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00:00Today's Semi-Final Tag Match, 30 minutes, one match.
01:00I want a match with Hinare. No!
01:04The first match I remember watching, where I watched the full thing, no skips, was Hinare versus Takagi.
01:15And I was just before coming here researching everything about Japanese style, and Ospreay said,
01:19if you want to know about Japanese style, watch Hinare versus Takagi.
01:25And every match they've had has been about him. Insane.
01:30The Dragon, Takagi Shingo!
01:41Never, Musa Rescue or the Jiki Challenger.
01:45Picking time bomb, Takahashi Hiromu!
02:00Last challenge for Never Gold before, but never against the Face of Fury, Hinare.
02:14Hinare has taken great delight on social media, Calum, and posting his weight daily.
02:20Yeah, he's a big boy now.
02:22He's a big boy getting bigger. I think something like 110 kilos.
02:26111!
02:27111, I beg your pardon.
02:30Hiromu made note of a 20 kilogram weight difference. Plug that into Google.
02:37Let's see what that works out as, but that's going to be the difference.
02:42Look at his little baby face.
02:47You're younger than he is.
02:50Hey, aren't you?
02:52Yeah.
02:53He's what, 24, 25?
02:5622, brother.
02:58It was my birthday the other day.
03:00Oh, congratulations.
03:01I know.
03:02Hiromu Takahashi might not see another birthday.
03:06No more fire for Francisco Akinara!
03:14And Hinare has his hard-hitting way with the ticking time bomb.
03:20Hinare has worked, and toiled, and struggled, and bled, and nearly died.
03:27And next year's champion, face of fury, Hinare!
03:35All to hold that never-open-weight championship.
03:40And yes, just as it was for Doki, the first defense is always, always the hardest.
03:46That first defense coming up tomorrow night in our main event,
03:50against a junior heavyweight in Hiromu Takahashi.
03:58Some would say that's the real appeal, Calum, of that never-open-weight championship.
04:02You get matches in between weight classes that you don't normally see in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
04:07Oh, it's beautiful. It's a beautiful championship.
04:12When everyone thinks of New Japan, they do just think of that heavyweight style,
04:16with big boys just slamming meat together.
04:20But that open-weight championship brings a different kind of style to New Japan.
04:28Is it Kishida and Ishii? Last time it was a junior.
04:32That was the first time that a junior heavyweight challenged a heavyweight for the title.
04:40Only ten times have we seen junior versus a heavyweight in the 12-year history of the never-open-weight championship.
04:47And the only junior heavyweight to ever win the never-open-weight title was Will Ospreay.
04:53Oh, of course it was.
04:56And in fact, it had to be Jeff Cobb that ended that reign in Madison Square Garden in 2019.
05:12I think Hiromu Takahashi always has his sights, his ambitions, his dreams set high.
05:20He was part of the tournament element to crown the first ever never-open-weight championship all the way back in 2012.
05:28And after he got knocked out of the first round, he was cursing the fact that he lost because he wanted to win the title,
05:36and then face Naito for the belt.
05:39That Hiromu-Naito match has been something Hiromu has wanted for decades.
05:45And he feels that never-open-weight championship is the key.
05:49You have to overcome Nihari to get that.
05:54A lot of stuff takes decades here, doesn't it?
05:57Naito.
05:59He rises up.
06:14Hiromu perhaps realizing that the best path to victory is not in the head of Nihari.
06:20You're not going to smash his skull, but you might be able to cave his chest in, possibly.
06:24With those chops already reddened, already bloody.
06:29Bringing the blood to the surface.
06:31I reckon the next cop is going to cut him.
06:33Hiromu has always been that style, Callum, where he likes to take 10 shots so he can give the 11th.
06:42That would work if you were against a junior heavyweight.
06:44Normally you're against 10.
06:49Hiromu might get knocked out in minute 5 here tomorrow night.
06:59He's going to do his best.
07:04Oh, knee kick caught.
07:05Oh, look out.
07:06Back trap, dragon screw.
07:11And in comes Shingo.
07:17This was a pair of matches here this year.
07:22An ongoing feud, ongoing rivalry for Inari and Shingo Takagi.
07:26First at Dominion, ended in a double KO.
07:29And then one week later, Hiromu turned around and won that Nebroboy championship.
07:35Corner bomber and suplex.
07:38That style.
07:42Takagi's doing Hiromu a favour here.
07:44If he can do something tonight that's going to hurt Aaron for tomorrow,
07:47that might do Hiromu some favours.
07:52But Fujita's got the hardest chops in New Japan, and I think Inari's the toughest.
07:58I don't know.
07:59Hiromu might be in competition for the hardest chop.
08:07Hiromu bumping it up.
08:12I mean, what's the best bet for Hiromu Takahashi in this sort of environment
08:16tomorrow night, knowing how tough, knowing how stubborn,
08:19knowing how hard he's going to be?
08:22I don't even know what Aaron's thinking most of the time.
08:25So even in a match, you're never going to break him.
08:30Now he dropped.
08:31Knock it out.
08:32Little bit of cherry funk there in the center.
08:35And Hirosaito's style.
08:37I think that's one of the best things about Inari.
08:39His mental toughness is insane.
08:43None of us are going to forget, least of all, Inari.
08:46Akira trying to tag, but Inari wants nothing to do with him.
08:49He's just absolutely stubborn.
08:53Singular focus.
08:57And now the tag.
08:59They're stubborn to tag out.
09:01And now the tag.
09:02And now the tag.
09:03And now the tag.
09:04And now the tag.
09:05And now the tag.
09:06And now the tag.
09:07And now the tag.
09:08And now the tag.
09:09And now the tag.
09:10They're stubborn to tag out.
09:14Francesco Akira.
09:15There's a lot in between Akira and Hiromu Takahashi.
09:18It's one singles match in between the two.
09:20Firstly, Super Junior in 2022.
09:23And Akira was new on the block.
09:25Hiromu got the win.
09:27Oh, look out.
09:28Look out in the tree of woe.
09:30And plenty of it.
09:32Hiromu Takahashi.
09:37And Francesco Akira as well.
09:39And maybe you can give some insight to this.
09:41I would have to.
09:42Look out.
09:43Put a pin in that.
09:44There's the cover.
09:45And only two.
09:46Good boy.
09:47Hiding away that one.
09:48Hiding away that one.
09:49Hiding away that one.
09:50Hiding away that one.
09:51Hiding away that one.
09:52Hiding away that one.
09:53Hiding away that one.
09:54Hiding away that one.
09:55Hiding away that arm from the rope.
09:57I'm going to have to think Francesco Akira feels a little bit hard done by
10:01with the fact that Taiji Ishimori challenged Doki
10:04for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
10:06when it was Akira all the way through the G1 Tour
10:09getting wins in those tag team matches.
10:13Now he dropped there.
10:15And we'll circle back to that one.
10:17Here's the cover.
10:18Hook of the leg.
10:22Akira can sulk now,
10:23but soon TJ will be back
10:24and I'm sure those boys are going to run through everyone in the Junior Tag League.
10:30That was a hard right from Hinare just to get Shingo off the apron.
10:35He's having a nap.
10:39I think Hinare preparing to rampage right through.
10:43Not the Rampage Dragon, but Hiromu caught him with the knee.
10:47Swings, misses.
10:49Into the brick basket goes Hiromu Takahashi.
10:54Look out. Rampage tackle.
11:09Oh, nice.
11:10There, complete shock.
11:16It's gotten Hiromu some time and some space,
11:18but is it enough to get Shingo Takagi?
11:23Akira wants the tag first.
11:24Wanting to cut off Hiromu, but did not.
11:31Akira's got to stick him right in the cup.
11:41Someone says hello.
11:42Spending too much time.
11:44What are you doing?
11:53That may be not the best bit for Francesco Akira
11:58to throw with Shingo Takagi.
12:00He puts the brakes on now.
12:02Come on, learn the first time, Akira.
12:05Maybe this might learn him.
12:06No, Akira underneath.
12:12Akira's going to fly.
12:13Fly.
12:21Don't know what to do with it.
12:22Not getting Shingo any space.
12:31Going to head up to the top here.
12:33High risk, high reward.
12:36Perhaps high.
12:39The top is Shingo Takagi.
12:40The cover and a two.
13:09Hey!
13:10You can't do that.
13:14And you pissed him off is what you've done.
13:21Such a long spiel as well.
13:23Cut short there.
13:24There's the jab.
13:25Watch the left.
13:26You can't.
13:27DDT.
13:28Dangerous driver, Takagi.
13:29Here comes Hiromu to clear the apron.
13:39And now it will be Hiromu and Shingo
13:43taking charge of Francesco Akira.
13:46His ego got the better of him.
13:48Hiromu closes the distance now.
13:50Shingo going to feed to the time bomb.
13:53Super kick.
13:56Bomber out of the corner.
13:57Here we go.
13:58There's the cover.
13:59There's the two-and.
14:00Hinari makes the save.
14:09Nice.
14:10Single leg drop kick.
14:11A little bit unexpected.
14:20Shingo popping up.
14:21I don't like this.
14:25There goes Francesco Akira.
14:28Made it to bend.
14:29Oh!
14:30Double stop.
14:31Get your breath.
14:32Get your breath.
14:34Yeah, he can't make it to Hinari in the corner.
14:36He's got to do this on his own.
14:39Hiromu and Hinari.
14:40Right on the floor.
14:41Cut off.
14:42But Shingo pumping.
14:43Oh!
14:44Crucifix.
14:46Oh!
14:47Cobra.
14:48Cobra.
14:49Cobra.
14:50Nearly.
14:51So close for Francesco Akira.
14:58Oh!
15:00Oh, no.
15:01Oh, it's going to kill him.
15:02It's going to kill him.
15:04Oh!
15:05It's going to kill him.
15:06Bomb it.
15:07And this one is...
15:08Oh!
15:09It's not over.
15:12No, it's not over.
15:13Hiromu and Hinari are in a life-or-death struggle out on the floor.
15:22And now it's time.
15:23Shingo's going to shift into high gear.
15:31Made in Japan.
15:34Made in Japan.
15:36And this time, the three counts.
15:42Horrible.
15:43I've always said this.
15:44Takagi's horrible as well.
15:45Even Doki.
15:48Who do you like?
15:49Mate, I don't like anyone.
15:52Yeah, that's you to have in this business.
16:04Well, Shingo Takagi up here tonight.
16:06But the headline is what's happening tomorrow.
16:08Main event, Coral Crane Hall.
16:10Oh, my goodness.
16:11It's going to slap.
16:12It's going to bang.
16:13It's going to do everything in between.
16:15Hinari, Hiromu Takahashi.
16:17The Never Openweight Championship will be on the line tomorrow,
16:21right here, live in English, in JPW World,
16:24for the Never Openweight title.
16:3411 minutes and 1 second.
16:36Takagi Shingo and Hiromu Takahashi.
16:39The winner is...
16:41All right, the thought back was a great article in JPW1972.com
16:44about the history of openweight matches
16:47for the Never Openweight title.
16:49Ten of them, they've been in the past.
16:51Tomorrow, we'll see the 11th.
16:53It's not over yet.
16:54It's not over yet.
16:55We're going back to the time when Will Ospreay
16:57did beat Koto Ibushi to become Never Openweight champion.
17:00It's not over yet.
17:01It's not over yet.
17:02Koto Ibushi to become Never Openweight champion.
17:05That was the first use of the hidden blade.
17:08It feels to me like Hiromu Takahashi
17:11might need to use a new secret weapon
17:14to put away the heavyweight Hinari.
17:16We'll find out what happens.
17:22Maybe Shingo might have first if Hiromu wins the belt.
17:28All right, we get it. You won. You can go home now.
17:32I'm going home. I'm going home.
17:36Did you see what happened last night?
17:37Shingo was talking for about five minutes.
17:39Yeah, then he messed up.
17:41I'm looking forward to seeing you.
17:45They had the mayor, the prefectural governor,
17:48everyone.
17:50Eiji Muto was putting himself out there.
17:52What else? Yeah, he was, wasn't he?
17:55It feels good.
17:56All right.
17:57Let's talk about me.
17:59One to go.
18:02One to go.