppage): Both men with mat wrestling and submission wrestling to kick things off. The fight went to the floor and up the ramp as more kicks, chops and submission wrestling took place right there on the ramp. Suzuki injures his arm while locked in Sakurba's submission hold on the ramp. Suzuki, however, refuses to stop the match. Suzuki gets taken out by Sakuraba kicks and the referee starts counting out Suzuki. The more Suzuki got up the more Sakuraba delivered bone crushing kicks. Suzuki finally fought back and laid out Sakuraba with kicks of his own. Suzuki went for a key lock submission but gets the move countered onto him. Suzuki barely reaches the ropes to break the hold but Sakuraba keeps kicking Suzuki in his injured arm. The match closes out with Suzuki getting to his feet and inviting Sakuraba to unload kick after kick on him. Suzuki takes every kick and appears to be "Hulking Up" with every blow. Suzuki grabs Sakuraba and applies a rear naked choke and eventually chokes out Sakuraba.
WINNER: SUZUKI
- "NEVER Openweight Championship Match": Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Togi Makabe: Both men unload on each other with punches, chops, clotheslines and shoulder blocks to start things off. Ishii landed kicks and head butts on Makabe and Makabe took it and demanded more punishment from Ishii. Makabe took over the offense and drilled Ishii with a corner clothesline and delivered shots to the head. More traded slaps until Ishii hits a delayed vertical suplex off the turn buckle. Ishii hits a power bomb for a near fall. Makabe delivers a power bomb of his own for a near fall. Makabe hits a german suplex and samoan drop off the turn buckle for two near falls. Makabe hit a big clothesline, and a german suplex but Ishii wouldn't stay down as he delivered a huge lariat on Makabe for a near fall. Ishii and Makabe unload on each other again, trading stiff shots, chops, chest head butts and near falls. Ishii unloaded with a series of lariats but got dropped by Makabe with a dragon suplex for a near fall. The match closes out with Makabe getting a near fall with a lariat. Makabe then goes to the top rope and flies off, hitting Ishii with the flying knee. Makabe covers and scores the pinfall.
WINNER: NEW NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPION, TOGI MAKABE
- "IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match": Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Kenny Omega: The Young Bucks are in Omega's corner. Omega showed disrespect towards Taguchi in the opening minutes. Taguchi controlled the match early with mat wrestling. The Young Bucks distract Taguchi and the referee, allowing Omega to shot liquid in Taguchi's eyes and giving Omega the opportunity to hit a running elbow for a near fall. Omega continued on offense, with The Young Bucks interfering behind the referees back every time Taguchi tried to fight back. Taguchi tosses Omega over the ropes and into The Young Bucks, then flies over the ropes with a flip, taking out his opponents. Taguchi top rope missile drop kick for a near fall. Taguchi and Omega battled on the turnbuckles, where Omega gets knocked off. Taguchi leaps at Omega and they take each other out with mid air drop kicks. Omega spinning sit down power bomb for a near fall. Taguchi flying knee for a near fall. Taguchi locks Omega in an ankle lock but again The Young Bucks cause distraction, breaking the submission. The match closes out with Omega catching Taguchi and laying him out with the "Omega Driver". Omega covers and scores the pinfall.
WINNER: NEW IWGP JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, KENNY OMEGA
- "IWGP Tag Team Championship Match": The Bullet Club (c) (Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows) vs. Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata: Goto and Anderson start out with great mat wrestling. Anderson took control, going for pinfall attempts continuously. Gallows is in next and works over Goto until Goto makes the hot tag to Shibata. Shibata's hot streak ends with a Gallows clothesline. Shibata applies an abdominal stretch submission on Gallows but Anderson breaks it up. All four men begin brawling where Goto and Shibata double suplex Gallows for a near fall. The Bullet Club again shows off their dominance as they continuously double team Shibata for near falls. Shibata and Goto fight back until Gallows hits the "Chokenstein" on Shibata for a near fall. Goto and Shibata attack Gallows and Shibata locks in a sleeper hold submission, Gallows is able to escape. The match closes out with Anderson getting knocked off the apron. Goto drops Gallows with a kick, Shibata hits the "PK" on Gallows and scores the pinfall.
WINNERS: NEW IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, GOTO AND SHIBATA
- A.J. Styles vs. Tetsuya Naito: Heel Styles, representing The Bullet Club. The bell sounds and Styles immediately goes for the "Styles Clash" and threatens to break Naito's neck. Naito counters and drop kicks Styles to the floor. Styles goes to work on Naito's leg and knee area. Naito shows great offense delivering a DDT off the ropes, a senton splash and unloads punches on Styles. Styles lands some head butts on Naito. Naito and Styles both reverse german suplexes which ends with Naito rolling up Styles for a near fall. Naito german suplex on Styles for a near fall. Naito goes to the top rope but gets rope crotched by Styles. Styles applies a leg submission but Naito makes it to the ropes. Naito back suplex on Styles for a near fall. Styles hits the "Pele Kick" and a DDT. The match closes out with Naito setting Styles up for the top rope hurricanrana. Styles counters and drives Naito off the ropes and into the mat with the "Styles Clash" for the pinfall.
WINNER: A.J. STYLES
- "IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match": Shinsuke Nakamura (c) vs. Kota Ibushi: Both men go into a frenzy of kicks on each other early. Nakamura, gained the advantage, unloading with a series of knees on Ibushi. Ibushi took to the air with a missile drop kick and a standing shooting star. Ibushi went for a springboard but got drop kicked down. Nakamura went to work with more knee strikes and elbows. Ibishi landed a top rope hurricanrana, a dragon suplex and a corkscrew moonsault for a near fall. Ibishi with a sit down power bomb for a near fall, than missed a splash. Nakamura hit a knee strike but Ibishi unloaded with strikes of his own. Ibishi had some words with the referee at this point. Nakamura landed more stiff kicks and strikes on Ibishi. Ibishi returned fire with a double stomp then hit an incredible springboard suplex, suplexing Nakamura into the ring from the apron for a near fall. The match closes out with both men striking the hell out of each other until finally Nakamura charges and hits a huge running knee on Ibishi. Nakamura covers and scores the pinfall. After the match, Nakamura, talked very highly of Ibishi and showed huge respect.
WINNER: STILL IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPION, NAKAMURA
- "IWGP Championship Match": Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kazuchida Okada: Mat wrestling to start off this match. The action goes to the floor next as Tanahashi gets tossed over the barricade, then dropped by Okada with the hanging DDT. Both men battled up the ramp where Tanahashi gets slammed on his back, which Tanahashi has had back problems in the past. Back in the ring, Okada works on Tanahashi in the corner, gets a couple near falls and goes to submission wrestling. Okada goes for the "Rainmaker" clothesline but Tanahashi reverses into a near fall. Tanahashi leg whips Okada and it appears Okada's leg is injured. Tanahashi kicks away at the injured leg than drop kicks it. Back out to the floor, Tanahashi gets tossed into the barricade. Okada follows with a charge, misses and flips over the barricade into the crowd. Tanahashi scales the turnbuckles and flies off the top rope, over the barricade and lands on Okada in the crowd. Back in the ring, Tanahashi hits two more splashes for a near fall. Tanahashi connects with Okada's own "Rainmaker" clothesline on Okada for a near fall. Okada goes for a "Tombstone" but Tanahashi counters with a roll up for a near fall. We get hard slaps, pinfall attempts and move reversals in the next sequence. Okada misses "Rainmaker" again and gets laid out with a german suplex. Tanahashi goes after Okada's injured leg again with continuous leg whips. The match closes out with Tanahashi delivering another leg whip and hitting two frog splashes from the turn buckle on Okada. Tanahashi covers and scores the pinfall. After the match, Tanahashi celebrated in the ring and Okada left the ring, hurting, with tears in his eyes as Global Force Wrestling's first pay per view comes to a close.
WINNER: STILL IWGP CHAMPION, TANAHASHI
So there you have it Global Force Wrestling's first ever pay per view. It was enjoyable, especially if you're a fan of Japanese wrestling. Plus you got Jim Ross and Matt Striker calling the match to make you feel even more at home with the in ring action. The show definitely had a lot of things you would never see in a WWE ring today and I think the show turned out good. Here's hoping GFW can continue to capitalize on this and get a TV deal in 2015.
Till next time, tap or snap.
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