#69: Taichi vs. Tama Tonga, NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (5/3/2021).
This is the Iron Fingers from Hell Ladder Match, with Takashi Iizuka's signature Iron Fingers hanging above the ring inside of a plastic tote bag.
This is one that I have heard nothing but bad things about. It's only the second Ladder Match that New Japan Pro Wrestling has ever done, following the IWGP Intercontinental Championship match between Kenny Omega and Michael Elgin at Dominion in June of 2016.
Taichi, along with Zack Sabre, Jr., have been feuding with Tama Tonga, along with his brother Tanga Loa in the Guerrillas of Destiny, over the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. Before this, ZSJ defeated Loa to earn the Dangerous Tekkers another shot at the titles. Here, Taichi and Tama were fighting over the Iron Fingers gifted to Taichi by Iizuka, a man Taichi is very fond of and respects greatly.
The Iron Fingers are placed inside of a plastic bag, and raised above the Ring. They throw bombs to start things out. Taichi with his trademark kicks, and Tama with punches.
Big lariat from Taichi drops Tama. Taichi with the Greco Roman choke - it's legal - and Tama tries to fight out of it. He escapes and backs away. They stand off across the Ring from the other, and then both leave to grab the first ladders of the match. These ladders are...smaller than your standard Wrestling ladder.
They circle the Ring, ladder in hand, staring a hole in the other. They enter the ring, and smash their ladder into the other. Taichi gets the upper hand by smashing his ladder into Tama's hand, but Tama counters with a dropkick to Taichi's ladder.
Tama sets the ladder up and makes the climb. He's touching the bag, but he's not high enough to pull it down! These ladders really are small. Tama places the ladder against the corner, and punches Taichi in the midsection. He tries to Irish whip Taichi into the ladder, but Taichi rakes his eyes. Tama is still able to send him crashing into the ladder in the corner.
Tama stands Taichi up against the ladder, and hits a high Stinger Splash that crushes him. Tama goes for a cover, but the ref reminds him that this is a ladder Match. Taichi blocks another splash and sends Tama back first into an adjacent ladder.
With Tama on the outside, Taichi kicks all of the ladders out of the Ring. Questionable strategy, yeah? Taichi unscrews one of the ladders and lays it long way onto the apron and the steel barricade. Taichi goes to Suplex Tama onto the ladder, but Jado tries to distract him. It works, and Tama gets back in the lead now.
Tama tries to toss a ladder at Taichi, but DOUKI intervenes and gets decked for it. 10 minutes in, and it feels like nothing has really happened. Taichi sends a ladder into Tama's face next. Taichi grabs one of the big boys at ringside and brings it into the Ring. He sets it up, and even the ref is floored by how tall it is.
Taichi makes the climb, and Tama is in to stop his travels. Tama with the old back rake!! Taichi elbows Tama to the mat, then dives at Tama, who catches him with a Gun Stun. Now Tama makes the long climb up.
Oh, here's DOUKI with a springboard Shotgun dropkick to take Tama off the ladder. DOUKI fucking rules. Jado is in the Ring, and he fucking decks DOUKI in the head with a kendo stick. He pulls trainer's tape from his shorts, and now he's taping Taichi's wrist to the barricade. Toru Yano called, and he wants you to not steal his gimmick!
Tama realizes that Taichi is hindered, so instead of climbing the ladder and winning the match, he resorts to punching Taichi more. Tama returns to the Ring and nearly pushes the ladder onto the ref. He starts his climb up. Here is Zack Sabre, Jr.! He pushes the ladder over, sending Tama into the ropes. He takes Jado out next.
This match reminds me that I miss Dangerous Tekkers. They had some unreal chemistry together.
Taichi is freed from his tape prison, and he begins his ascent. Here comes Tanga Loa, who takes Zack out, and then Taichi. Hey, maybe Tanga will lowblow someone and hit Tama's skull like he did at Money in the Bank recently!
Tanga looks to do something to Taichi, but Zack is in to stop him. Tanga hits a Samoan Piledriver on Zack, then a short arm lariat to Taichi. He goes for a powerbomb, but DOUKI makes the save. He tries for a hurricanrana, but Tanga catches it and sends him through that laying ladder outside with a powerbomb.
Have you picked up on the best spots of this match involving ones not actually in the match?
Tama and Tanga, the Guerrillas of Destiny, set Taichi up for Magic Killer, but Taichi kicks his way out of it, infusing some of that Toshiaki Kawada anger in each shot. Taichi rips his pants off, and gets caned by Jado. But Taichi just eats it, then lightly tosses Jado ass first onto a ladder.
Taichi sets the ladder back up. He begins his long climb, and Tama is back in. He grabs Taichi, who responds with a chokeslam off the ladder. Taichi climbs up once again, and Tama grabs another ladder and smashes it against Taichi's back, then swings it like a hammer into Taichi's head.
Tama looks for a table under the Ring. DOUKI is still dead outside. Tama sets the table, but Taichi doesn't give a fuck because he's climbing still. Tama grabs Taichi from the ladder and attempts a powerbomb, but Taichi punches his way free.
Tama climbs the opposite side, and both men exchange in fisticuffs. Taichi rakes the eyes and touches the bag. Tama bites him, and grabs the bag. They continue to fight, and now Tama goes for the Gun Stun, but Taichi blocks it and sends Tama flying off the ladder, through the table.
Taichi stares up, and takes an extra step up. He grabs the fingers from the bag, and wins. To his credit, Taichi sells this like it's a big deal to him.
Hmm...what an odd match, yeah? Just over 5 minutes in, it felt like it was being stretched out needlessly to feel epic. Did that work? It did not. This match, with the stakes being, well, what they were, did not need to go almost a half hour. It dragged a lot throughout. The work wasn't bad, but it also felt uninspired, and through the motions.
What's bad is that the best parts of this match are the moments involving Jado, DOUKI and Zack Sabre, Jr. - people who weren't offically in the match! I love the cane shot to DOUKI, as I did the springboard kick DOUKI gave to Tama. And Zack...well, I just love anything that man does. The first real highlight of the actual match was when Tama swung the ladder like a hammer against Taichi on the ladder. That looked stiff as hell.
Other than that, nothing really stands out as memorable. Again, not bad work per say. But there is no reason you need to see this more than once. You have to see it at least once, just to laugh at how out of place it seems in a New Japan ring. Other than that, you'd be better off skipping straight to the main event of this show, the NEVER Openweight Championship match between Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jay White. It's way better.