BRM Review NJPW Invasion Attack

[Big Red Machine]

NJPW Invasion Attack (4/7/2013)- Tokyo, Japan

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: Time Splitters (Alex Shelley & KUSHIDA)(c) vs. Apollo 55 (Prince Devitt & RyusUke Taguchi)- 6.5/10
Very good opener

THE AFTERMATH- Devitt is not happy with Taguchi. The Time Splitters try to make peace between the two, and just when it seems like they have, Devill hits Taguchi from behind with a clothesline. The Time Splitters ask Devitt the his problem is but a very large guy I don't recognize jumps into the ring and takes the Time Splitters out. A luchadore who I also don't recognize gets into the ring and also gets taken out by the big guy. The big guy then hits Taguchi with a Samoan Drop and Devitt hits him with a double stomp form the top turnbuckle. Devitt then takes the luchadore's mask off and wipes his butt with it. He then declares Apollo 55 no more and introduces the big guy as his new "bouncer," "the underboss" Bad Luck Fale. Devitt finally completes the heel turn which has been building for the past month or so, and he does so in a BIG way. Great segment.

HIROYOSHI TENZAN, MANABU NAKANISHI, SUPER STRONG MACHINE, & AKEBONO vs. BOB SAPP, TAKASHI IIZUKA, TOMOHIRO ISHII, & YOSHI-HASHI- 5.5/10
These shows are already so long that they really don't need to spent twelve minutes on an undercard clusterduck that doesn't seem to matter to anything. The only times I really cared about this match was when the big guys were in there doing big-man stuff.

CMLL WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: El Terrible & Tamil Tonga(c) vs. La Mascara & Valiente- 6.5/10
Was going GREAT... but then it just kind of ended before they even went ten minutes. I really want to see these two teams get a lot longer to work with.

TOGI MAKABE & TOMOAKI HONMA vs. YUJIRO TAKAHASHI & MASATO TANAKA- 6/10

TORU YANO vs. MINORU SUZUKI- 6.25/10
Suzuki beat Yano down after the match.

HIROOKI GOTO & YUJI NAGATA vs. KAZUSHI SAKURABA & KATSUYORI SHIBATA- 6.25/10

NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Rob Conway(c) vs. Satoshi Kojima- 6.5/10
A good match, but not the quality we have come to expect form the top of the card in New Japan. I liked all of the stuff going on on the outside, though, and I popped when Kojima gave Conway's enforcer what he deserved.

IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL TITLE MATCH: Shinsuke Nakamura(c) vs. Davey Boy Smith Jr. (w/Lance Archer)- 8/10
I bet WWE feels silly now. They really missed the boat on Harry Smith.

IWGP WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Hiroshi Tanahashi(c) vs. Kazuchika Okada- a PERFECT 10/10!
An awesome story, awesome selling, and a great finishing sequence. At this point, I'd put these tow up there with Flair and Steamboat or Dragon and Nigel. They could make a Viagra on a Pole match awesome.

Overall, a great show from New Japan. While the middle of the show was plodding and kind of hart to sit through (everything from the second match until the Intercontinental Title match, with the Lucha match being the only exception) if you can make it through that, you are rewarded with an awesome match between Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Nakamura a perfect main event between Tanahashi and Okada.