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[Complete Results]
New Japan began it's touring year for 2000 with "FIGHTING SPIRIT 2000", a series featuring several big shows, two of which would see armies square off in complete warfare. Leading into the series, the emphasis was off the regular army a little, with the nWo Japan vs. Team 2000 conflict raging on. With Keiji Muto nowhere to be found, Hiroyoshi Tenzan led nWo Japan against his mentor, Masahiro Chono, and a 4 vs. 4 series on 2/4 would determine the future of these two dark forces. The IWGP4 would also be defended, with Kensuke Sasaki's first challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Title since his Tokyo Dome win over Genichiro Tenryu being Don Frye. Also, after his high profile debut at the Tokyo Dome in January, "Super Rookie" Kenzo Suzuki would embark on a trial series against some of New Japan's top names.
Foreign participation:
Brian Johnston: 2/1 to 2/19
Scott Norton (nWo Japan): All shows
Super J (Team 2000): All shows
Dr. Wagner Jr. (CMLL): 2/1 to 2/19
Special participation:
Genichiro Tenryu: 2/4, 2/5 & 2/11
Minoru Tanaka (BattlARTS): 2/1 to 2/11, 2/16 to 2/20
Points of note:
(2/1) Masakazu Fukuda, absent since October 17th of last year when bleeding was discovered in his head, returned to action. He teamed with Wataru Inoue against fellow young lions, Shinya Makabe & Katsuyori Shibata. Fukuda spoke eagerly of a good future in wrestling.
(2/1) Kenzo Suzuki's first trial match was a rough lesson at the hands of Kensuke Sasaki. Kensuke KO'd the young phenom with a punch to the head, forcing a referee stoppage.
(2/1) After their brilliant victory over UFO's Naoya Ogawa & Kazunari Murakami at the Tokyo Dome, Hashimoto & Iizuka continued their run of form when they defeated IWGP Tag Team Champions, Nakanishi & Nagata, in a non-title match. Hashimoto, who declared his departure from the regular army, finished off Nakanishi with a triangle choke hold.
(2/4) Kenzo's second trial match saw him team with the man who destroyed him a few days before, Kensuke, against Tenryu & Koshinaka. Although he lost again, falling to Tenryu's lariat, such experience at this stage of his career was vital for Kenzo.
(2/4) After his shockingly dominant win over Kanemoto at the Tokyo Dome, Liger made another easy IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title defense, destroying BattlARTS' Minoru Tanaka in just 5 minutes. Liger got into a verbal battle with Otani and Takaiwa, claiming he could defeat the two of them at once.
(2/4) Nakanishi & Nagata made a successful V2 defense of their IWGP Tag Team Title, rolling over the team they dethroned last August, Goto & Ohara, when Nagata pinned Ohara. The champions nominated Hashimoto & Iizuka, who they fell to on the opening day of the series, as their V3 challengers.
(2/4) The Team 2000 vs. nWo Japan four match series began with a slight upset, as AKIRA pinned Hiro following a Musasabi press to give T2000 the lead.
(2/4) Norton levelled it up, pinning fellow American powerhouse, Super J, after a powerbomb.
(2/4) Team 2000 took the lead when Don Frye choked out Kojima with a sleeper hold. This win not only gave T2000 great momentum, but Frye himself the day before his IWGP Heavyweight Title shot.
(2/4) Team 2000 leader, Chono, defeated nWo Japan temporary leader and disciple, Tenzan, to complete a convincing 3-1 victory for T2000. Although given a good fight from Tenzan, Chono was still too good for him, using a cross-style STF for the series win.
(2/5) Kenzo's third trial match saw him face technician, Nagata. He lasted close to 9 minutes against the IWGP Tag Team Title co-holder, before submitting to a cross armbreaker.
(2/5) Ace Kensuke Sasaki made a successful V1 defense of his IWGP Heavyweight Title, becoming one of the few men to ever pin Don Frye, doing so after a lariat. Kensuke nominated IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Liger, as his next challenger, following Liger's rampage through the junior division. The possibility of a unification match was also raised.
(2/8) Chono announced in Hakodate that Team 2000 and nWo Japan had merged, with all nWo Japan members (except Keiji Muto), including Norton, Tenzan, and Kojima, being absorbed into T2000. Chono also announced the T2000 subscription of Goto & Ohara, bolstering the ranks even more and creating an imposing anti-New Japan force.
(2/11) Kenzo's fourth trial match saw him face another powerhouse and gaijin ace, Scott Norton. Norton put away Kenzo with a powerbomb, after a few scares from the rookie.
(2/11) In their first big match, New Japan managed to defeat the newly bolstered Team 2000, Fujinami, Kensuke, Hashimoto, Iizuka & Nakanishi besting Chono, Frye, Tenzan, Kojima & Super J. New Japan took the match in two straight falls, Sasaki lariating J in the first, and Hashimoto submitting Tenzan in the second.
(2/20) The first of ten matches in the huge New Japan vs. Team 2000 series at Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan saw Iizuka choke out Hiro with a sleeper hold.
(2/20) Super J levelled it for T2000, pinning Yasuda following a swinging DDT.
(2/20) Goto put T2000 into the lead when he defeated fellow veteran, Hirata, using a reverse chickenwing hold for the tap out.
(2/20) Koshinaka made it 2-2, the New Japan veteran pinning former Heisei Ishingun ally, and new T2000 recruit, Ohara.
(2/20) In a battle of a former junior and current junior, AKIRA pinned Kanemoto with a Dragon suplex hold to put T2000 ahead again.
(2/20) Once again a junior fell, when the man hoping for an IWGP Heavyweight Title shot, Liger, was lariated by Kojima, and pinned.
(2/20) Team 2000 seemed to have the series sealed when Frye put Nagata to sleep, making it 5-2. New Japan had to win all remaining matches just to tie the series.
(2/20) Nakanishi began the comeback for New Japan, using an Argentine backbreaker to put away eternal rival, Tenzan in another physical match between the two.
(2/20) Hashimoto's rush of form continued when he pinned Norton after a jumping DDT, meaning only Kensuke had to win to level the series.
(2/20) New Japan leader, Kensuke Sasaki, and Team 2000 leader, Masahiro Chono, locked horns in a huge main event, with much on the line. They waged a 17 minute war, and in the end Kensuke completed a miraculous comeback for the regular army, forcing a submission out of Chono with the Strangle Hold Gamma.
(2/20) With the series tied, Kensuke and Chono mutually agreed on a decision match to determine a victor. Chono locked Kensuke in a cross-style STF for 2 minutes, 30 seconds, but the bold ace refused to submit. When he stopped responding, Hashimoto made a controversial move by throwing in the towel, giving Team 2000 a massive series victory!
Miscellaneous:
Complete "Kenzo Suzuki Challenge Trial" record in chronological order (his fifth match against Tatsumi Fujinami, scheduled for 2/20, was cancelled due to an injury),
- Kensuke Sasaki beat Kenzo Suzuki (6:01) by referee stop.
- Genichiro Tenryu & Shiro Koshinaka beat Kensuke Sasaki & Kenzo Suzuki (7:37) when Tenryu used a lariat on Suzuki.
- Yuji Nagata beat Kenzo Suzuki (8:52) with a cross armbreaker.
- Scott Norton beat Kenzo Suzuki (5:40) with a powerbomb.
Back to: "WRESTLING WORLD 2000" (1/4/00)
Forward to: "ADIOS PERRO EN JAPON" (3/3/00 to 3/6/00)
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