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[Complete Results]
"HYPER BATTLE 2003" continued a hectic start to the year for New Japan, with one of it's most stacked tours in a long time. No less than SIX titles were on the line in March, the IWGP4, along with Yoshihiro Takayama's NWF Heavyweight Title, and Jushin Thunder Liger & Takehiro Murahama's Osaka Pro Tag Team Title. It was a long time coming, but finally, generation rivals and close friends, Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi, fought over the IWGP Heavyweight Title, headlining a major convention in Nagoya on 3/9. Chono's bitter feud with Shinya Makabe would continue, with much bloodshed, and an IWGP Tag Team Title match involving the two, also in Nagoya. Besides the title matches, more features were on offer throughout the series. Hiroshi Tanahashi's proposal of an "under 30" tournament became a reality, when ten young wrestlers competed in the first ever G2 U-30 Climax, separated into two blocks of five, with the group stage contested throughout the tour. The winner of the entire tournament would gain entry into August's prestigious G1 Climax. After revealing himself as Mitsuya Nagai on 2/16, Makai #5 would wage war with the man who's career he almost ended in June, 2001, Takashi Iizuka, in a three match singles series. The Crazy Dogs' new recruit, popular vale tudo fighter Enson Inoue, would debut for New Japan with three appearances on the tour, aiding Hiro, Goto, and Ohara against the diabolical Makai Club in a series of matches. Kengo Kimura, one of the few members of New Japan's old guard still active, would begin his "Kengo Kimura Inazuma Countdown" series in March, counting down to his retirement at Korakuen Hall in April.
Foreign participation:
Dan Devine: All shows
Rick Steiner: 3/11 to 3/23
Scott Norton: All shows
American Dragon: All shows
Stampede Kid: All shows
Special participation:
Enson Inoue (Crazy Dogs): 3/9, 3/21 & 3/23
Michiyoshi Ohara (Crazy Dogs): All shows
Yoshihiro Takayama: 3/6, 3/8, 3/9 & 3/23
AKIRA: All shows
Minoru Fujita (Kaientai Dojo): 3/6, 3/7, 3/9 to 3/14, 3/16 to 3/20, 3/23
Takehiro Murahama (Osaka Pro): 3/21 only
Tiger Mask: 3/6 to 3/8, 3/11 & 3/12
G2 U-30 Climax 2003 scoring system: Win (2 points), draw (1 point), loss (0 points)
Block A:
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi
2. Masahito Kakihara
3. Shinya Makabe
4. Makai #2
5. Dan Devine
Block B:
1. Yutaka Yoshie
2. Blue Wolf
3. Toru Yano
4. Makai #4
5. Minoru Fujita
Points of note:
(3/6) A ten count gong was held in memory of the late Michiaki Yoshimura before the show, and silent prayer by the wrestlers was offered.
(3/6) In a battle of former friends and All Asia Tag Team Title co-holders, Makai #5 (Mitsuya Nagai) and Kakihara, #5 was triumphant, using his Makai sleeper for the submission win.
(3/6) AKIRA & Heat became number one contenders for Kanemoto & Liger's IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title with a win over former champions, Jado & Gedo. After AKIRA pinned Liger and Heat pinned Kanemoto on 2/16 in the big Elimination Match, anticipation for their 3/9 tag meeting became heavy.
(3/6) The biggest group stage match of the U-30 was also the first, Tanahashi and Makabe clashing. Tanahashi, who declared "Makabe will be erased in the first match", was unable to live up to those words, falling to a Fisherman buster and starting slowly.
(3/6) Nagata controlled the first preliminary skirmish against Nakanishi leading into their IWGP Heavyweight Title match on 3/9, he, Iizuka, and Blue Wolf defeating Triathlon Survivor champions, Nakanishi, Nishimura & Yoshie, when Nagata submitted Nishimura.
(3/7) Kengo Kimura's "Inazuma Countdown" began with he and a man who also utilizes his famous Inazuma leg lariat, Kakihara, defeating Nishimura & Samurai. Fittingly, Kengo struck Samurai with the Inazuma leg lariat for the win.
(3/7) Dan Devine began his U-30 campaign with a win, the American pinning Makai #2 in a hard fought match after a double-arm screw suplex.
(3/7) Chono & Tenzan defeated Norton & Makabe in an important preliminary skirmish to the upcoming IWGP Tag Team Title match. The champions struck Makabe into bloodshed hell, the young warrior gushing blood at a frightening rate before succumbing to Tenzan's TTD. Norton abandoned Makabe early in the match, forcing him to fight alone, and despite a spirited fight, he was destroyed. Chono warned that he and Tenzan would destroy Takayama's face when they met in Nagoya.
(3/7) There was more bloodshed in the main event, which pitted Nagata & Wolf against Nakanishi & Tanahashi in a thriller. A high kick from Nagata cut Nakanishi open, but Nakanishi led his new team with Tanahashi to victory when he pinned Wolf with a German suplex hold, getting an important lead-in win to his IWGP challenge.
(3/8) Kengo's retirement countdown continued when he and Nishimura scored a win over Hiro & Goto, Nishimura pinning Goto.
(3/8) Blue Wolf started well in the U-30, pinning Yano in a difficult match that lasted close to 10 minutes.
(3/8) IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Nagata, and NWF Heavyweight Champion, Takayama, made short work of separate opponents in back to back singles matches. Nagata used his new Nagata Lock III to beat Devine, while Takayama put away Makai #1 with his "Everest" German suplex hold in under 5 minutes.
(3/9) Kengo suffered the first defeat of his retirement countdown, teaming with young Yano in a losing effort against Nishimura & Samurai.
(3/9) Makai #4 scored a slight upset in Block B of the U-30, submitting Blue Wolf with a chickenwing hold to score his first points.
(3/9) Chapter one of the Iizuka vs. Makai #5 series appeared to be over before it truly began, the two fighting to a double countout in just 54 seconds. The match was restarted, and #5 quickly sunk Iizuka with a high kick, defeating him by TKO in just 26 seconds! A terrible start for Iizuka against the man he sought to destroy.
(3/9) Enson Inoue made his New Japan debut, joining up with Crazy Dogs members, Hiro, Goto, and Ohara, against the Makai Club force of Yasuda, Murakami, Yanagisawa & Makai #1. The match degenerated into an uncontrollable brawl, leading to a no contest decision. Enson choked out President Hoshino, sending him to hospital and ruling him out of action for around two weeks.
(3/9) Kanemoto & Liger, the seemingly invincible IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions, made a brilliant V1 defense of their belts, fending off a strong challenge from AKIRA & Heat. The match, which exceeded 18 minutes in length, came to a close when Kanemoto used a flying reverse cradle on Heat.
(3/9) Chono & Tenzan made a successful V6 defense of their IWGP Tag Team Title, the undeniable tag aces of New Japan defeating Takayama & Makabe in a physical, grueling 17 1/2 minute match. "Bloodshed King" Makabe again wore the crimson mask, and despite a spirited challenge, fell to a Chono tackle. The win tied Chono & Tenzan with Hashimoto & Hirata and Tenzan & Kojima as the most successful IWGP Tag Team Champions of all time, with six defenses.
(3/9) Generation rivals, Nagata and Nakanishi, met for the IWGP Heavyweight Title before a packed house of 10,500 fans in Nagoya. The two waged a desperate struggle, an epic war in which their equality was displayed more than ever before. For an hour, they traded offense, but neither was able to keep the other down. Despite a great challenge, Nakanishi wasn't quite able to capture the belt, the two fighting to a 60 minute draw. As a result of this defense, Nagata equalled Shinya Hashimoto's defense record of nine defenses, and the record-breaking V10 defense was in sight. Despite high tension between the two leading into the match, Nagata and Nakanishi hugged and shook hands, their respect high, and a hot crowd cheered their grand effort.
(3/11) The man who thwarted Minoru Fujita's invasion last year, Yoshie, again defeated the Kaientai Dojo punk, pinning him in their U-30 Block B clash.
(3/11) Makabe remained undefeated in the U-30 with a win over Devine. Makabe lariated Devine to pick up his fourth point, and bounced back well after his failed attempt to win the IWGP Tag Team Title in Nagoya.
(3/12) Kengo & Yano were again defeated in Kengo's retirement countdown, losing to Nishimura & Yoshie, when Nishimura pinned Yano with a backslide.
(3/12) Tanahashi scored his first U-30 win, fending off Kakihara's challenge, and pinning him with a German suplex hold.
(3/12) Makabe's rampage hit an unexpected hurdle, when he was upset by Makai #2. Makabe was negligent to #2's ability, and was beaten suddenly by a backslide.
(3/12) In a New Japan vs. Makai Club six man tag match, Yasuda surprisingly took the fall from opposing team leader, Chono, submitting him with a front sleeper.
(3/14) Kengo bounced back after some losses in his retirement countdown, teaming with Samurai to defeat Nishimura & Taguchi.
(3/14) Yano scored perhaps the biggest win of his career to date, surprisingly beating Fujita in the U-30. The young prospect showed superior power, and forced a submission out of Fujita with a Canadian backbreaker.
(3/14) Devine managed his second U-30 win, avenging his loss to Kakihara last summer by pinning the struggling junior.
(3/14) In the main event, Chono, Nakanishi & Tanahashi defeated Norton, Steiner & Makabe when Tanahashi debuted the Dragon suplex hold taught to him by Tatsumi Fujinami, to pin Makabe for the first time in his career.
(3/16) Yoshie's U-30 campaign remained positive when he pinned Makai #4 following a diving body press.
(3/16) After forcing Hoshino out of the Makai Club recently, Yasuda's sudden rampage continued, when he, Murakami, and Makai #5 defeated Tenzan, Nakanishi & Tanahashi. The big story was again Yasuda putting away an opposing team leader, as he slightly avenged his two recent direct IWGP Tag Team Title match losses to Tenzan by pinning him.
(3/16) G1 Tag League 2000 winners, Nagata & Iizuka, reunited and wrestled their first match as a tag team together since 6/1/01, defeating the American duo of Norton & Devine in the main event.
(3/17) Yoshie made it three successive victories in the U-30, continuing to control Block B when he pinned Yano.
(3/17) Tanahashi was held to a draw by Makai #2, the two fighting to the 20 minute time limit. Tanahashi remained a point ahead of #2, but still found himself struggling for sustained success.
(3/17) Two recently reunited teams went at it, with Nagata & Iizuka facing Goto & Ohara. Nagata & Iizuka won a close match, Nagata submitting Goto with the Nagata Lock III.
(3/17) Yasuda's onslaught gathered steam when he and Murakami defeated Gotch-ism, Nakanishi & Nishimura. Yasuda completed successive victories over the three men considered as the next IWGP Heavyweight Title challenger along with him, pinning Nakanishi following a Tiger Driver.
(3/18) In a rematch from 3/8, Kengo & Nishimura again defeated Hiro & Goto, Kengo pinning Hiro with an inside cradle, and scoring another win in his ongoing countdown.
(3/18) Fujita remained winless in the U-30 when he fell to a Blue Wolf lariat, the young phenom landing his second win.
(3/18) Kakihara obtained his much needed first win in the U-30, restoring some pride with a win over Makai #2.
(3/20) The second ten count gong of the tour was held, when wrestlers and fans in Kumagaya mourned the passing of Hiromichi "Kodo" Fuyuki. Chono talked about how much Fuyuki loved wrestling, and promised to dispatch Fuyuki's old friends, Jado & Gedo, to WEW's 5/5 Kawasaki Stadium convention.
(3/20) Makai #4 went equal on points with Blue Wolf in Block B of the U-30, following a win over Yano.
(3/20) Makabe secured his semi final place with a dominant 6 minute victory over Kakihara, the former junior pinning the present junior after a Fisherman buster.
(3/21) Yoshie completed a flawless group stage campaign in the U-30, pinning Wolf to finish 4-0 in Block B.
(3/21) Liger & Takehiro Murahama made a successful V1 defense of their Osaka Pro Tag Team Title when they defeated two of Osaka's top stars, Gamma & Billy Ken Kid. The fans in Yoyogi were charmed by the unique style, and watched as Liger used a brainbuster on BKK for the win.
(3/21) PRIDE GP Champion, Mark Coleman, appeared following intermission and challenged Nagata to a match. With two previous wins over Nagata, one in a tag on Antonio Inoki's 12/31/00 show (Iizuka & Nagata vs. Coleman & Kerr), and then in a singles match at the Sapporo Dome on 7/20/01, Coleman showed great interest in facing the New Japan ace again.
(3/21) Also after intermission, Dolgorsuren Sumiyabazar, the older brother of Blue Wolf and Blue Dragon, appeared in the ring, and announced formally that he would fight Tsuyoshi Kosaka at the Tokyo Dome on 5/2.
(3/21) Enson Inoue returned for his second New Japan match, teaming with Goto and Ohara against Yasuda, Murakami & Makai #1. Yasuda pinned Goto in little over 3 1/2 minutes following a Tiger Driver, after assistance from the returning Hoshino, who seemed back on good terms with Yasuda. Enson held Hoshino in a full nelson though, and Chono appeared with a Yakuza kick to the "governor", sending him back to hospital!
(3/21) Iizuka finally defeated Makai #5, their second match another short, but heated struggle. Iizuka choked Nagai out with his sleeper hold, and the two went 1-1, making their upcoming 3/23 bout an important conclusion match.
(3/21) New Japan triumphed again over the Makai Club, when Tenzan made short work of Makai #4, spiking him with the TTD.
(3/21) After waging war throughout the series, Chono and Makabe finally met in a singles match. It was disappointingly short though, Chono cradling Makabe in exactly 2 1/2 minutes after dodging a lariat. Chono took the microphone and revealed that he was in serious talks to face NOAH's GHC Heavyweight Champion, Kenta Kobashi, in a dream match at the Tokyo Dome on 5/2!
(3/22) Tanahashi scraped through to the U-30 semi final round with a hard fought win over Devine. Tanahashi moved above Devine after pinning him with a Dragon suplex hold, and finished in second place in Block A.
(3/22) Kengo's countdown approached it's conclusion with a big tag match in Hamamatsu. He and Chono defeated Yasuda & Makai #1, an Inazuma leg lariat finishing off #1.
(3/23) Fujita, after no prior success in the U-30, scored a big win over Makai #4 in the final group stage match. This loss denied #4 direct qualification to the semi final round, and forced a playoff with Blue Wolf on the next series.
(3/23) The final tag match of Kengo's career was another success, he and Samurai defeating Nishimura & Kakihara. The master of Inazuma, Kengo, used the Inazuma leg lariat to pin a man who inherited the technique, Kakihara, and that left just one match in April for the veteran.
(3/23) Makai #5 appeared without the mask, and finally, it was Takashi Iizuka vs. Mitsuya Nagai, with no veiled identities. In their third, final, and toughest battle on the tour, Iizuka defeated Nagai with a standing heel hold, finally avenging the pain inflicted on him by the Makai Club fiend. However, tensions were still high after the match, and this bitter feud was clearly not concluded in Amagasaki.
(3/23) Enson's third match was another short one, he and Ohara beating Yasuda & Murakami in 61 seconds by DQ, when Murakami punched the referee. Hoshino ran in after the match, and declared that he was president of the Makai Club again, and would bring a strong new member of the army to New Japan for the 5/2 Tokyo Dome show.
(3/23) Six of New Japan's most talented wrestlers squared off in an exciting match. Chono, Nakanishi & Tanahashi overcame Nagata, Tenzan & Wolf, Nakanishi racking Wolf in an Argentine backbreaker for the submission win. Nakanishi grasped the microphone, and publically accepted Kazuyuki Fujita's challenge for a match at the Tokyo Dome in May!
(3/23) Kanemoto's dominance of the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title continued when he made a successful V6 defense of the title, defeating AKIRA. AKIRA gave Kanemoto a great fight in an outstanding match, but Kanemoto submitted him with a leglock. Kanemoto listed several names as his V7 opponent on 4/23 in Hiroshima, including his ally, Liger, who's V8 defense record he now had in sight.
(3/23) Towers collided when Takayama made his V2 defense of the NWF Heavyweight Title against gaijin ace, Scott Norton, in the final match of a loaded tour. Their huge frames clashed, drawing gasps of awe from the crowd, who watched the two wage an incredibly physical war. Takayama overcame New Japan's strongest foreigner, pinning him after a knee kick. Yasuda, Nagata's next challenger for the IWGP Heavyweight Title, interfered after the match, and the possibility of an IWGP/NWF unification match at the Tokyo Dome in May, with Takayama taking on either Nagata or Yasuda, became large.
Miscellaneous:
The final standings of the 2003 G1 U-30 Climax group stage looked as follows,
Block A:
1. Shinya Makabe [6]
2. Hiroshi Tanahashi [5]
3. Dan Devine [4]
4. Makai #2 [3]
5. Masahito Kakihara [2]
Block B:
1. Yutaka Yoshie [8]
2. Makai #4 [4]
3. Blue Wolf [4]
4. Toru Yano [2]
5. Minoru Fujita [2]
Block B Semi Finalist Decision Match: Blue Wolf vs. Makai #4 (4/18/03 at Tokyo Korakuen Hall)
Semi Final: Shinya Makabe vs. Winner of Wolf/Makai #4 (4/18/03 at Tokyo Korakuen Hall)
Semi Final: Yutaka Yoshie vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi (4/18/03 at Tokyo Korakuen Hall)
Final: Winner of Makabe vs. Wolf/Makai #4 vs. Winner of Yoshie vs. Tanahashi (4/23/03 at Hiroshima Sun Plaza)
Kengo Kimura wrestled eight of his scheduled nine "Kengo Kimura Inazuma Countdown" matches on the tour, with an impressive 6-2 record. Only one match was left, and that would kick off the April series at Korakuen Hall.
- Kengo Kimura & Masahito Kakihara beat Osamu Nishimura & El Samurai (7:27) when Kimura used an Inazuma leg lariat on Samurai.
- Kengo Kimura & Osamu Nishimura beat Hiro Saito & Tatsutoshi Goto (11:01) when Nishimura used a ground Cobra Twist on Hiro.
- Osamu Nishimura & El Samurai beat Kengo Kimura & Toru Yano (10:02) when Nishimura used a Cobra Twist on Yano.
- Osamu Nishimura & Yutaka Yoshie beat Kengo Kimura & Toru Yano (11:37) when Nishimura used a backslide on Yano.
- Kengo Kimura & El Samurai beat Osamu Nishimura & Ryusuke Taguchi (10:41) when Kimura used an Inazuma leg lariat on Taguchi.
- Kengo Kimura & Osamu Nishimura beat Hiro Saito & Tatsutoshi Goto (11:50) when Kimura used an inside cradle on Hiro.
- Masahiro Chono & Kengo Kimura beat Tadao Yasuda & Makai #1 (8:50) when Kimura used an Inazuma leg lariat on Makai #1.
- Kengo Kimura & El Samurai beat Osamu Nishimura & Masahito Kakihara (9:31) when Kimura used an Inazuma leg lariat on Kakihara.
Although titled "Conclusion!", the Takashi Iizuka vs. Mitsuya "Makai #5" Nagai conflict wasn't settled on this tour. Despite that, Iizuka won the three match series 2-1, and forced Makai Club president, Kantaro Hoshino, to recruit Ken Shamrock following the tour as Iizuka's 5/2 Tokyo Dome opponent, in an attempt to thwart Iizuka's rampage against Makai.
- Makai #5 beat Takashi Iizuka (0:26) by TKO.
- Takashi Iizuka beat Makai #5 (3:21) by referee stop.
- Takashi Iizuka beat Mitsuya Nagai (Makai #5) (8:02) with a standing heel hold.
Back to: "FIGHTING SPIRIT 2003" (1/30/03 to 2/16/03)
Forward to: "EXCITING BATTLE IN NAEBA 2003" (3/29/03)
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