Welcome to our Wrestle Kingdom 9 live coverage.

Our coverage is going to be from the US version of the show with Matt Striker and Jim Ross on the mics. As a New Japan Pro Wrestling novice, bear with me as I try to describe the action.

After a five minute video package, good ol’ JR comes through the speakers.

1. Young Bucks Vs Forever Hooligans Vs Time Splitters Vs reDRagon

What a way to start the show. It was hard to get used to early on because the tags were frequent and it was nothing but multiple guys in the ring. But once it picked up, it picked up awesomely. Tons of multiple man moves including the Bucks hitting the Meltzer Driver. Fish and O’Reilly won when O’Reilly pinned Koslov with the Chasing The Dragon.

Here’s the Meltzer Driver:

Meltzer Driver from The Young Bucks! #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/2Kz9LxXT3f

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Winners: reDragon

2. Bad Luck Fale, Jeff Jarrett and Yujiro Takahashi Vs Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma

Karen Jarrett came out with Jeff. She also distracted the ref as part of the finish, which saw Jarrett grab the guitar and try to hit Honma. Honma moved and Jarrett hit Takahashi with the guitar. Honma hit Takahashi with the headbutt off the top rope for the win.

Winners: Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima and Tomoaki Honma

3. Mikey Nicholls, Naomichi Marufuji, Shane Haste and Toru Yano Vs Suzukigun (Davey Boy Smith, Jr., Lance Archer, Shelton X Benjamin and Takashi Iizuka)

Marufuji won the match with a Tiger Uppercut Kneelift according to Matt Striker. He pinned Iizuka who brought a chain in earlier.

Shelton Benjamin hit his leap up to the top rope and suplex from the top on Marufuji and sent him almost all the way across the ring earlier in the match.

Shelton leaps up top and hits a big suplex on Marufuji #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/z92soovmZt

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Winner: Mikey Nicholls, Naomichi Marufuji, Shane Haste and Toru Yano

4. Minoru Suzuki Vs Kazushi Sakuraba

The match is UWFI rules so it can only end in a submission or knockout (10 count).

Suzuki held his arm early to tease the referee stoppage from a kimura/double wrist lock. Sakuraba is drilling him with kicks to the chest. Sakuraba put the submission on again and Suzuki looked to be tapping with his feet, but it didn’t count. Sakuraba kept kicking the arm, Suzuki caught his leg and slapped him right in the face. Suzuki locked in the rear naked choke and Sakuraba passed out in the choke.

Winner: Minoru Suzuki

5. Togi Makabe Vs Tomohiro Ishii

This is for Ishii’s NEVER Openweight title.

It’s a chop slap-fest early on. Ishii chopped Makabe right in the neck.

Ishii chops Makabe in the freaking neck #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/POgPQEg82T

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Ishii did a delayed superplex that was sweet. He then took a German right on the back of his head and bad shoulder. Makabe did a nasty Samoan drop from the second rope. Ishii was trying a comeback, but his kick was blocked. Then he ate a lariat and kicked out at one. He’s ridiculous. He gave Makabe a German and Makabe got right up, but ate a lariat.

Makabe pulled out a Dragon suplex for a 2 1/2 count. Makabe with three sledgehammer blows to the chest gets only a one count. Makabe gets the win with a knee drop on the bad shoulder. Insane.

Winner: Togi Makabe

6. Kenny Omega Vs Ryusuke Taguchi

This was a bit of a comedown from the previous match, but was still good stuff. Taguchi channels his inner Guerrero. There were some really cool spots like Omega trying a running powerbomb into the turnbuckle, but Taguchi turning it into a huracanrana, sending Omega into the buckles.

Omega won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title with the One Winged Angel.

'The Cleaner' Kenny Omega hits the One Winged Angel to become new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion! #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/CtD7M5toSp

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Winner: Kenny Omega

7. Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata Vs Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson

Goto and Shibata are the new champs. Shibata hit the penalty kick on Gallows to win the match after they did a double GTS. It was a pretty good match for just 9 minutes of time.

Winner: Hirooki Goto and Katsuyori Shibata

That leaves us with just under two hours for three matches.

8. AJ Styles Vs Tetsuya Naito

Naito’s sold his right knee which was taped, throughout. It even changed the way he did some moves. Styles maneuvered a scramble into the calf killer. AJ hit (or missed based on the camera angle) the Pele kick and then the Bloody Sunday DDT that Striker reminded us was adopted from Fergal Devitt. He went for the Styles Clash and was dumped over the top rope. Naito had Styles perched on the top rope and looked to do a Frankensteiner off the top, but Styles hit the Styles Clash from the top to win the match. Crazy finish.

AJ Styles defeats Tetsuya Naito with a Styles Clash off the middle rope! #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/6aZ4XjNir2

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Winner: AJ Styles

Styles is probably getting the next title shot.

9. Kota Ibushi Vs Shinsuke Nakamura

Early in, Ibushi is trying to avoid Nakamura’s kicks.

Best move of the match so far; Nakamura was outside the ring and Ibushi ran across the ring, jumped on the top rope and did a moonsault onto the floor.

Huge moonsault to the floor from Kota Ibushi! #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/61xlynieq9

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Ibushi is punishing him. He kicked Nakamura in the back of the ear and nearly knocked him out. He put him in the Last Ride for a 2 1/2 count. Nakamura bumped the ref and Ibushi threw a right hand that Nakamura turned into an arm bar. Striker expected the referee to be out a bit, but he was right there to call the action. Ibushi gave him his own move, setting up the running knee and blasting him. Nakamura kicked out at one.

Nakamura came back to win the match. Ibushi did a slingshot German suplex from the outside back in the ring. Nakamura hit a knee off the top to the back of Ibushi’s head, but Ibushi smiled and got up. Nakamura hit a Boma Ye to win the match and keep the Intercontinental strap.

Winner: Shinsuke Nakamura

They have just over an hour left on the PPV.

10. Kazuchika Ozada Vs Hiroshi Tanahashi

Ross and Striker are teasing Tanahashi’s injuries. Match went to the outside fairly quickly. Okada with the Randy Orton draping DDT to the floor and then a nasty brainbuster.

Okada has much of the match early on. JR keeps playing it up as Tanahashi knows it might just not be his night. Tanahashi had a couple of hope spots but missed the High Fly Flow.

Out of the ring, Okada threw Tanahashi into the railing. Okada ran toward him, but Tanahashi drop kicked his knees and he did a flip over the railing. Tanahashi went to the top and did the High Fly Flow to a standing Okada. It didn’t look like he was going to make it, but he cleared it easily.

Tanahashi leaps off the top-rope and over the guardrail to hit a huge High Fly Flow!! #NJWK9 pic.twitter.com/O6QaeT6oUm

— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) January 4, 2015

Back in the ring, Okada went for a tombstone but it got reversed and Tanahashi hit it. He then hit the High Fly Flow on his back and then on his stomach and Okada kicked out at 2 3/4.

Tanahashi was mocking Okada and did the Rainmaker pose. Then he went for the Rainmaker clothesline, but missed, and Okada hit it for a two count.

They traded suplexes and Okada finally hits his dropkick. Tanahashi has done dragon screws on both knees of Okada. He hit another High Fly Flow while Okada was sitting. Then hit it again to win the match and keep the IWGP Heavyweight strap.

Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi

I think the Intercontinental title match was better, but the main event was also excellent.

Okada left the ring limping and with tears.

Tanahashi cut a promo and then did his air guitar routine.

Tanahashi "Okada! Okada! How do you feel right now? I'll tell you one thing, so listen closely. IWGP is still so far away from you."

— PuroresuShop.com (@puro_yottsume) January 4, 2015

Tanahashi "Thank you for staying with us until the end of the show! 2015, NJPW will evolve even more. We won't stop! Thank you all!"

— PuroresuShop.com (@puro_yottsume) January 4, 2015