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[Complete Results]
The first full tour of New Japan's 30th anniversary year was "FIGHTING SPIRIT 2002", the annual February series. This year's installment was very important, as it featured a tournament to determine the 30th IWGP Heavyweight Champion, following Kazuyuki Fujita's handing over of the belt in January. The tournament featured seven men; Kensuke Sasaki, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi, Masahiro Chono (with a direct pass to the semi final round), Tadao Yasuda, Rick Steiner, and Giant Silva, all fighting for the most prestigious prize in pro wrestling. For Steiner, one half of the legendary Steiner Brothers tag team, it was his first appearance in New Japan since the 1/4/00 Tokyo Dome show, when he defeated "Macho Man" Randy Savage. This was also the first series without Muto, Kojima or Kashin, all three of whom who had departed for All Japan, cancelling the Muto & Kea vs. Tenzan & Kojima IWGP Tag Team Title match on the tour opener. As a result of these departures and Fujita's injury, all three IWGP titles were vacant, and along with the IWGP Heavyweight Title, the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title would also be up for grabs at Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Foreign participation:
Dan Devine: All shows
Giant Silva (CMLL/Team 2000): All shows
Giant Singh (Team 2000): All shows
Rick Steiner: All shows
Chris Candido: All shows
GOKU-DO (Team 2000): All shows
Special participation:
Daijiro Matsui (Takada Dojo): 2/16 only
Tiger Mask (Michinoku Pro): All shows
Points of note:
IWGP Tag Team Title Tournament matches on 2/1 Hokkaido and 2/16 Tokyo.
(2/1) The fourth generation of Tiger Mask made his tour debut in New Japan, after first appearing at the Tokyo Dome in January, competing in an eight man tag match today. He became the third of four Tiger Masks to wrestle in New Japan, following in the footsteps of the original (Satoru Sayama) and third generation (Koji Kanemoto) to grace the New Japan ring.
(2/1) Riki Choshu made his first appearance since getting injured on Osamu Kido's retirement show last November, but was on the losing side in a six man tag against Team 2000. Following the match, Chono took the microphone and called out Inoki! Chono took a stand against Inoki and demanded power. After an argument, Inoki nominated Chono as his managerial successor, and united for a common purpose, to take New Japan back to it's past heights. Chono promised to revive New Japan Pro-Wrestling across the country. Friends and enemies shook hands in the ring, Inoki transferred fighting spirit into wrestlers with slaps, then roared his famous "Ich, ni, san... DAA!" phrase. New Japan was united as one!
(2/1) In the first IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament match, Rick Steiner made his return to New Japan, facing an old rival, Kensuke. In a shockingly one-sided match, Steiner threw Sasaki around with suplexes, and defeated him with a Death Valley bomb to advance.
(2/1) The next tournament match ended quickly, with Yasuda, still hot off his massive 12/31 win over Jerome Le Banner, destroying 7'7" Giant Silva in just 159 seconds with a sleeper hold! The finish was very similar to when Yasuda's mentor, Inoki, would use his technique to submit much bigger foreigners, such as the late, great Andre The Giant.
(2/1) The main event and final first round tournament match saw two close friends, Nagata and Nakanishi, have their latest bout. A close, even match saw Nagata bounce back from a recent slump, pinning Nakanishi with a backdrop hold to advance.
(2/2) The first half of a double header at Sapporo Teisen Hall saw first round matches of the Teisen Hall Cup 6 Man Tag Team Tournament. Winners were Fujinami, Nishimura & Liger, Sasaki, Yoshie & Devine, Nagata, Nakanishi & Steiner, and Chono, Silva & Singh.
(2/3) Both the semi finals and final of the Teisen Hall Cup 6 Man Tag Team Tournament took place today, back at Teisen Hall in Sapporo. The semis saw Team Chono defeat Team Fujinami, Silva pinning Nishimura, and Team Nagata down Team Kensuke, Steiner Death Valley bombing Yoshie. Later on, in the main event, Chono's team sealed the tournament, defeating Team Nagata when Singh scored a big win over Nakanishi, pinning him after a Giant bomb.
(2/8) In a preliminary skirmish to their newly determined singles match at Tokyo Ryogoku Kokugikan, Sasaki and Nakanishi locked horns in a tag contest. Nakanishi's sudden slump continued when Kensuke hit a Northern Light bomb and pinned him in only 91 seconds!
(2/8) The dominant IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions, Jado & Gedo, made a successful V5 defense of their belts in the main event, defeating Tanaka & Naruse when Jado forced Naruse to submit to the Crossface of JADO.
(2/10) During a six man tag match, Tiger Mask hit a diving body press at a high angle, but his landing went wrong and he suffered a dislocated right elbow. The match was stopped immediately, as he was clearly in discomfort, and he was stretchered out. Additionally, all of his scheduled appearances for New Japan were cancelled due to the injury.
(2/11) In a major upset, the upstart team of Kenzo & Tanahashi defeated Nakanishi & Yoshie in a match lasting almost 17 minutes, Suzuki hitting Yoshie with a spear for a major win in Tanaken's continuing ascent.
(2/11) Tenzan tried to become the first man to defeat Giant Singh in a singles match, after pinning the monster in a tag match at the Tokyo Dome. Although Tenzan took Singh further than any other wrestler has, he eventually fell to a chokeslam and was defeated.
(2/14) On the final show before his singles match with Kensuke, Nakanishi again lost, being cradled by Koshinaka in a six man tag match.
(2/16) Takada Dojo graduate and PRIDE fighter, Daijiro Matsui, made his second New Japan appearance of the year, defeating Shibata in under 2 minutes by referee stop.
(2/16) The first semi final of the IWGP Heavyweight Title Tournament saw Nagata inch one step closer to his dream, when he scored a big win over Steiner.
(2/16) Yasuda's rise to the top neared it's completion when he defeated Chono for the first time in his career, locking him in a shoulder hold and forcing a submission in just over 6 1/2 minutes.
(2/16) Tanaken scored perhaps their biggest victory to date, defeating two established and respected veterans, Fujinami & Koshinaka, when Tanahashi pinned Koshinaka with a Japanese leg roll clutch hold.
(2/16) In an IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match, Tenzan bounced back from his loss to Singh, defeating his long-time rival Nishimura in a grueling match that spanned over 21 minutes.
(2/16) The IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title, vacated when Kashin left the promotion, was determined when Tanaka and Kakihara had the latest match in their ongoing series, Tanaka using a backslide to become the 42nd champion, beginning his second reign.
(2/16) After so many losses on the tour and a sudden slump, Nakanishi bounced back in one of the best ways possible, scoring his first ever singles victory over former ace, Sasaki, and winning with a picture perfect German suplex hold!
(2/16) The ascent was complete when in the main event and tournament final, Yasuda defeated Nagata with a front sleeper to become the 30th champion. Despite a comeback in singles competition, Nagata was just not strong enough on the day, and after the glory of 12/31/01, Yasuda won the IWGP Heavyweight Title, his first championship in wrestling. Tenzan, the new #1 contender, provoked Yasuda following the match, heating up their scheduled 3/21 meeting.
Back to: "EXTREME 2 DAYS" (1/24/02 to 1/25/02)
Forward to: "NEW JAPAN 30TH BIRTHDAY" (3/6/02)
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