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"EXCITING BATTLE IN NAEBA 2003" saw New Japan return to the Prince Hotel Event Hall in the popular ski resort of Naeba. Breaking the norm of two shows in Naeba, just one was held this year. However, the third Naeba Cup Tag Tournament took place, again with a heavyweight/junior vs. heavyweight/junior theme.

NJPW "EXCITING BATTLE IN NAEBA 2003", 3/29/03 (SXW)
Naeba Prince Hotel Event Hall
700 Fans - Super No Vacancy

1. El Samurai beat Naofumi Yamamoto (6:34) with a diving headbutt.
2. Jado & Gedo beat Hiro Saito & Ryusuke Taguchi (8:35) when Jado used the Crossface of JADO on Taguchi.
3. Naeba Cup Tag Tournament - Semi Final: Yuji Nagata & Masahito Kakihara beat Takashi Iizuka & Jushin Thunder Liger (10:54) when Nagata used the Nagata Lock III on Liger.
4. Naeba Cup Tag Tournament - Semi Final: Manabu Nakanishi & Heat beat Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Koji Kanemoto (11:09) when Heat used a jackknife hold on Kanemoto.
5. Shinya Makabe beat Toru Yano (7:00) with a lariat.
6. Osamu Nishimura & Yutaka Yoshie beat Tatsutoshi Goto & Hiroshi Tanahashi (13:20) when Yoshie used a back blow on Goto.
7. Naeba Cup Tag Tournament - Final: Manabu Nakanishi & Heat beat Yuji Nagata & Masahito Kakihara (9:29) when Nakanishi used a front sleeper on Kakihara.

Points of note:

  • NK Gun, Nagata & Kakihara, reunited, defeating Iizuka & Liger in the first semi final match, when Nagata used his Nagata Lock III on Liger.

  • Last year's Naeba Cup winners, Tenzan & Kanemoto, were this year knocked out of the semi final round, falling to Nakanishi & Heat. Surprisingly, Heat pinned Kanemoto, cradling him with a jackknife hold for the win.

  • Nakanishi & Heat became the third Naeba Cup winners with a main event win over Nagata & Kakihara. Nakanishi, sporting a new skinhead, submitted Kakihara with a front sleeper, preparation continuing for his vale tudo fight against Kazuyuki Fujita at the Tokyo Dome.

    • Back to: "HYPER BATTLE 2003" (3/6/03 to 3/23/03)
    Forward to: "STRONG ENERGY 2003" (4/18/03 to 4/29/03)