Scott Norton drops IWGP title

By JOHN F. MOLINARO -- SLAM! Wrestling
Scott Norton lost the I.W.G.P. World heavyweight title to Kazuyuki Fujita at New Japan Pro Wrestling's "Strong Style 2001" show today in Osaka, Japan.

A crowd of 27,000 fans at the Osaka Dome watched on as Fujita defeated Norton in 6:43 by submission via a choke sleeper.

Fujita, a former New Japan regular, is currently competing in PRIDE, a mixed-martial arts promotion in Japan. Norton captured the title last month in Nagoya, Japan when he defeated Kensuke Sasaki.

The main event for the show pitted former three-time IWGP World champion and star for the Zero One promotion Shinya Hashimoto against New Japan's Kensuke Sasaki in a "no rules" match. Hashimoto defeated Sasaki in 7:52 b TKO following a series of stiff kicks.

"Team-2000" family members Masa Chono and current IWGP World Tag Tea champs Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima defeated the "Bad Ass Translate Trading" clique of Keiji Mutoh and All Japan Pro Wrestling stars Taiyo Kea and Jinsei Shinzaki (formerly Hakushi in the WWF). Chono scored the pin on Shinzaki in 14:57 following his signature Yakuza kick.

Former WCW star Yuji Nagata defeated Manabu Nakanishi (formerly Kurosawa in WCW) 9:29 via pinfall following a high-kick. The match was to determine the number one contender for the IWGP World Heavyweight title. Nagata will now face Fujita next month at New Japan's annual Fukuoka Dome spectacular.

New Japan booker Riki Choshu teamed with Shiro Koshinaka to defeat the All Japan Pro Wrestling contingent of Toshiaki Kawada and Masa Fuchi. Choshu pinned Fuchi following a lariat clothesline in 8:53. In a post-match angle, former NWA World Heavyweight champion Naoya Ogawa challenged Choshu to a match at New Japan's May 5th show at the Fukuoka Dome.

Other results from the show saw: Jushin "Thunder" Liger defeated Kazunari Murakami by DQ; Brian Johnston beat Kendo Ka Shin by submission; Yutaka Yoshie defeated Shin'ya Makabe and in the opener Takashi Iizuka defeated Minoru Tanaka. The first hour of the three-hour show was broadcasted on pay-per-view on SkyPerfectTV in Japan while the last two hours aired live on national TV on TV-Asahi.

This was the fourth time in company history that New Japan has run a show at the Osaka Dome. A May 3, 1997 show drew 53,000 fans as then- IWGP Champ Shinya Hashimoto beat Naoya Ogawa via submission in the main event. WCW stars Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell and The Giant competed on the undercard.

On August 10, 1997, 43,500 turned out to watch then-IWGP Champ Shinya Hashimoto pin Hiroyoshi Tenzan. On August 8, 1998 Masa Chono captured the IWGP World title from Tatsumi Fujinami before 35,000 fans.

-- With files from Zach Arnold