Shingo Takagi defeats Hirooki Goto

New Beginning February 1: NEVER Openweight Championship

The Sapporo crowd seemed to favor Takagi and both men subtly acknowledged the fact. Like the last match, both men went for shoulder tackles and forearms followed by several evasions before Goto finally knocked Shingo to the ground with a shoulder tackle.

A few moments later, Shingo knocked Goto to the floor before heading out himself and sending Goto into the barricade. After slamming Goto down on the apron, Shingo hit a DDT on the floor for good measure. Back in the ring, Takagi connected with a double stomp before pulling Goto to his feet.

At the ten minute mark, Goto hit the Ushigoroshi and after both men lay on the canvas for a few moments, the two men got up and exchanged fists and suplexes. Shingo hit an avalanche Death Valley driver for a near fall and Goto answered with a sunset bomb from the top rope.

After a Pumping Bomber, Shingo Takagi got a near fall. A few moments later, Goto would headbutt Shingo several times with headbutts and then hit a Reverse GTR. Going for the GTR, Shingo countered to hit Made in Japan and then Last of the Dragon for the pinfall victory.

Shingo Takagi is the new NEVER champion.

Match Ratings

Six dimensions combine to make up the overall rating. Matches score ratings of 1-10 only if the match lasts for a minimum of 5 minutes.

1. Match Quality– Was the match well wrestled or sloppy?
2. Audience Engagement– Did the live audience care about the match?
3. Competitiveness– Was the match competitive or one-sided?
4. Stakes – Did the match matter?
5. Finish– Did the match end in a satisfying manner?
6. Performance: (1) Poor (2) Below Average (3) Average (4) Above Average (5) Excellent