Coughlin greeted Hikuleo with an icy stare as the giant stepped into the ring. After a bit of grappling on the feet, Hikuleo overpowered Coughlin and put him down with a big bodyslam and vertical suplex. Hikuleo bullied Coughlin a bit more but Shibata’s Young Lion would mount a comeback and eventually put Hikuleo down with a jumping shoulder block before he’d lock him into a single-leg crab. It wasn’t enough to put the much larger Hikuleo away, though. Hikuleo was back to his feet soon after, then he planted Coughlin with a snap powerslam and sit-out Death Valley Bomb for the win.
Good showing from both here. Coughlin is exploding with charisma and athleticism, and Hikuleo really feels like the resident power-house of the show these days.
Lio Rush and Rocky Romero defeated the DKC and Clark Connors
“White Rhino” Clark Connors blasted Rush with a spear to the lower back midway through the match.
Rush was able to tag out to Romero after getting pummeled for a few minutes. Romero cleaned house and landed a nice tijeras on DKC and a standing Sliced Bread on the Connors for two. The White Rhino responded by launching Romero into the air with a Pounce.
The DKC’s background is in karate, and has been able to incorporate a few fancy karate-esque kicks and chops into his moveset. If anyone here is familiar with Chris Champion/Yoshi Kwan from WCW, that’s what the DKC reminds me of, a bit.
It’s a shame that Rush announced he’d be retiring this week, because he looked pretty great inside the ring with both Connors and DKC tonight, the latter whom he pinned after a bottom-rope springboard stunner.
Connors and Romero brawled outside the ring after the bell. In their post-match interview, Romero mentioned that despite Connors recently graduating from Young Lion to “White Rhino,” his new-found confidence wouldn’t matter, and that he’d eat up any one of Connors’ crew.
Fred Yehi and Wheeler Yuta defeated Misterioso and Jordan Clearwater
Wheeler Yuta has made a few appearances on Strong this year, but tonight was his partner Fred Yehi’s debut on the show. The two have teamed in the past on the indie circuit, and Yehi has appeared for companies like MLW, EVOLVE and ROH in the past, among others. He’s an excellent wrestler and is a perfect fit for both this show or for NJPW’s main roster.
Yehi and Misterioso looked good on the mat against each other. The match with Connors/DKC vs. Romero/Rush had more of an intense high-impact feel from the get-go, where this was clearly a bout centered on smooth, high-level technique.
When Yehi was in the ring with Karl Anderson-trainee Jordan Clearwater, he used fancy World-of-Sport-styled counter-wrestling and footwork. Both he and partner Yuta spent the middle part of this working over the taller Clearwater’s leg and knee, tenderizing in an attempt to keep him off his feet for more of the match.
Clearwater was eventually able to tag out to “Big Papi Pump” Misterioso, who landed a powerslam, then springboard moonsault onto Yuta upon re-entry. All four men were in the ring at this point, and Yehi used the opportunity to again go after Clearwater’s long legs, clipping one of them.
The finish saw Misterioso go for a dive to the floor but no one was there, though Misterioso landed safely. Just a second after he caught himself on the ground, Wheeler Yuta came through the middle rope and landed on top of him with a tope suicida to the floor. With Yuta holding Misterioso at bay, Yehi took the opportunity to put Clearwater away in the ring, earning the W for his team after locking Clearwater into a modified crucifix hold/Koji clutch while he laid in as many fists as he could.
Final thoughts:
Tonight’s episode of Strong was solid. The main event was most-impressive, though everything on tonight’s show was very good. Yuta and Yehi are a great tag team who look like they’ve been at this wrestling thing for a while, and they fit perfectly with the current crop on the show. I look forward to seeing more of them in the future.
On next week’s episode of NJPW Strong, we’ll see Satoshi Kojima vs. Team Filthy’s JR Kratos in a singles main event, while “Filthy” Tom Lawlor vs. Karl Fredericks for the Strong Openweight title will headline the show at the end of the month, on June 26.
Lio Rush has announced that he is retiring from pro wrestling.
Rush, 26, wrote on Instagram that he had separated his AC joint during his appearance at the AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view last month. As a result, it has given him time to think about what he wanted in life, leading to his decision to retire. Once he has healed, he will be making final appearances for NJPW, where he is signed to.
I have written and erased this post so many times purely out of not being able to wrap my head around this. The moment I went home in a sling, I kept saying to myself “this was like any other time I got a little bruise or strain and I will shrug it off and continue on my new journey.” Once the pain subsided and I started to feel just how uncomfortable it was to feel my arm hanging from my body, I sunk into an immediate and rapidly growing depression because I knew something was wrong.
Got the news that I’d be taking some time off due to this injury. Me thinking it would only affect my wrestling obligations, I still tried to go on about my days as I knew them. Realized just how much this would affect my everyday life. For anyone who knows me, you know that I work endlessly for me and my family. It became more and more frustrating everyday finding little things that I could no longer do. Like simply putting on a shirt and a much harder fact to deal with, not being able to pick up my newborn son…
Now here comes the part that kept me up every night since #DoubleorNothing…knowing that I just made my surprise debut in one of the most exciting times in my career. That part sucked. But I’m grateful. Grateful for the opportunities that I’ve had this past year since my WWE release. So cool of #AEW still wanting to sign me despite separating my AC in the Casino Battle Royal. Which would have led to me being the first person in history to be signed to two major wrestling organizations simultaneously. This is an unexpected turn down a road I would have and could have never saw coming…
But I’m looking at this as a blessing in disguise. Since the injury, it’s given me some time to think. Think about what I want in life. What I want for my wife and my kids, and what’s going to make me happy as far as my mental health is concerned. The timing of this injury has forced me to to stop and reevaluate and ultimately it’s resulted in making the decision to retire from professional wrestling…
Thank you to the fans who have fought it out with me for the past 7 years and the people in my corner. Thank you to all the promoters and friends that ‘ve met along the way who believe in me and my vision. This has been a great ride, but it’s time to get off and do what truly makes me happy. Due to contractual obligations with NJPW, I will be making final appearances once I am healed. But for now, thank you all from the Bottom of my heart and I’ll see you all soon.
Rush has been wrestling since 2014, first wrestling for Combat Zone Wrestling and later Ring of Honor. He signed with WWE in 2017, first wrestling on NXT and 205 Live and later serving as a manager for Bobby Lashley. Once that ended, he returned back to NXT where he won the NXT Cruiserweight title. He was released from WWE last year and had been wrestling on the independent scene and MLW before signing with NJPW.
A pair of title matches will headline the first leg of NJPW’s Kizuna Road tour this month.
On Tuesday, June 22, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI will defend the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships against EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi and Dick Togo.
On Wednesday, June 23, SHO and YOH will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships against Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo.
Both title matches were set up with angles on yesterday’s Dominion show.
The other key announcement for the tour are a pair of singles gauntlets for Young Lions Yota Tsuji and Yuya Uemura.
Each night of the tour, both Tsuji and Uemura will face an established star in singles competition.
Here are the full Kizuna Road cards announced so far:
NJPW Kizuna Road in Korakuen Hall, Monday, June 14, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Kazuchika Okada, SHO & YOH vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Gedo
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Jado
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yota Tsuji
Minoru Suzuki vs. Yuya Uemura
NJPW Kizuna Road in Korakuen Hall, Tuesday, June 15, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Kazuchika Okada vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Gedo
SHO, YOH & Toru Yano vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Jado
Taichi vs. Yota Tsuji
Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Yuya Uemura
NJPW Kizuna Road in Korakuen Hall, Wednesday, June 16, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
Elimination match: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, SHO & YOH vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Kota Ibushi, Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata
Kazuchika Okada vs. Yota Tsuji
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Yuya Uemura
NJPW Kizuna Road, Friday, June 18, untelevised —
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
SHO, YOH & Kazuchika Okada vs. Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo & Gedo
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Dick Togo & Jado
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yuya Uemura vs. Minoru Suzuki & DOUKI
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Yota Tsuji vs. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata
NJPW has revealed the full lineup for this week’s Road to Ignition episode of Strong.
Fred Yehi will make his NJPW Strong debut, teaming with Wheeler Yuta in the main event. Yehi and Yuta will face Strong regulars Misterioso and Jordan Clearwater. Yehi is the number one contender for the ROH Pure Championship.
In the second match, Rocky Romero and Lio Rush will tag against Clark Connors and The DKC.
In Friday’s opener, Alex Coughlin will take on Hikuleo in singles competition. Hikuleo will be making his first appearance on Strong since losing a no DQ match to Fred Rosser on the May 21 episode.
Strong airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern time on NJPW World and is available on demand shortly after airing.
Here is Friday’s full lineup:
Fred Yehi & Wheeler Yuta vs. Misterioso & Jordan Clearwater
Rocky Romero & Lio Rush vs. Clark Connors & The DKC
A new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion was crowned today at NJPW Dominion in Osaka-Jo Hall.
Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the title in the show’s main event.
Shingo hit Okada with a dragon suplex, a diving forearm strike and a Last of the Dragon to win the title in 36:00 of a battle that saw both repeatedly use Okada’s Rainmaker finisher.
After his title win, Shingo called out Kota Ibushi. Ibushi beat Jeff Cobb in an unofficial number one contender’s match earlier in the evening and was the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. Shingo challenged Ibushi and the challenge was accepted. No date was announced for the match.
Shingo becomes the third IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since the title’s inception in March of this year.
NJPW’s former top two titles, the IWGP Heavyweight title and IWGP Intercontinental title, were put on the line in a winner take all match won by Tetsuya Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020. Following Naito’s win, both titles were on the line in each IWGP Heavyweight Championship match, with one exception. That exception was an Ibushi Intercontinental title defense against Naito at Castle Attack in February 2021.
Following Ibushi’s defense of both the Heavyweight and Intercontinental titles at the NJPW Anniversary Show on March 4, they were officially retired. Ibushi was then recognized as the first IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and presented with the new title belt at the March 30 Road to Sakura Genesis event.
Ibushi would lose the IWGP World title to Will Ospreay in his first defense at Sakura Genesis on April 4. Ospreay made one defense of the title, beating Shingo at Wrestling Dontaku on May 4. Ospreay officially vacated the title on May 20, citing a neck injury.
The vacant IWGP World Heavyweight Championship is on the line tonight at NJPW Dominion in Osaka-Jo Hall.
Kazuchika Okada will face Shingo Takagi for the title vacated by Will Ospreay last month due to a neck injury. Okada and Shingo have met twice before in singles matches. Okada beat Shingo in the 2020 G1 Climax tournament, while Shingo was the winner in the 2021 New Japan Cup tournament.
In the semi-main, Kota Ibushi will face Jeff Cobb. These two had a crazy pull-apart at a Road to Dominion event last week in Korakuen Hall.
El Desperado will defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against YOH. This match was scheduled for Wrestling Dontaku last month, but was postponed due to COVID protocols.
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI vs. Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI, plus Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & SHO vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo round out the undercard.
Our live coverage begins at 5 a.m. Eastern time.
**********
Hiromu Takahashi opened the show with a promo. He said he’s recovering well from his injury and will challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship soon.
This was a solid opener that really could have used a few more minutes.
Tanahashi and Owens began. Owens mocked Tana’s air guitar. Tana hit a second rope crossbody. Ishimori tried to interfere from the apron, but SHO jumped in to even things out. Bullet Club turned this into a brawl around ringside and gained the upper hand.
YOSHI-HASHI ended up the legal man and cut off in Bullet Club’s corner. YH made a comeback on EVIL, then tagged Ishii. Goto and SHO jumped in for some spots, including a double spear from SHO on ELP and Ishimori. Togo distracted Ishii and EVIL hit a fisherman buster for a near fall.
SHO and Ishimori tagged in for the closing sequence. Everyone jumped in for a big move. Tana hit Ishimori with slingblade. Ishimori and ELP doubled up on SHO and got a near fall. EVIL took the ref, Togo choked Ishii. Ishimori hit SHO with a Bloody Cross and pinned him.
**********
Bullet Club continued attacking after the bell. EVIL, Yujiro and Togo went after Goto, Ishii and YH, so that looks to be a NEVER Six-Man Tag title match for the next tour.
**********
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI defeated Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & DOUKI (11:32)
It looks as though they’re positioning Naito and SANADA as the next challengers for Taichi and Sabre’s IWGP Heavyweight Tag titles. Naito and Taichi began here. Naito shot for a single-leg takedown on the referee. Things turned serious and Sabre and SANADA jumped in. They did a couple of cool four-way spots.
Suzuki-gun turned this into a brawl around ringside. DOUKI choked BUSHI with his steel pipe on the floor. DOUKI and BUSHI ended up the legal men. BUSHI was beaten down, then managed a DDT.
Taichi and Naito tagged back in. Naito hit a neckbreaker and his Tranquilo pose. SANADA tagged in for a double hip toss and a sliding dropkick to Taichi for a two count. Taichi hit an axe bomber, then tagged Sabre.
Sabre used a cobra twist. SANADA teased a paradise lock, but Sabre blocked and hit a neck twist. Suzuki-gun went 3-on-1 against SANADA. Sabre hit a PK for a two count. Taichi and Sabre teased Zack Mephisto. Naito saved. BUSHI hit a tope suicida to Taichi. DOUKI hit a tope to BUSHI.
Sabre tried to turn a SANADA O’Connor roll into a European clutch. SANADA blocked, then trapped Sabre’s shoulders and pinned him.
Naito, SANADA, Taichi and Sabre had a long staredown after the match and taunted each other.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado defeated YOH to retain the title (23:40)
This was very good. Both guys are super workers. The psychology was simple work a body part, but sound.
They opened with some chain wrestling. Neither man got a clear advantage over the other. YOH reversed a whip and hit a dropkick, sending Desperado outside. Desperado pulled YOH to the floor and whipped him into the barricade to take control of the bout.
Desperado grabbed a bucket from under the ring and threw it inside to distract the referee. Desperado then used a chair on YOH’s left leg. Back in the ring, Desperado continued to target the left leg. Desperado hit a splash to the leg for a near fall.
YOH hit a sunset flip for a hope spot near fall. Desperado came back with an Indian deathlock, but YOH forced a rope break. YOH tried a suplex, but his leg gave way. YOH hit a series of back elbows and a flying forearm.
YOH began to target Desperado’s right leg. He used an inverted figure four. Desperado forced a rope break. YOH hit a dropkick to the right leg. Desperado reversed a whip and hit a spinebuster. He went for Numero Dos. He got the hold, but YOH quickly made the ropes.
Desperado hit a stiff forearm shot, but YOH refused to go down. Desperado hit a back suplex and a vertical suplex for a near fall. YOH escaped a Guitarra de Angel, but sold his leg on landing. They fought to the floor. YOH hit a shotgun dropkick into the barricade.
YOH hit a plancha and a tope con giro. YOH threw Desperado back in after a countout tease. YOH hit a missile dropkick and a falcon arrow for a two count. Desperado came back with a dragon screw in the corner.
They traded forearms, then traded kicks to their respective bad legs. YOH hit a flatliner. Desperado hit an Angle slam and Guitarra de Angel for a near fall at the 20 minute call.
Desperado went for Pinche Loco. YOH blocked with a jumping knee. YOH reversed Numero Dos into a cradle for a two count, then slapped on his Stargazer submission hold. YOH rolled through and blocked one rope break, but Desperado crawled back to the ropes to force the break.
YOH hit a dragon suplex for a two count. Desperado blocked Direct Drive. YOH blocked a right hand, but Desperado hit a headbutt. YOH blocked Pinche Loco and used a roll-up for two. YOH hit a superkick. Desperado hit a straight right hand.
Desperado then hit Pinche Loco and got the pin to retain the title.
**********
SHO came to the ring to tend to YOH. El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori ran in. ELP said they’l be challenging SHO and YOH for the Junior Tag titles on the Kizuna Road tour.
Ishimori then addressed Desperado and said it’s now his time to challenge him for the Junior Heavyweight title. Desperado accepted the challenge.
***** Intermission *****
Kota Ibushi defeated Jeff Cobb (w/Great-O-Khan) (19:53)
This was a great match. These guys have super chemistry and I’d like to see this again.
They didn’t touch for nearly the first full minute. After posturing, Ibushi landed a dropkick. Ibushi tried to land some strikes, but Cobb covered up. Cobb used a double-leg takedown and hit some strikes from Ibushi’s guard.
Ibushi rolled outside, but Cobb went out after him to keep the pressure on. Cobb hit some heavy strikes on the floor. Cobb powered Ibushi up and posted his lower back. Back inside, Cobb hit a headbutt, then went back after Ibushi’s back.
Ibushi came back with a flying mid kick. Cobb quickly cut him off again and used a variety of strikes. Cobb continued to target Ibushi’s back with knees, then stood on Ibushi’s back. Ibushi hit a kick from his back on the mat, but Cobb stayed on the attack with power strikes.
Cobb hit a short-arm lariat. Cobb went for a standing moonsault, but Ibushi got his knees up. Both missed a charge into the corner. Ibushi hit a standing moonsault for a two count. Cobb ducked a high kick and hit a back suplex, then landed his own standing moonsault for a near fall.
Ibushi sent Cobb to the floor. He went for a plancha, but Cobb caught him. Ibushi fought Cobb off and made it back to the apron, then hit an Asai moonsault from the top rope to the floor. Cobb made it back in after a countout tease.
Ibushi tried for a German off the second rope, but Cobb blocked. They fought on the top rope. Ibushi hit a reverse rana off the top for a two count. Ibushi hit a bomaye for another near fall.
Ibushi called for the Kamigoye. Cobb blocked and hit a release overhead belly-to-belly for a double down. Cobb hit a running uppercut and a back suplex for a near fall. Cobb powered Ibushi up for an F-5 and a near fall.
Ibushi escaped Tour of the Islands and hit a high kick. Ibushi hit Kamigoye, but Cobb kicked out at two. Cobb blocked a second Kamigoye. Ibushi blocked Tour of the Islands. Cobb hammered Ibushi with the Cobbgoye, but couldn’t follow up in time. He covered for a near fall.
Ibushi turned a Tour of the Islands into a lateral press for a two count. Cobb went for a pop-up powerbomb. Ibushi blocked and hit a knee strike on his way down, then hit another Kamigoye for the pin.
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Shingo Takagi defeated Kazuchika Okada to win the title (36:00)
This was everything you would expect. Shingo especially was incredible in this match. Okada may have been battling his wind a bit in his first singles match back after battling COVID, but he was great as well. Shingo’s selling and facial expressions were on another level throughout the match.
They opened with some mat wrestling. Both worked hammerlocks on the mat. Shingo missed on a senton attempt. Okada tried a senton, but Shingo got his knees up. Okada sold his back on landing and that became the story of the match.
They fought on the outside. Shingo got the upper hand and threw Okada back in. Shingo used a body scissors on the mat and continued to go after the back. Okada tried to end it quickly with a tombstone, but Shingo escaped and hit a powerslam.
Okada made a comeback. He ducked a lariat and hit a running back elbow and a DDT. Okada went for the air raid crash neckbreaker, but Shingo blocked and drove his elbow into Okada’s back. Shingo went to the top rope, but Okada hit a dropkick and sent him crashing to the floor.
Okada hit a draping DDT off the barricade. Back inside, Okada hit heavy rain and went for the Money Clip. Shingo quickly forced a rope break. Okada hit a slam. He teased a missile dropkick, but Shingo popped up. Okada rolled through and ran into a lariat.
Okada got the Money Clip again. Shingo elbowed out. Okada tried a backslide, but Shingo turned it into Noshigami. Shingo hit a wheel barrow German into the corner pad. Shingo used a torture rack, then hit two gutbusters. Shingo hit a massive corner clothesline Okada fired up and hit a shotgun dropkick.
Okada got the Money Clip applied yet again, but Shingo was in the ropes. Okada was forced to break right away. Okada missed a dropkick. Shingo missed a sliding lariat. Okada used the Money Clip to set up a spinning tombstone, then went back to the Money Clip. They did a long submission tease, but Shingo fought to the ropes.
Shingo rolled outside. Okada fought for a tombstone on the floor, but Shingo blocked by grabbing the barricade. Shingo hit Made in Japan on the floor. Both made it in after a double countout tease. Shingo hit a corner lariat and a stay dream for a close near fall. Shingo hit a series of strikes, then ran off the ropes into an Okada dropkick at the 30 minute call.
Okada hit a tombstone, then tried a Rainmaker. Shingo ducked and hit his own Rainmaker. They traded strikes from their knees, then standing. Shingo blocked a spinning Rainmaker and hit a DVD. Okada ducked a pumping bomber, then used a backslide to set up two Rainmakers. Shingo blocked another Rainmaker and hit a Rainmaker of his own.
Shingo hit a pumping bomber for a great near fall at the 35 minute call. They reversed each other’s finishers, then Shingo hit a dragon suplex. Shingo hit a diving forearm strike.
Shingo hit Last of the Dragon and got the pin to win the title.
**********
Shingo cut a promo after the match. He said he lost to Will Ospreay when he challenged for this title, but his heart was still beating. He said that this is only the start of what he has planned. Shingo said we’re still going through a lot, but he’s here to inspire us and bring us energy.
Shingo called out Ibushi and challenged him. Ibushi accepted. No date was announced for the match.
Tonight’s episode of NJPW Strong was also the first on NJPW’s Road to Ignition tour.
TJP defeated Kevin Knight via submission
TJP had a critically-acclaimed match with Josh Alexander on IMPACT last night. In contrast to last night’s Iron Man match, this was a short, technical grappling bout with TJP getting the better of Knight in the end, using a manji-gatame to pick up the win here via submission.
Knight is an impressive Young Lion, which speaks because all of the current Young Lions are top-notch wrestlers. He gets insanely high on his leapfrog. TJP shook hands with Knight before heading to the back.
Barrett Brown (w/ Bateman) defeated Adrian Quest
This is a battle of ex-tag team partners. It was the first time they’d been in the ring together on television since Brown turned on Quest after one of their recent matches.
Brown has aligned himself with resident Strong baddie, ROH’s Bateman, who cornered him in this match. He looked to be giving Brown tips as they came to the ring, or on the floor later on during the match.
Quest landed a springboard tornillo in the ring onto Brown, but Brown was able to cut off Quest’s offensive momentum and toss him to the floor. Brown is a fast, athletic wrestler, but tonight he wrestled with a meaner demeanor and a less flashy offense. He brawled more and took cheap shots when he could.
Quest later used a top-rope frankensteiner on Brown, reversing the superplex or whatever Brown was attempting from up there. He landed a running shooting star press onto Brown on the floor moments later, not all that unlike the move that Hangman Page made popular.
Brown earned two close near-falls towards the end, one after suplexing Quest into the corner, then another after catching him with a running knee. Brown acted frustrated.
Quest later went to the top rope, but Bateman hopped onto the apron while Brown had the ref’s back turned away. A few seconds later, Brown was able to roll Quest into a schoolboy cradle for the three-count and the win.
In his post-match interview, Quest harped on Brown for needing someone with him so that he could win his matches. Fred Rosser overheard Quest off-camera, then joined Quest and explained how he didn’t like bullies and that if Quest ever needed backup, he’d be there for him.
Karl Fredericks and Satoshi Kojima defeated Team Filthy (JR Kratos & Danny Limelight) via submission
Kojima also appeared on IMPACT recently. He’ll wrestle Joe Doering at their Against All Odds pay-per-view, but in the meantime, he was able to appear as the special guest on tonight’s episode of Strong. Having wrestlers like he and Yuji Nagata appear every now and then is a great way to lend the show more credibility in the eyes of the fans.
Kojima and Kratos kicked things off. Kratos offered his hand, but it was a feint, as he’d instead kick Kojima in the breadbasket. Kojima responded quickly with a kick of his own, then attempted a Koji Cutter before Kratos whipped him into the ropes.
Fredericks tagged in next. He and Kratos are a good match and would probably tear it down in a singles match, I imagine. Kratos threw Mark Coleman-esque knees to a prone Fredericks later. He and Limelight began tagging in and out as they worked Fredericks over in the blue corner.
When Limelight went for a suplex, Fredericks widened his base stance and reversed the suplex into one of his own. He’d then tag out to Kojima. Limelight immediately tagged in Kratos, who got right into it with Kojima. We saw Kojima’s signatured machine gun chops and diving elbow drop which he caught Kratos with late in this. Kratos powered up and deadlift Kojima into a suplex for two. He’d then slap Kojima in the face, which in turn fired Kojima up. The two traded more elbows and strikes before Kojima was able to finally land the Koji Cutter on Kratos. Limelight tagged in next, but Kojima took him out with a big lariat that sent Limelight spinning, literally.
Kratos tossed Kojima to the outside and choked him on the floor. Limelight scored a close two-count after a jumping kick that caught Fredericks in the back of the head. When Limelight went for another kick, Fredericks caught Limelights’ leg, then slapped him across the face. Then, with Kojima now in control of Kratos outside the ring, Fredericks locked Limelight in a single-leg Boston Crab and planted his right foot atop Limelight’s head for good measure. Fredericks secured the victory with this hold, submitting Limelight for the win.
All four brawled in the ring after the match, with heavy action between Kojima and Kratos. On commentary, Kevin Kelly mentioned Karl Fredericks’ upcoming shot at Tom Lawlor’s Strong Openweight Championship, which will likely air soon, though it wasn’t officially announced tonight.
Final thoughts:
Road to Ignition was yet another solid, albeit short, episode of NJPW Strong, with Satoshi Kojima’s appearance in the main event being the highlight. Seeing him work alongside the new generation of talent was fun to watch. Barrett Brown’s new alliance with Bateman takes both wrestlers in new directions storyline-wise, though it’s too soon to tell whether this fully works or not. It did tonight, pretty much.
Chris Jericho is no longer under a New Japan Pro Wrestling contract, according to Dave Meltzer in this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The current AEW star’s deal actually expired following his clash with Hiroshi Tanahashi at the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020.
“Harold Meij (then-New Japan president) was negative on (the contract) due to the high cost, but others in the company had a different opinion. Even after the pandemic, New Japan is going to have to get its finances back on track to where they can afford that level of a deal,” Meltzer wrote.
Jericho’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with then-IWGP Champion Kenny Omega was cited as the genesis for the idea that would come to be AEW.
Following that match, Jericho returned in 2018 and defeated Tetsuya Naito for the Intercontinental title, successfully defended it against EVIL, and then lost it back to Naito at Wrestle Kingdom 19.
Later in 2019, he lost to then-IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada at Dominion before the aforementioned final contracted match against Tanahashi.
Jericho has shown interest in working with New Japan once more, citing Jay White, Minoru Suzuki, Kota Ibushi and Will Ospreay as opponents he would like to work with. He also mentioned doing a tag team with Omega against Okada/Ibushi, Tanahashi/Okada or Tanahashi/Ibushi combo for a future Wrestle Kingdom match.
Two new matches have been added to next week’s NJPW Dominion event.
A ten man tag will kick off the action in Osaka-jo Hall. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI, and SHO will face EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori, and ELP in a ten-man elimination match. Another match, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI will face Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and DOUKI of Suzuki-gun in a six-man tag team match.
Three other matches have already been announced for Dominion, which takes place on June 7. YOH will challenge El Desperado for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title. That match was originally scheduled to take place at the second night of Wrestling Dontaku back in May, but was pushed to Dominion after both men were taken out of the show due to COVID protocols. Desperado has since confirmed he has been recovering from COVID-19.
The two other matches scheduled for next year include Kota Ibushi facing Jeff Cobb in a special singles match and Kazuchika Okada facing Shingo Takagi for the vacant IWGP World Heavyweight title.
NJPW’s Road to Dominion tour continued today with a show in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
The NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championships were on the line in the main event as Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii and YOSHI-HASHI of CHAOS defended against Tetsuya Naito, SANADA and BUSHI of Los Ingobernables de Japon.
Below are results and a report on today’s show.
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Recommended matches —
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan vs. Kota Ibushi & Master Wato (at least the post-match angle)
This was a fun opener. Lots of action and everyone worked hard.
EVIL and Uemura started off. Uemura out-wrestled EVIL, then tagged Honma. Honma tagged in and was cut off right away. EVIL hit a senton. Owens tagged in to continue the attack. Honma hit a back elbow and tagged Tsuji.
Tsuji hit Owens with a senton. He went for a splash, but Owens got his knees up. While the other six guys brawled on the floor, Owens worked on Tsuji in the ring. Tsuji got tossed outside and hit with a Togo right hand.
ELP tagged in for some break dancing and comedy offense. Ishimori tagged in and continued with back rakes on Tsuji. Owens tagged in. He hit a pump kick. Tsuji came back with a suplex, then tagged Tanahashi.
Tana hit a jumping forearm to Owens, cleared the Bullet Club apron, then hit a baseball slide to Togo. Tana hit Owens with a dragon screw. He went for his Texas Clover Hold. He got it applied. ELP tried to break it up, but Honma intercepted him. EVIL jumped in to break it up.
Owens blocked a slingblade attempt and hit a jewel heist. Ishimori got a tag. Tana blocked a handspring kick and hit twist and shout.
Uemura tagged in and hit a running forearm and a back suplex for two. He went for an overhook suplex, but ELP jumped in to break it up. Uemura avoided an airplane spin neckbreaker. He went for a crab, but Ishimori blocked.
Ishimori then connected with the Bloody Cross for the pin.
This was good. I expect YOH and Desperado to have a great match on Monday. Desperado really upped his game at the end of 2020 and has been very good this year.
YOH and Desperado began with a striking battle. Suzuki-gun turned it into a ringside brawl and cut SHO off. It was his role again tonight to sell most of the way. He came back with a spear to Kanemaru and Taguchi got a hot tag.
Taguchi ran wild with hip attacks. He used three amigos to set up an ankle lock. Taguchi gave up the hold and went for Dodon, but Kanemaru blocked. Taguchi hit a hip attack, then missed a bumaye.
YOH and Desperado tagged back in. YOH hit a flying forearm, then used a neckbreaker for a two count. Desperado blocked Direct Drive with a hair pull. YOH hit a jumping knee. Desperado countered with a spinebuster, then tagged DOUKI.
DOUKI, Kanemaru and Desperado tripled up on YOH. DOUKI hit a springboard double stomp for a near fall. He used a triangle, but SHO saved. Kanemaru took out SHO. Taguchi took out Kanemaru. Desperado took Taguchi out with a spear. YOH hit a dropkick to Desperado.
YOH blocked DOUKI’s Suplex de la Luna, then used the Stargazer calf killer for the submission.
YOH and Desperado faced off after the match. Desperado pie-faced YOH, but there was no physicality in the angle besides that.
Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki defeated Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Gedo (2:24)
They couldn’t top their effort last night, so they didn’t even try.
Bullet Club jumped Suzuki-gun in the ring before Taichi’s song had finished playing. They fought around the ring on the outside. Sabre was briefly cut off in the ring.
Tonga and Loa went for a Magic Killer on Sabre. Suzuki and Taichi saved. Sabre used a neck crank and a Clarky Cat to quickly submit Gedo.
***** Intermission *****
Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan defeated Kota Ibushi & Master Wato (9:07)
O-Khan tried a sneak attack before the bell. Ibushi fought it off and landed a flying mid kick. Wato tagged in, but O-Khan came back on him with an elbow and Mongolian chops. O-Khan and Cobb traded tags and continued beating down Master Wato.
Wato managed a dropkick and a reverse bulldog. Cobb and Ibushi got tags for a crazy sequence. Ibushi blocked a pop-up powerslam with a hurricanrana. Cobb did some of his impressive power spots and landed a deadlift throw out of the corner. Cobb landed another huge slam and tagged out. That spot was ugly.
O-Khan tied Ibushi to the tree of woe. He missed a basement dropkick. Ibushi popped up to the top rope and hit a double stomp. Wato tagged in and hit O-Khan with a springboard uppercut forearm and a dreamcast for a near fall.
Wato used a rolling heel hook, but Cobb broke it up. Cobb just started throwing Wato and Ibushi around. Cobb used a spinebuster on Wato.
O-Khan used the iron claw to set up the Eliminator on Wato for the pin.
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Ibushi and Cobb had a wild brawl after the match. Tsuji and Uemura jumped in to try to pull them apart. Just when you thought it was over, one of them would break free and the brawl would start all over again. They fought in the ring, then all around the arena.
This was intense and awesome, a great angle.
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NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI to retain the titles (31:15)
This was an excellent six-man. The first ten minutes were slow, but they had to go quite a long time and that’s to be expected.
Goto pinned SANADA in a tag yesterday, so those two began here. SANADA broke cleanly off the opening lock-up. They briefly grappled to a stalemate.
Naito tagged in and demanded Ishii. Ishii tagged in, then Naito immediately tagged out to BUSHI. Ishii tried to go after Naito on the apron. As soon as Ishii turned his back, Naito jumped him. LIJ tried a 3-on-1 attack, but Goto and YH saved. CHAOS then went 3-on-1 against BUSHI.
BUSHI found himself isolated in the CHAOS half of the ring. YH tagged in for some chops. Goto tagged in and the pace slowed. YH tagged back in for a vertical suplex. They were pacing themselves to go a long time.
Naito grabbed YH from the apron and turned the tide in LIJ’s favor. A brawl broke out on the arena floor between Ishii and Naito. Naito used a kravate over the barricade. YH was then isolated in LIJ’s half of the ring. Ishii and Goto tried to make saves, but Naito and SANADA sent them to the outside.
YH came back with a headhunter to Naito. Ishii got a tag and beat up all three members of LIJ on his own. Naito was the legal man. Ishii hit a back suplex for a near fall. Naito and Ishii had a crazy striking battle in the middle of the ring. Ishii got the better of the strikes. Naito hit a back elbow and sliding dropkick at the 15 minute call.
SANADA tagged in for a cool sequence with Ishii. Ishii worked for a German suplex. SANADA avoided it once. Ishii got it on the second attempt. Goto tagged in and dispatched an interfering BUSHI, then hit a wheel kick in the corner on SANADA for a two count.
Goto teased an ushigoroshi, but SANADA blocked. SANADA took his corner flip bump and hit Goto with an atomic drop. SANADA put Goto in the paradise lock, then broke it with a dropkick. BUSHI and SANADA cleared the CHAOS apron. Goto avoided a TKO and grabbed a sleeper hold. Goto used the sleeper to set up the rolling cradle he won with yesterday, but SANADA kicked out.
Goto and YH doubled SANADA up and used the finish from yesterday for a near fall, with Naito making the save for SANADA. SANADA kicked at Goto’s spine. SANADA tried an O’Connor roll, but Goto blocked with a kick to the spine. SANADA hit a TKO into a double down.
YH and BUSHI got tags. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick and a tope suicida. All six guys were down and out on the floor just past the 20 minute mark.
Back inside, BUSHI used a DDT for a two count. CHAOS went 3-on-1 against BUSHI. Naito saved BUSHI from a headhunter. Naito hit Ishii with a dropkick off a BUSHI sunset flip. LIJ went 3-on-1 against YH. BUSHI hit a swinging neckbreaker for a two count.
BUSHI missed an MX. Everyone jumped in and hit each other with a big move. Goto hit BUSHI with an ushigoroshi. YH hit a meteora for a two count.
YH locked BUSHI in the Butterfly Lock at the 25 minute call. YH rolled through and hit a sit-out powerbomb for a two count. BUSHI blocked Kharma and rolled YH up for two.
Ishii and Naito jumped in and teased their finishers on each other. Naito blocked a brainbuster with a DDT. Ishii no-sold it. Naito hit a flying forearm. BUSHI hit YH with a codebreaker and an MX. Goto jumped in to break it up. SANADA hit a plancha to Goto.
BUSHI tried the MX again, but jumped off the ropes into a YH lariat. BUSHI went for a tag to SANADA, but Goto pulled SANADA off the apron. Ishii and Goto went for stereo ushigoroshis on Naito and SANADA, but they blocked. BUSHI used the BUSHI roll on YH for a super near fall. BUSHI and YH traded kicks. YH hit a lariat for a near fall at 30 minutes in.
YH went for Kharma. BUSHI tried to turn it into a codebreaker, but YH got him in the Butterfly Lock. Naito tried to save, but Ishii caught him in a heel hook. BUSHI verbally submitted or the referee called for the stoppage with the Butterfly Lock still locked in.
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Naito and Ishii stared each other down after the match. The best part of all of this is that it looks like a Naito-Ishii singles match will happen at Dominion if they ever get around to announcing a card.
YOSHI-HASHI cut a quick promo and the champs posed with their titles to close the show.
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Here is the announced lineup for Dominion. More matches will be announced at a later date:
NJPW Dominion, Monday, June 7, 5 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Kazuchika Okada vs. Shingo Takagi
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: El Desperado (c) vs. YOH
NJPW announced on their website this morning that Jado is out of action with an injury. No specifics were given regarding the injury or his recovery period. He was originally scheduled to team with Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa at Wednesday morning’s Road to Dominion event in Korakuen Hall against Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and Minoru Suzuki . He will be replaced by Gedo.
Jado last wrestled on the second night of Wrestling Dontaku back on May 4. He teamed with Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa in a losing effort against DOUKI, Taichi, and Sabre. He mostly teams with other members of the Bullet Club in undercard multi-man bouts.
Wednesday’s show at Korakuen Hall will be headlined by a NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship match. Champions YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, and Hirooki Goto of Chaos will face Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI of Los Ingobernables de Japón.
New IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions were crowned at today’s NJPW Road to Dominion event in Korakuen Hall.
Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa to regain the titles.
Tonga and Loa had defeated Taichi and Sabre at Wrestle Kingdom 15 on January 4 to win the titles, then successfully defended the belts in a rematch at The New Beginning in Hiroshima on February 10.
The teams have continued to feud over the last several months. Taichi and Tonga faced each other in a ladder match for control of the iron fingers on night one of Wrestling Dontaku on May 3.
Sabre and Loa faced off that night as well, with the stipulation that if Sabre lost, he and Taichi could never challenge for the titles again, but if he won, he and Taichi would get another rematch.
The win marked Taichi and Sabre’s first win over G.O.D. in a two-on-two tag match, with Tonga and Loa having won their previous five meetings.
This was a good opener. Suzuki did some cool spots and Uemura and YOH were given the opportunity to shine. SHO’s role was to sell.
YOH, SHO and Uemura fought off a sneak attack by Suzuki-gun at the opening bell. Suzuki-gun tried a second time and succeeded. SHO was cut off and worked over.
Suzuki got SHO in a heel hook. Uemura tried to make the save, but Suzuki put him in a heel hook as well, while still keeping the hold on SHO.
SHO came back with a double spear to Desperado and Kanemaru. YOH got a hot tag and had an extended exchange with Desperado. YOH hit a Pele kick into a double down. YOH tagged Uemura. Uemura and SHO doubled up on Desperado.
Desperado blocked an overhook suplex and hit Uemura with a spinebuster. YOH saved as Desperado tried Pinche Loco on Uemura. Uemura cradled Desperado for a two count.
Desperado used the threat of a ref bump to hit a right hand to Uemura. He followed with Pinche Loco and got the pin.
This was kind of a mess. Not enough comedy to be a good comedy match, not enough good wrestling to be a good wrestling match.
Hontai briefly got the advantage on Owens. Honma tagged in and was quickly cut off and worked over. Taguchi got a tag and ran wild with hip attacks.
Tanahashi and EVIL tagged in for the first real wrestling of the match. Togo tripped Tana from the floor. Tana hit two twist and shouts. He went for a third, but EVIL turned it into a fisherman buster.
Tiger and Ishimori got tags. Tiger hit a Tiger superplex for a near fall. ELP jumped in for an airplane spin neckbreaker, then Ishimori followed with a Bloody Cross to pin Tiger.
Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan defeated Kota Ibushi & Yota Tsuji (12:31)
Cobb went after Ibushi before the opening bell and the match started off hot. They did a couple of teases of signature spots, then Cobb rolled outside to slow the pace. O-Khan and Tsuji got tags.
O-Khan quickly cut Tsuji off with a back elbow and a slam. O-Khan hit Mongolian chops and a double palm strike to the chest. Cobb tagged in for an impressive throw. O-Khan tagged back in and sat on Tsuji’s neck in the corner. Ibushi tried to save Tsuji, but he was sent outside.
Cobb came back in for a delayed vertical suplex and a near fall. Tsuji hit a dropkick to Cobb for a hope spot. A second dropkick allowed him to tag Ibushi.
Ibushi hit a springboard dropkick and a plancha to Cobb. He nailed O-Khan with a back elbow on the outside, then peppered Cobb with kicks inside. Ibushi hit a standing moonsault for a two count.
Ibushi called for Kamigoye. O-Khan saved Cobb, then Cobb hit a pop-up powerslam for a near fall. Cobb called for the Cobbgoye. Ibushi blocked, but Cobb hit a lariat. O-Khan tagged in. He used a standing choke. Ibushi came back with a flying mid kick.
Tsuji tagged in to meet his doom. He hit a series of strikes to O-Khan. O-Khan fired back with a chop. Tsuji hit a tackle and a splash for a near fall. Tsuji went for a crab, but O-Khan blocked and used a triangle. Tsuji slid out and hit a spear.
Cobb saved O-Khan. Cobb and O-Khan doubled up on Tsuji. O-Khan hit a facebuster for a two count as Ibushi saved. Tsuji used two quick cradles for near falls. He went for a third, but O-Khan caught him in the claw and hit the Eliminator for the pin.
Ibushi and Cobb stared each other down after the match, but there was no big angle here.
This looked like it would be the best match on the show on paper. Had they been in the main event spot and given ten more minutes, they really could have done something special. Still, this was very good.
Shingo and Okada began. Shingo hit a chop. Okada took Shingo down with a snapmare, then sent him rolling outside after a sliding dropkick. They clearly didn’t want to give away too much this early.
YH and BUSHI tagged in. BUSHI hit a rana and a dropkick and YH was cut off quickly. LIJ traded tags as they worked on YH. Okada, Ishii and Goto saved for YH and helped him cut Naito off. YH and Naito traded chops. Ishii tagged in and backed Naito into the corner. Naito hit a series of forearms. Ishii no-sold, then hit a brutal series of chops and forearms.
Naito and Ishii traded forearms in the center of the ring. SANADA and Goto jumped in. Naito used the distraction to hit Ishii with a neckbreaker and a dropkick for a double down.
Okada and Shingo got tags. Shingo hit a vertical suplex for a two count. Okada sold that big. Okada ducked a lariat and hit a running back elbow. He hit a back elbow in the corner and a DDT for a near fall.
Shingo blocked the air raid crash neckbreaker. They traded strikes. Okada missed a dropkick. Shingo missed a sliding lariat. Shingo ran off the ropes into an Okada dropkick. This was more what would you expect from a tag preview of a big singles match. Good stuff.
BUSHI and Goto tagged in. Ishii and YH cleared the LIJ apron and they went 3-on-1 against BUSHI. BUSHI blocked an ushigoroshi attempt and hit a backstabber to Goto. SANADA got a tag. Shingo, Naito and SANADA went 3-on-1 against Goto. SANADA hit a TKO for a near fall as Okada made the save.
SANADA rolled through off a missed moonsault. Everyone jumped in for a big move. Naito took a flip bump for a YH lariat.
YH hit a headhunter to SANADA, then Goto cradled SANADA for the flash pin.
IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (w/Miho Abe & DOUKI) defeated Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (w/Jado) to win the titles (26:08)
This was absolute madness. It was probably the best match these two teams have had this year. Technically it was far from a masterpiece, but it was a wild brawl between two teams who hate each other.
Jado and DOUKI made a big show of going to the back before the match began, virtually assuring their involvement later.
Tonga and Loa tried a double team on Taichi at the outset, but he fought them off. With that plan failing, then went after Miho Abe on the floor. Taichi went to fight for his wife’s honor. Tama grabbed her and forced her to watch as Loa attacked Taichi. Sabre tried to save, but got sent into the barricade.
Taichi made it back in after a countout tease. He came back with an axe bomber to Tama. Loa and Sabre tagged in. Sabre used an octopus hold. Loa reached the ropes to force a break. Sabre hit a wild tornado DDT and tagged Taichi.
Taichi hammered away at Loa with kicks. He dared Loa to strike with him, so Loa dropped him with a heavy forearm. They continued to trade. Both hit gamengiri kicks. Sabre used a neck crank on an interfering Tonga. Loa tackled Sabre. Taichi hit a backdrop suplex to Loa for a double down. Loa used an OJK. Taichi fought for a rope break. Taichi hit a rolling elbow.
Tama and Sabre got tags. Sabre used Barry from Eastenders. Jado ran in and took the ref. Gedo ran in with brass knuckles. DOUKI ran in and slipped while trying a springboard attack to Gedo. DOUKI dragged Jado to the back. Loa saved for Tama.
G.O.D. hit a Tongan Twist to Sabre for a near fall. Tama hit an assisted gun Stun for a near fall with Taichi saving Sabre. G.O.D. hit Taichi with a Magic Killer. Loa hit a diving headbutt to Sabre. Tonga hit a frog splash for a near fall.
G.O.D. tried a super powerbomb on Sabre, but he hit a rana out of it. Taichi hit a double axe bomber to G.O.D., then revived Sabre. Sabre hit a PK to Tonga for a two count. Taichi and Sabre went for Zack Mephisto, but Loa saved. Loa got hit with Zack Mephisto.
Tonga hit a low blow to Taichi and rolled Sabre up for a two count. Sabre blocked a Gun Stun and applied a choke to Tonga. Taichi jumped in for a gamengiri.
Sabre and Taichi hit a Tensho Zack Driver to Tonga, then Sabre covered for the pin.
Sabre and Taichi cut short promos after the match, then Miho Abe celebrated with the titles to close the show.
**********
Here is the lineup for tomorrow’s show:
NJPW Road to Dominion, Wednesday, June 2, 5:30 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World —
NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship: Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI
Kota Ibushi & Master Wato vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr. & Minoru Suzuki vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
YOH, SHO & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma, Yota Tsuji & Yuya Uemura vs. EVIL, Chase Owens, Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo
NJPW has canceled the Road to Dominion event originally scheduled for Friday, June 4.
The show had been set to take place at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. The company announced on their website that due to the extension of the state of emergency in Tokyo related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event would not take place.
Road to Dominion events scheduled for today and tomorrow at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo will take place as scheduled. The company previously announced that Dominion, originally set for Sunday, June 6, will take place on Monday, June 7. That show is also still scheduled to take place.
Ticket holders for the June 4 event will be eligible for refunds, with the company stating that refund procedures will be made available soon.
NJPW previously postponed two Wrestle Grand Slam shows that had been set to take place in May at Yokohama Stadium and the Tokyo Dome, also due to the state of emergency. No rescheduled dates have been announced for those events.
NJPW has revealed the full lineup for this week’s Road to Ignition episode of Strong.
Satoshi Kojima will make his Strong debut this week. In Friday’s main event, he will team with Karl Fredericks. They will take on Team Filthy’s JR Kratos and Danny Limelight. Fredericks is next in line to face Team Filthy leader Tom Lawlor for the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship.
Adrian Quest will take on Barrett Brown on Friday’s episode. Quest and Brown used to team together on Strong, but the duo split up on the May 7 edition of Strong.
In this week’s opener, TJP will take on LA Dojo prospect Kevin Knight.
Strong airs Fridays at 10 p.m. Eastern time on NJPW World and is available on demand shortly after airing.
Here is Friday’s full lineup:
Satoshi Kojima & Karl Fredericks vs. JR Kratos & Danny Limelight
