Hiroshi Tanahashi's return after a two month injury absence overshadowed the opening round of G1 Tag League matches today. Tanahashi teamed with GBH duo Makabe & Honma against CHAOS' three top natives, Nakamura, Yano & Iizuka, en route to the Nakamura vs. Tanahashi super-ideology showdown at Sumo Hall. Nakamura drew first blood (or second blood if you will, having put Tanahashi on the shelf) and downed Honma with his Boma Ye. The pick of the opening round of G1 Tag League matches saw Bernard & Anderson beat Chono & AKIRA by reviving Bernard & Tomko's old finisher, the Magic Killer. Masato Tanaka & Ishii also made a good start by beating Goto & Okada in what also served as a build-up to Goto vs. Tanaka at Sumo Hall. Finally, Jado & Gedo earned some revenge for a series of losses to Apollo 55 on the last tour by beating them when Gedo cradled Devitt for the early points. NJPW, 10/17/09 (SXW)
Asukaru Satte Sakura Hall
1,200 Fans - No Vacancy
1. Tiger Mask & Nobuo Yoshihashi
beat Koji Kanemoto & Taichi
(8:58) when Tiger used a chickenwing facelock on Yoshihashi.
2.
G1 Tag League - Block B: Jado & Gedo [2]
beat Ryusuke Taguchi & Prince Devitt [0]
(13:23) when Gedo used the Gedo clutch on Devitt.
3. Riki Choshu, Manabu Nakanishi & Takao Omori
beat Yuji Nagata, Wataru Inoue & Mitsuhide Hirasawa
(14:14) when Nakanishi used an Argentine backbreaker on Hirasawa.
4.
G1 Tag League - Block A: Masato Tanaka
& Tomohiro Ishii [2]
beat Hirooki Goto & Kazuchika Okada [0]
(12:00) when Tanaka used the Sliding D on Okada.
5.
G1 Tag League - Block B: Giant Bernard & Karl Anderson [2]
beat Masahiro Chono & AKIRA [0]
(8:45) when Bernard pinned AKIRA after the Magic Killer.
6.
Hiroshi Tanahashi Return Match: Shinsuke Nakamura, Toru Yano & Takashi Iizuka
beat Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
(15:42) when Nakamura used the Boma Ye on Honma.