Dom pays homage to Eddie, Nakamura shouts out Tanahashi at WWE Tokyo
Despite the country’s love of pro wrestling and the company’s increased international focus since becoming part of TKO, its been a while since WWE taped an episode of Raw or SmackDown from Japan, or streamed a premium live event from the island nation in the Pacific.
But they’re back for another house show tour, and the WWE live events from Japan always sound like special affairs. The first of two Supershows at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan was today (Oct. 17), and featured a couple cool moments we wanted to pass along.
Shinsuke Nakamura’s return on last Friday’s SmackDown in Perth wasn’t a total surprise, because we knew the former New Japan Pro-Wrestling star would be back for these shows in his home country.
After his match with Jey Uso (a defeat of Bron Breakker & Bronson Reed), Nakamura spoke to the crowd. He closed with his “Yea-Oh!” catchphrase, but also used a sign-off made famous by his fellow “new Three Musketeer” and long-time rival, Hiroshi Tanahashi — “Aishitemasu” — which in Japanese means “I love you”. Tanahashi will remain NJPW’s president, but is retiring from the ring after Wrestle Kingdom 20 in January.
Nakamura told the fans in Tokyo:
“Tokyo! WWE is back at [Sumo Hall] again this year. Are you having fun? Let’s have more fun than any other city in the world.
“Japan, I love you! Yea-OH!”
President Ace noticed, and replied on social media:
Huh? I thought I heard something…
Elsewhere on Friday’s Supershow, Dominik Mysterio lost his match with CM Punk, but kept his Intercontinental title thanks to DQ. We can probably guess the details around that, and we know there was a babyface moment in the ring to send the crowd home happy. But first, check out Dirty Dom wearing his Uncle (father?) Eddie Guerrero’s Black Tiger mask.
Eddie wrestled as the second Black Tiger in Japan, winning 1996’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament over names like Jushin Thunder Liger and Dean Malenko.
Oh yeah, that babyfaces send the crowd home happy stuff? It involved RhIYO, and Rhea Ripley’s non-stop revenge on El Sucio De Los Sucios for betraying her for Liv Morgan…
… and that was followed by CM Punk calling IYO SKY “the best wrestler in the world”…
Told you they were special shows.