Credit: puroresufan.com
Lineups for New Japan's final series of 2007, "NEW JAPAN 35TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR ~ CIRCUIT 2007 NEW JAPAN ALIVE", have been announced. It is a very interesting tour to follow up on Sumo Hall with, again dominated largely by the young generation, with Nakamura's return bolstering BLACK. For the first time, we will see Nakamura and Goto unite as they battle Sekigun and GBH, although you'll notice they won't be facing Legend at all, that feud perhaps being saved for 2008. There are many interesting matches, starting with an Elimination Match on the tour opener, then in Kyoto on the 25th, it's another a young generation frenzy, with Goto facing Makabe in the main event and Nakamura battling Yano. Taguchi will answer Wataru's challenge in Osaka when he faces the returning Mr. High Tension in his V5 defense of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. The customary year end Aichi show is very big this time, with give special singles matches, topped by one of New Japan's better pairings of the past year or so, Tanahashi vs. Bernard. This will be a non-title match. Right alongside it is Nakamura vs. Makabe, picking up the feud from earlier this year that Makabe won, but Nakamura seems to have regained a step since then. Nagata vs. Tomko, Goto vs. Yano, and Koshinaka vs. Milano round off the series. New Japan welcomes a new foreigner, Steve Madison, for the tour. Those who followed NJ a few years ago will remember he was supposed to tour, but got injured and it didn't happen. Madison has experience in WWE, WJ, BIG MOUTH LOUD, Ring of Honor, WWC, IWA Puerto Rico, and other promotions.
Tanahashi and President Sugabayashi held a press conference to discuss yesterday's show and the ace's next challenger. Tanahashi said that yesterday he held a key to New Japan's future yesterday, and finally opened the door using it, saying New Japan has now truly rushed into a new stage. Despite Makabe and Nakamura's appeals for a shot at Tanahashi yesterday and their Aichi singles match, which could potentially be used as a #1 contendership fight, Sugabayashi said Tanahashi's first preference for his January 4th defense at the Tokyo Dome is a TNA warrior. He wants to entrust Tanahashi's V2 challenger to TNA management, and expects a suitable challenger to be nominated by them.
NJPW, 11/23/07 (SXW)
Koshigaya Katsura Studio1. Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Takashi Uwano
2. AKIRA vs. Taichi Ishikari
3. Shiro Koshinaka vs. Tomoaki Honma
4. Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Super Strong Machine & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka & Tiger Mask
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Yujiro & Tetsuya Naito
6.
Elimination Match: Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto, Milano Collection AT, Minoru & Prince Devitt vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, Jado & Gedo
NJPW, 11/25/07 (Samurai! TV)
Kyoto City Gymnasium1. Tetsuya Naito vs. Prince Devitt
2. Wataru Inoue vs. Yujiro
3. Manabu Nakanishi, Koji Kanemoto, Tiger Mask & Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Tomoaki Honma, Jado & Gedo
4. Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka vs. Masahiro Chono & AKIRA
5. Shiro Koshinaka & Super Strong Machine vs. Milano Collection AT & Minoru
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Riki Choshu & Jushin Thunder Liger
7. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Toru Yano
8. Hirooki Goto vs. Togi Makabe
NJPW, 12/2/07 (SXW)
Fujisawa City Akiba Bunka Gymnasium1. Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Tetsuya Naito
2. Tiger Mask & Taichi Ishikari vs. Tomohiro Ishii & Tomoaki Honma
3. Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Yujiro
4. Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Shiro Koshinaka & Super Strong Machine vs. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Takashi Iizuka & Steve Madison
5. Hirooki Goto & Milano Collection AT vs. Togi Makabe & Toru Yano
6. Wataru Inoue vs. Prince Devitt
7. Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko vs. Jado & Gedo
8. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Koji Kanemoto vs. Shinsuke Nakamura & Minoru
NJPW, 12/5/07
Wel Sunpia Kochi1. Mitsuhide Hirasawa vs. Tomoaki Honma
2. Tiger Mask & Taichi Ishikari vs. Jado & Gedo
3. Yujiro & Steve Madison vs. Minoru & Prince Devitt
4. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Tetsuya Naito
5. Shiro Koshinaka & AKIRA vs. Hirooki Goto & Milano Collection AT
6. Riki Choshu, Masahiro Chono, Super Strong Machine & Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Takashi Iizuka
7. Shinsuke Nakamura, Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
NJPW, 12/6/07
Tex Port Imabari1. Taichi Ishikari vs. Tetsuya Naito
2. Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Takashi Iizuka vs. Yujiro, Mitsuhide Hirasawa & Takashi Uwano
3. Riki Choshu, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA vs. Tomoaki Honma, Jado & Gedo
4. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Tiger Mask
5. Masahiro Chono & Shiro Koshinaka vs. Milano Collection AT & Prince Devitt
6. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Steve Madison vs. Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko
7. Shinsuke Nakamura, Hirooki Goto & Minoru vs. Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Tomohiro Ishii
NJPW, 12/7/07
Tokushima Municipal Gymnasium1. Koji Kanemoto & Wataru Inoue vs. Ryusuke Taguchi & Steve Madison
2. Masahiro Chono, Jushin Thunder Liger & AKIRA vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tiger Mask & Tetsuya Naito
3. Yuji Nagata & Takashi Iizuka vs. Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko
NJPW, 12/8/07 (Samurai! TV)
Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #21. Shinsuke Nakamura & Hirooki Goto vs. Togi Makabe & Toru Yano
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuji Nagata vs. Giant Bernard & Travis Tomko
3.
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title: Ryusuke Taguchi (c) vs. Wataru Inoue
NJPW, 12/9/07 (WPW)
Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium1. Shiro Koshinaka vs. Milano Collection AT
2. Hirooki Goto vs. Toru Yano
3. Yuji Nagata vs. Travis Tomko
4. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Togi Makabe
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Giant Bernard