New Japan Pro Wrestling On AXS TV 4/21 Tetsuya Naito VS Michael Elgin IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match!
Tetsuya Naito vs Michael Elgin IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match
Elgin throws Naito across the ring, then Naito spits in his face before Elgin comes out at him and Naito sends him over the top rope before posing and playing to the crowd. Naito tries to drop Elgin, but Elgin drops him and sends him to the outside before Elgin does Naito's rolling pose. Naito takes his time getting back in the ring before Elgin hits an enzuigiri to Naito on the apron before bringing him into the ring and hitting a delayed suplex for a quick two count. Naito catches Elgin coming in twice, then counters a fireman's carry before Elgin hits a short clothesline, Naito dropkicking the knee of Elgin when he runs the ropes. Naito hits a chop block, then dropkicks the knee again before Elgin rolls out of the ring.
Naito goes out after him and slams him into the railing before wrapping his leg up in the railing and dropkicks it off of the apron before getting back in the ring and relaxing while Elgin takes to the count of seventeen to get back into the ring. Naito goes back to focusing on the knee as JR says it's funny that the Japanese announcers count in English, then Elgin hits Naito with clubbing blows from behind, trying to get Naito to break the hold he's got him in. Elgin gets to the ropes, then Naito slaps the back of his head while stomping him before Elgin drops him with a forearm. Elgin sends Naito sternum first into the corner, then hits an enzuigiri to the back of his neck before setting Naito on the top rope. Naito tries for a sunset flip powerbomb, but Elgin counters it before Naito slides out and hits a thrust kick to the back of Elgin's leg that drops him to the mat. Elgin then hits a wheelbarrow German suplex as we go to commercial.
Elgin takes control as we come back, hitting Naito with a series of running clotheslines in the corner before Naito blocks a suplex, then Naito hits an inverted atomic drop before Elgin hits a powerslam for a quick two count. Elgin hits Naito with a series of front and back clotheslines before Naito counters a lariat, only for Elgin to drop him with an enzuigiri. Elgin hits a dead lift German suplex with a bridge for a near fall, then Naito hits his signature leg sweep dropkick in the corner. Naito hits a springboard dropkick to Elgin before locking in a variation of a figure four on Elgin, Josh saying that it's more like a kneebar before Elgin gets to the ropes for the break. Naito goes for a tornado DDT, but Elgin stops him and hits a falcon arrow before they exchange forearms once they're on their feet. Elgin hits a series of German suplexes, then a release German suplex as we go to commercial.
Elgin sets Naito on the top rope as we come back, but Naito fights him off, then gets caught coming off of the top rope, Elgin hitting a powerbomb when he catches him for a near fall. Elgin slams Naito down, then gets on the top rope and misses a splash before Elgin hits a discus forearm, only for Naito to hit a tornado DDT for a near fall. Naito sets Elgin on the top rope and gets caught when he goes for a frankensteiner, Naito countering with another one and hitting it before hitting a reverse frankensteiner for a near fall. Naito locks in a short arm scissor on the knee as Josh calls it, then Elgin crawls to the ropes right before tapping. They go out onto the apron, then Elgin hits a Death Valley driver onto the apron before they both fall off of the apron and to the floor as we go to commercial.
Elgin gets on the top rope with Naito on the apron and picks him up before hitting an avalanche falcon arrow for a near fall, then Naito hits a huricanrrana just as he grabs the referee, hitting them both with a huricanrrana that sends Red Shoes to the outside. Elgin tries for another buckle bomb, but Naito counters, then EVIL and BUSHI come out to the ring and stomp on Elgin before KUSHIDA and Hiroshi Tanahashi come out and attack them. SANADA comes out last and he and EVIL double team Tanahashi before BUSHI mists KUSHIDA then Elgin takes out BUSHI before hitting a double fall away slam on EVIL and SANADA, sending them out of the ring. Elgin power bombs BUSHI out of the ring and onto EVIL and SANADA before Naito hits DESTINO once, then goes for it again before Elgin counters with a powerslam for a near fall. Naito tries to beat Elgin down, but he turns him inside out with a lariat repeatedly for a near fall, then Elgin hits a buckle bomb into a spinning sit-out power bomb that Naito counters into a Destino twice for the pin and the win.
Winner: Tetsuya Naito via pinfall
