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[Complete Results]
"HYPER BATTLE 2001" spanned fifteen shows, starting at Niigata City Gymnasium on March 3rd, and coming to a close with an important show on March 20th at Yoyogi National Stadium Gymnasium #2. With Keiji Muto back in New Japan and aligned with Don Frye, his new movement would pick up steam in March, as he looked to oppose Chono's Team 2000 and the New Japan regular army. Three IWGP titles would be defended, with the most notable one Kensuke Sasaki's second defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Title on 3/17 in Aichi against former champion, Scott Norton. Additionally, a large foreign contingent was brought in for the tour, including nWo co-founder Scott Hall, who made his first appearance in New Japan since the 5/3/97 Osaka Dome convention.
Foreign participation:
Brian Johnston (G-EGGS): All shows
Don Frye: All shows
Rob Rage: All shows
Scott Hall (Team 2000): All shows
Scott Norton (Team 2000): All shows
Negro Casas (CMLL): All shows
Points of note:
Chono cancelled all of his appearances on the tour, but named his replacement on the opening day.
(3/3) Katsushi Takemura began full-time duties with New Japan. Takemura, a disciple of President Fujinami who completed in Fujinami's Muga promotion, faced another Muga star, Nishimura, in the second match, tapping out to a Cobra Twist.
(3/3) The new team of Muto and his old enemy, Don Frye, debuted, defeating Iizuka & Brian Johnston, when Frye forced a submission out of Iizuka.
(3/3) Before the main event, Chono took the microphone and said in English, "Best friend... Mr. Scott Hall!". Hall made his return to Japan, teaming with Norton, Tenzan & Kojima against Kensuke, Nakanishi, Nagata & Yoshie. The all-native team fended off the foreign vigor, Sasaki surprisingly pinning his upcoming title challenger, Norton, following a Northern Light bomb! After the match, Hall argued with Nakanishi, a rivalry between the two developing.
(3/4) On the final show before they challenged Tanaka & Kanemoto for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title, Liger & El Samurai picked up a psychological advantage, beating Tanaka & Negro Casas. Samurai hooked a chickenwing armlock on Tanaka for the upset submission win.
(3/4) The foreign assault truly began when Norton & Hall defeated New Japan ace, Kensuke, and G-EGGS leader, Nagata, in an impressive tag win. Nagata fell to Hall's patented Outsider's Edge, T2000's latest recruit picking up his first win of the series.
(3/6) "BIRTH OF STRONG STYLE". One year before it's 30th anniversary, New Japan held a special show at the place it all started almost three decades before, Ota Ward Gymnasium. A big singles match saw close friends and tag partners, Nagata and Iizuka, have their latest thriller. Nagata made it three in a row over Iizuka, finishing him off with a front sleeper.
(3/6) Muto & Frye marched forward with another impressive win, this time over veterans, Choshu & Kido. Frye used a Nagata Lock II to submit Kido, who made an important announcement on the day. Kido said that after a 33 year career, he would retire on 11/2 at Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium, and become a youth instructor in New Japan. Muto also decided on this day that his new knee kick finisher would be called the "Shining Wizard".
(3/6) Tanaka & Kanemoto's V4 defense of the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title against Liger & Samurai went horribly wrong when Kanemoto suffered a serious left shoulder fracture. It became virtually a Handicap Match, with Liger & Samurai launching a ruthless attack. Eventually, Kanemoto's injury forced a referee stoppage, the old guard becoming the 6th champions! Kanemoto was ruled out of action long-term with his injury, while Liger said he and Samurai would make their V1 defense against an Osaka Pro team at the Osaka Dome on 4/9.
(3/6) Norton & Hall's onslaught continued when in today's main event they defeated another elite team, this time Kensuke & Nakanishi. On a 30th anniversary commemoration show, the natives weren't able to overcome their foreign foe, Nakanishi falling to the Outsider's Edge.
(3/9) Choshu avenged his 2/18 tag pinfall loss to Tenzan in the Korakuen main event, leading Kensuke and Koshinaka to victory over Norton, Tenzan & Kojima when he lariated Tenzan. This gave Choshu an important boost before his and Makabe's second attempt at downing TenKoji on 3/20, this time with the IWGP Tag Team Title on the line.
(3/11) There were ominous clouds towards Kensuke's title defense against Norton, when today, in the main event, he suffered injured ribs from several of Frye's lethal punches. Despite the injury, Sasaki & Nagata defeated Frye & Rob Rage, the ace Northern Light bombing Rage for the win.
(3/14) Hall, Tenzan & Kojima defeated Kensuke, Nakanishi & Norton in a six man tag main event. The finish saw Nakanishi bomb Nagata accidentally with a lariat, allowing Tenzan to finish Nagata off with the TTD. Nakanishi and Nagata bickered about the miscommunication, the G-EGGS friends out of sorts going into their IWGP Heavyweight Title #1 Contender Match against each other at the Osaka Dome in April.
(3/15) Despite a win for G-EGGS over Choshu, Koshinaka & Makabe, there were still problems, and Nagata gave Nakanishi and Yoshie notice of upcoming reform in G-EGGS. Nagata said he would make Nakanishi "wake up" at the Osaka Dome.
(3/15) Muto & Hall handed Norton & Hall their first tag loss in the Kyoto main event, Muto pinning Hall with a Frankensteiner. Muto hinted that he would introduce the fifth member of his new faction on 3/17, the other four being himself, Frye, All Japan's Taiyo Kea, and Michinoku Pro's Jinsei Shinzaki.
(3/16) Kensuke's injury worries continued, when in today's main event he hurt his left knee badly, putting his title defense against Norton tomorrow in some doubt.
(3/17) IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, Minoru Tanaka, scored one of the biggest wins of his career, beating the mighty Liger for the first time in singles competition. Tanaka won a non-title match after 16 minutes, making the titan tap out to a cross armbreaker.
(3/17) Muto & Frye picked up their biggest win yet, beating IWGP Tag Team Champions, Tenzan & Kojima, in another non-title match. A severe fight lasting just over 20 minutes ended when Frye used a cross armbreaker on Kojima. Team 2000 launched an attack on the winners post-match, prompting a run-in from the fifth member of Muto's group... HIROSHI HASE! Making his first New Japan appearance in over five years, Hase returned home, taking out Team 2000 members with uranages! Hase promised complete support for Muto's faction, which Muto named Bad Ass Translate Trading (BATT), meaning a group of wrestlers that cross borders.
(3/17) In a major surprise, Scott Norton began his second reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion, ending Sasaki's V2 defense of the title he won at the Tokyo Dome in January. Norton caught the wounded Kensuke with a jumping lariat, shocking fans when he covered for the unchallenged win to become the 28th champion!
(3/18) A day after submitting Kojima in tag action, Frye today beat Tenzan in a singles match, scoring a rare pinfall win following a Diamond Cutter.
(3/18) After both losing to Norton & Hall when teaming with Kensuke, Nakanishi and Nagata teamed together and fell to the same team today. A disappointing tour for the G-EGGS stars continued when the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Norton, pinned Nakanishi after a Jackhammer.
(3/19) Kensuke continued to slump, when in six man tag competition, he was pinned by Tenzan. Tenzan dropped a diving headbutt on the ace, bouncing back from his loss to Frye yesterday.
(3/20) The new IWGP Jr. Tag Team Champions, Liger & Samurai, defeated technicians, Tanaka & Ka Shin, in a tag match. After Liger pinned Kashin, his upcoming Osaka Dome opponent, UFO's Kazunari Murakami, made an intrusion, the terrorist attacking Liger.
(3/20) After developing a feud with Hall on the tour and losing to him in tag competition, Nakanishi made short work of the nWo co-founder in their singles clash. Despite being injured, Nakanishi was able to lift the big man into an Argentine backbreaker for the win in under five minutes.
(3/20) Following the intermission, Antonio Inoki made an appearance, followed by ZERO-ONE's Shinya Hashimoto, Kazuyuki Fujita, and Tadao Yasuda. Inoki demanded that the 4/9 Osaka Dome card be changed into a New Japan vs. Inoki Army series. Kensuke and Nakanishi appeared at ringside, as did President Fujinami, and after words were exchanged, a card changed seemed inevitable.
(3/20) Muto & Frye suffered their first loss of the tour, losing to the 2000 G1 Tag League winners, Iizuka & Nagata. Muto held Iizuka from behind, but Iizuka used him to kip up and kick Frye into Nagata's clutches, the G-EGGS leader pinning Frye for the first time in his career with a backdrop hold! After beating the team that downed TenKoji, and beating TenKoji themselves in the G1 Tag League final, Iizuka & Nagata remained in top contention for an IWGP Tag Team Title shot.
(3/20) After defeating them in a tough non-title match on 2/18, Tenzan & Kojima made their V4 defense of the IWGP Tag Team Title against Choshu & Makabe. They promised to cut their hair if the match went over 10 minutes, but were able to beat Choshu and the upstart in 9 minutes, 37 seconds, when Kojima lariated Makabe. Following the match, they expressed interest in defending the belts against Muto & Frye
Back to: "FIGHTING SPIRIT 2001" (1/31/01 to 2/18/01)
Forward to: "EXCITING BATTLE IN NAEBA 2001" (3/23/01 to 3/24/01)
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