New Japan ran a standalone event called Anjo Rainy Days today, the second straight year they have run a hometown event for Kazuchika Okada.
Today’s event was held at Tochi Arena Anjo in Aichi. There is/was no live or on demand broadcast.
The announced paid attendance was 2247, a legit sellout.
All matches were announced at the start of the event, nothing was announced in advance.
Match 1: Boltin Oleg & Ryusuke Taguchi beat TAKA Michinoku & DOUKI. Taguchi pinned TAKA.
Match 2: Jado & Master Wato beat Gedo & Taiji Ishimori. Wato beat Gedo with Vendeval.
Match 3: Minoru Suzuki & Yuji Nagata beat Oskar Leube & Yuto Nakashima. Nagata pinned Nakashima with a backdrop hold.
Match 4: Ren Narita & Shota Umino beat Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe. Narita beat Honma with a cobra twist. Afterwards, Narita challenged for the NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Championship on 11/17. Honma, Narita & Taguchi are scheduled to face current champions Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada in a NON-TITLE match on that date. But New Japan’s English preview of the event hints at the potential for a title rematch before the year ends if they win.
Match 5: Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Sho, Yujiro Takahashi & EVIL beat Callum Newman, HENARE, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb. Sho pinned Newman after Shock Arrow.
Match 6: Yoh, YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto beat BUSHI, HIromu Takahashi & Yota Tsuji. Goto pinned BUSHI after Shoto. Afterwards, several wrestlers attempted to win the DDT Iron Man Heavymetalweight Championship from Takahashi. Will he make it to tonight’s DDT event as champion?
Main Event: NEVER 6-Man Tag Team Champions Tomohiro Ishii, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kazuchika Okada beat Yuya Uemura, Taichi & SANADA to retain the titles. Okada pinned Uemura after Rainmaker. V5 for the champs. They went just over 30 minutes. Post-match, Okada promo where he vowed to return next year as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion to close the event and send the hometown crowd home happy.
Next up is the New Japan Road Tour, which is just 2 events this year. The first event is Friday at Yamagata Big Wing in Yamagata headlined by Sho vs. Taichi for the KOPW 2023 Title. We still don’t know what their proposed rules are going to be. Live streaming on New Japan World will begin at 1:30 AM PT/4:30 AM ET.
