Top 5 New Japan NEVER Openweight 6-Man Championship Tournament Matches

2. Shingo Takagi, SANADA and BUSHI (LIJ) vs. Kazuchika Okada, SHO and Toru Yano (CHAOS) – 8/8/20

Although Los Ingobernables de Japon and CHAOS don’t exactly hate each other, they are two factions that have never really seen eye to eye. Adding a few personal rivalries between various members to the mix meant that fans saw a match which was a mixture of technical wrestling and humour.

The match started with BUSHI and Yano. However, most of it was just the two going around the ring attempting to get a roll-up on their opponent and Yano trying to get payback for BUSHI pinning him in a previous show.

In between some Yano antics, we also had some solid wrestling. This tour has seen a great feud emerging between SHO and SANADA, two men who met in this year’s New Japan Cup and have amazing in-ring chemistry. We then saw two the two powerhouses of the factions in the ring in the form of Okada and Takagi who are wrestlers that combine speed, strength and athleticism. This match gave fans every style of wrestling they could ever have imagined.

Yet, when it seemed as if LIJ were on track to get themselves to the final, Yano managed to rekindle his reputation as the Master Spoiler. After sending BUSHI to the outside, Yano initially tried to replicate the cause of many of his G1 victories with the help of some tape. When that didn’t work, he used BUSHI’s mask string. With BUSHI tied to the guard rail, Yano was able to get back in the ring for a count-out victory.

With this sneaky move, Yano helped the CHAOS trio move to the final and also ruined fan favourite LIJ from winning back the titles they had to vacate. Even with the Yano-esque ending, it was still a great match showcasing top New Japan talent.

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1. Kazuchika Okada, SHO and Toru Yano (CHAOS) vs. Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI (CHAOS) – 9/8/20

Going into the final, many people were excited to see an all Chaos vs. Chaos match for the main event. As expected, once the bell rang, all loyalties were thrown out of the window. The bout started with friends Okada and YOSHI-HASHI in the ring and, despite their relationship, neither went easy on their opponent.

Both the CHAOS trios showed some amazing teamwork throughout this match.  We saw tandem offence that fans don’t normally see and it seemed as if every combination of members seemed to work. With Okada’s athleticism, SHO’s strength, YOSHI-HASHI’s heart, Ishii’s power and Goto’s determination, it was a match full of action. Of course, even though most of the bout was serious and intense, you could always rely on Toru Yano to bring a bit of fun.

Personally, the MVP of the match was Roppongi 3K’s SHO. Despite being a Jr Heavyweight and substantially smaller than most of the men in the ring, he held his own. Whether he was taking chops from YOSHI HASHI, suplex’s from Ishii or lariats from Goto, he kept fighting and showed his true passion and talent. However, even with SHO’s heart and determination, it was no match for the Stone Pitbull. With one vertical brainbuster to the Gold Standard, Ishii picked up the win for his team.

If the match wasn’t good enough as it was, the ending just made it like a fairy tale. This win not only signified the trio winning the NEVER titles but it was also YOSHI-HASHI’S first-ever championship in New Japan. Considering that HASHI has been in the company since 2008, it was a welcome sight for many fans.

It was a fitting end to a great tournament.

What was your favourite match from the latest New Japan tournament? Let us know on Twitter!

• Tomohiro Ishii
• YOSHI-HASHI
• Hirooki Goto
• NJPW

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