A new set of challengers for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles were established at today’s NJPW Road to Wrestle Grand Slam event.
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA and BUSHI challenged NEVER Six-Man Champions Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI to a title match at a later date.
Naito and SANADA defeated Goto and YOSHI-HASHI in the main event of today’s event. Naito pinned YOSHI-HASHI with a jackknife cradle. After the match, Naito cut a promo and said that while his stablemate Shingo Takagi has his sights set on the IWGP World title, Naito wants some gold as well. Naito then issued the challenge.
YOSHI-HASHI returned to the ring after the main event to accept the challenge, but was laid out by Naito, SANADA and BUSHI. Goto ran in to make the save for his partner. Ishii was not booked on today’s show, but his interactions with Naito had been heavily focused on on Monday and Tuesday’s Road to Wrestle Grand Slam events.
The NEVER Six-Man title match, as well as the rest of the cards for next week’s Road to Dominion events should be announced imminently. To this point, zero matches have been announced for the June 1, June 2, June 4 Road to Dominion shows, nor for the Dominion event itself. Dominion will take place on Sunday, June 6 in Osaka-Jo Hall.
El Desperado won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title tonight for the first time on the second night of NJPW Castle Attack in Osaka-jo Hall.
Desperado pinned El Phantasmo in a match that also featured BUSHI. The finish had BUSHI being taken out by ELP’s loaded boot. Desperado then got the better of ELP, pinning him after two Pinche Locos (angel’s wings).
This marks the first Junior title win for El Desperado. He also won the IWGP Junior Tag Team titles with Yoshinobu Kanemaru on February 25, winning that championship for the third time.
The match at tonight’s Castle Attack event was originally set to be a singles match between Hiromu Takahashi and El Phantasmo. However, Takahashi had to vacate the Junior title after tearing his left pectoral muscle, putting him out of action for the next six months. When vacating the title, Takahashi asked BUSHI to take his place. The match was later announced as a three-way, also including Desperado.
El Phantasmo, BUSHI and El Desperado will square off for the vacant IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at Sunday’s NJPW Castle Attack event. NJPW made the announcement this evening.
The Jr. Heavyweight title was officially vacated at today’s Road to Castle Attack event at Korakuen Hall. Former champ Hiromu Takahashi announced that he was unable to make his scheduled title defense on Sunday against El Phantasmo and asked that BUSHI take his place in a match for the vacant belt.
In today’s main event, Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori to capture the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles. Desperado then cut a promo asking to either be added to the match with ELP and BUSHI or to face the winner of that bout at the March 4 NJPW Anniversary event.
Phantasmo then hit Desperado with a Sudden Death superkick. BUSHI ran in and laid out ELP with a codebreaker to complete the three-way angle.
Desperado tied for the block lead in the 2020 Best of the Super Juniors tournament and scored wins over both Hiromu and BUSHI on the tour before falling to Hiromu in the BOSJ Finals. Phantasmo won both the 2019 and 2020 Super J-Cup tournaments.
Sunday’s Castle Attack show will feature four title matches. Here is the lineup for both nights of Castle Attack:
Saturday, February 27, 2 a.m. Eastern time on NJPW World
Hiromu Takahashi has officially vacated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title.
At today’s Road to Castle Attack event, Hiromu came out to start the show. He said that for the sake of the junior heavyweight division, he would relinquish the title. He then asked BUSHI to wrestle in his place at Castle Attack on February 28 against El Phantasmo.
Takahashi tore his left pectoral muscle on February 19, during a match where he teamed with Shingo Takagi to defeat Tomoaki Honma and Kota Ibushi. After initially being taken off the tour for evaluation, it was announced that he would miss up to six months due to the injury.
Tetsuya Naito, who has been out of action with a knee injury, returns on tonight’s show at Korakuen Hall, teaming with Shingo Takagi and SANADA to take on Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata, and Tomoaki Honma. He will face Kota Ibushi for the IWGP Intercontinental title as scheduled on February 28.
An IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team title match has been announced for the final night of NJPW’s Road to Castle Attack tour.
The Road to Castle Attack tour is taking place from Sunday, February 14 to Thursday, February 25. The final event of the tour will see El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori defend their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles against Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI. At the New Beginning in Hiroshima night one earlier this week, ELP and Ishimori attacked Takahashi after he retained his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against SHO in the main event. BUSHI came out to even the odds, and the title match was set up.
ELP will challenge Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at night two of Castle Attack. Castle Attack is taking place on Saturday, February 27 and Sunday, February 28.
NJPW has also announced that a new Young Lion has been added to their roster. 24-year-old Yuto Nakashima will make his debut on the February 14 Road to Castle Attack show, facing Yuya Uemura.
Nakashima trained for a year at the Fale dojo in New Zealand before moving to NJPW’s dojo in Japan. He has a background in MMA, jiu-jitsu, judo, and water polo.
Kidd and Tsuji have been regular opponents on this tour and began with an intense striking battle. Kidd got the upper hand at first, but Tsuji came back with a slam and took over with a series of forearms.
Uemura got a tag and used a kravate and a chinlock. Tsuji tagged back in for a slam and a near fall. Kidd avoided a vertical suplex. Tsuji hammered away again with forearms. Kidd reversed an Irish whip and hit a dropkick.
Taguchi got a tag and hit Uemura and Tsuji with hip attacks. Taguchi hit a springboard hip attack to Tsuji for a two count. Tsuji blocked three amigos and hit a vertical suplex.
Uemura tagged in and traded strikes with Taguchi. Tsuji entered and hit a splash. Uemura hit an elbow drop for a two count, then got a Boston crab applied. Kidd saved for Taguchi. Tsuji speared Kidd and they brawled to the floor.
Taguchi blocked an overhook suplex. Taguchi tripped Uemura and used an ankle lock. Uemura escaped, then used a roll-up for two.
Taguchi hit Dodon for the pin.
Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano defeated EVIL, Jay White & Yujiro Takahashi (w/Dick Togo & Gedo) (11:07)
The post-match here was better than the match itself.
Bullet Club attacked as soon as their opponents entered the ring. White and Ishii began as the legal men. White hit a series of strikes. Ishii no-sold. White tried to escaped to the outside, but Okada threw him back in. Gedo distracted Ishii and White hit a dragon screw in the ropes to take control of the bout.
White used an inverted dragon screw and tagged Yujiro. Ishii went to the outside to go after White again. EVIL saved and White choked Ishii with a camera cable. Togo exposed a buckle. Ishii repeatedly got sent into the buckle.
White tagged back in for some strikes and a suplex. Ishii managed a tag to Okada. EVIL tagged in for a sequence with Okada. Togo distracted Okada and EVIL threw Okada into the barricade. Back inside, Okada blocked a fisherman buster and sent EVIL into the exposed buckle.
Yujiro tagged in and ate an Okada flapjack. Okada tagged Yano. Yano exposed a second buckle, then got sent into it himself. Yujiro hit a sliding dropkick and neckbreaker for two.
White and Ishii jumped in. Ishii hit White with a German suplex. Okada hit a big boot on Yujiro. Togo tripped Yano. Yano sent Yujiro into Togo, then hit a low blow and a schoolboy on Yujiro for the pin.
Ishii attacked White after the match and sent him into the barricade. Hirooki Goto jumped up from the commentary table and joined in the attack on White. EVIL attacked Okada with a chair.
Goto and Ishii stood over White with their NEVER Six-Man titles. White went crazy and attacked ringside attendants Kidd and Tsuji with chair shots.
Bullet Club worked the match in their t-shirts to give you some idea of how seriously they were taking this match.
The story of the G.O.D. vs. Dangerous Tekkers feud is that G.O.D. have stolen Taichi’s iron fingers. Taichi attacked Tama Tonga, who had a satchel that appeared to contain the fingers. Taichi opened the satchel and there was a toilet paper roll inside.
Ishimori and Desperado tagged in. Jado hit Desperado with a kendo stick from the floor. Tama hit Desperado with the toilet paper. Desperado was isolated in Bullet Club’s half of the ring and they took turns working him over.
Sabre and Tanga tagged in. Sabre got hit with a spear and they did a double down. ELP and DOUKI tagged in. DOUKI, Desperado and Kanemaru tripled up on ELP. Jado saved for ELP. DOUKI got two quick near falls on ELP.
ELP then hit a superkick with the loaded boot and pinned DOUKI.
SHO blocked a shotgun dropkick from Hiromu with a spear at the opening bell and they were off to the races. Honma and SHO doubled up on Hiromu. SHO got an armbar, but Hiromu forced a rope break. Honma and SHO cut Hiromu off in their half of the ring.
Hiromu went outside after SHO. Naito entered and used a camel clutch on Honma. Hiromu and Naito then used quick tags in isolating Honma. Honma came back with a vertical suplex on Naito.
SHO and Hiromu tagged in. SHO hit a suplex for a near fall, then got another armbar applied. Hiromu forced a rope break. SHO continued attacking Hiromu’s left arm. Hiromu got D applied. SHO fought the hold for a long time, then finally broke it with a one-armed powerbomb.
Honma and Naito got tags. Honma hit a DDT and a bulldog. Honma missed a kokeshi. Naito and Hiromu double teamed Honma and hit double dropkicks for a two count. Honma hit a superplex on Naito, then used a lariat for a near fall.
Hiromu and SHO got in. Hiromu hit a pop-up powerbomb on SHO. Naito then hit Destino and pinned Honma.
Hiromu and SHO had a nice face-off after the match. Somehow Hiromu’s BOSJ trophy got broken off-camera.
SANADA & BUSHI defeated Kota Ibushi & Master Wato (18:47)
This was a fun main event to cap a very good show.
Wato and BUSHI began by locking up. Wato hit a tornillo and gained the upper hand in their battle. Ibushi and Wato traded tags and continued working on BUSHI. SANADA saved with a dropkick to the knee and the match broke down into a brawl around the ringside area with LIJ in control.
SANADA and Wato ended up the legal men. SANADA used a paradise lock. BUSHI got a tag in the plus position and used an STF and a knee breaker. SANADA tagged in and got hit with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker.
Ibushi got a tag and hit a springboard dropkick and a plancha on SANADA. SANADA hit his own plancha for a near fall. SANADA hit a hurricanrana. They traded strikes. Ibushi avoided a TKO. SANADA used an O’Connor roll to set up Skull End. Ibushi slid out and hit a high kick.
Ibushi missed with a Kamigoye. Ibushi blocked a dragon screw. SANADA blocked a v-trigger and hit a back suplex. BUSHI tagged in for a missile dropkick. Ibushi blocked a swinging neckbreaker and hit a v-trigger before tagging out.
BUSHI and Wato did a series of teases and counters. BUSHI hit a dropkick and a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Wato hit recientemente into a double down. BUSHI hit a dropkick to the knee and a DDT.
SANADA tagged in as the match worked towards the climax. Wato hit an interfering BUSHI with a rana. Ibushi hit SANADA with a flying mid kick. Wato and Ibushi hit dueling high kicks for a near fall.
BUSHI hit a codebreaker on Wato. Ibushi got sent outside and hit with a BUSHI tope suicida. Wato used two quick cradles for near falls.
SANADA used a spinning Skull End. While BUSHI held Ibushi at bay, Wato tapped out and SANADA got the submission victory.
SANADA closed the show with a promo. The arena lights were turned down and the crowd lit up the house with their cell phones for a cool visual.
This was a fun brawl to kick off the show. The highlight was the interaction between Suzuki and Uemura.
The Suzuki-gun side attacked before the opening bell. The babyface side was able to withstand the attack at first. Uemura and Suzuki brawled outside and Suzuki sold big for Uemura with his facial expressions.
Tiger Mask got cut off in the ring after a pipe shot from DOUKI while the referee was distracted. Makabe got a hot tag and hit ten punches and a northern lights suplex on Suzuki. Suzuki used a Fujiwara armbar. The two traded strikes.
Uemura and Desperado tagged in for the closing sequence. Uemura got a couple of near falls off quick cradles. Desperado used the ref as a distraction to set up his illegal right hand and a Pinche Loco for the pin.
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan went to a no-contest with Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima (3:39)
This was a continuation of the finish of last night’s match between these two teams and more of an angle than a match.
No Bea Priestley tonight for United Empire.
O-Khan threw the ref out of the ring before Tenzan and Kojima had even entered. O-Khan and Ospreay attacked as Kojima and Tenzan made their way to the ring.
All four brawled on the outside. The referee lost complete control. O-Khan and Tenzan got in the ring and traded chops. Ospreay entered with a chair and hit Tenzan. The ref waved off the match. It was ruled a no-contest for whatever reason rather than a DQ.
Ospreay and O-Khan brought a stack of chairs into the ring. Kojima made the save for Tenzan with a chair and United Empire made a united retreat.
This was practically the same middling undercard tag that some combination of opponents have had with this Bullet Cub trio on every night of the tour, only Bullet Club came away with a win tonight.
Yujiro began with Goto and tried to get the advantage with biting. Okada and YH saved and they did some comedy. Togo and EVIL cleared the CHAOS apron.
EVIL used YH’s staff as a weapon on Okada. Yujiro hit Goto with his pimp cane. Togo choked YH with a camera cable. Okada got a hot tag and made a comeback on Yujiro. EVIL and Yujiro cut Okada off. Okada hit a big boot to EVIL and tagged YH.
Goto and YH hit some tandem offense on EVIL. EVIL took the ref. Yujiro jumped in with his cane. Togo choked YH with his ligature. EVIL hit Everything is EVIL and pinned YH.
If you’ve been watching the entire tour, then this match rewarded you for paying attention as it paid off the Naito/Honma interactions that have been going on. If not, enjoy the Hiromu/SHO stuff.
LIJ immediately turned this into a brawl around ringside. Honma missed a kokeshi on Naito in the ring and Naito and Hiromu sent their opponents into the barricade repeatedly. Honma ended up cut off in the ring.
Naito used a crucifix on Honma on the mat while Hiromu kept SHO away. Honma forced a break and hit a vertical suplex. SHO and Hiromu got tags and went a thousand miles an hour. SHO hit a spear and a series of lariats. The two had a long striking battle. Hiromu hit a pop-up powerbomb into a double down.
Naito and Honma tagged in and brawled. Naito teased a top rope frankensteiner but Honma escaped. Hiromu entered for a double dropkick and a near fall. Honma hit a diving kokeshi to Naito. SHO and Honma doubled up on Naito and Honma hit a cannonball for a two count.
The finish was unique. Naito hit a step-up enzuigiri. Hiromu jumped in to hit a thrust kick. Naito then used a jackknife cradle on Honma and pinned him.
Naito and Hiromu did some goofing off after the match that was pretty entertaining.
This was a good main event that picked up steam as it went along after a slow start.
Ibushi and SANADA began with a sequence of chain wrestling that was not particularly inspired. Both fought off attempts at the paradise lock. Ibushi hit a dropkick and tagged out. Wato knocked BUSHI off the apron and then hit a sloppy backbreaker on SANADA.
Tanahashi tagged in to face SANADA. Shingo tripped Tana from the floor and the LIJ rout was on. All six brawled around ringside. Shingo and Tana ended up back in as the legal men. Tana was cut off in the LIJ half of the ring.
Shingo and Tana traded strikes. Shingo got the upper hand. Tana hit a dragon screw but Shingo no-sold and tried a pumping bomber. Tana ducked and hit a second dragon screw and Shingo sold the impact of both. Shingo tagged out.
Tana tried to cradle SANADA. Ibushi tagged in for a mid kick and a standing moonsault for a near fall o his next challenger. SANADA busted out the leapfrog dropkick and hit Ibushi with a plancha. Back in, SANADA used a TKO threat to set up a Skull End attempt. Ibushi hit a high kick and both fell down.
Wato and BUSHI got tags. Wato used a dreamcast for a near fall. They traded kicks. BUSHI hit a rewind kick. Wato hit a jumping knee strike. They traded palm strikes. Wato hit another dreamcast before tagging Tana back in.
Tana dispatched an interfering Shingo with a slap. Shingo and SANADA climbed back in to triple up on Tana. BUSHI hit a backstabber for a near fall. SANADA and Ibushi, Shingo and Wato brawled to the floor.
Tana hit a twist and shout, slingblade, then used a cloverleaf. Shingo teased breaking the hold with a pumping bomber. Wato was supposed to hit him with a springboard forearm but slipped coming off the ropes. Wato saved as well as he could, then hit Shingo with a forearm and a 619.
With the cloverleaf still applied, BUSHI tapped out.
Tanahashi, Ibushi and Wato played air guitar to close the show.
This was the quickest show of this loop at roughly 110 minutes.
**********
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Satoshi Kojima & Yota Tsuji (8:36)
There was some good action in this one as Ospreay worked the bulk of the match for his team.
Kojima and Tsuji attacked before the opening bell. Tsuji was quickly cut off when O-Khan grabbed an anaconda vice. O-Khan worked Tsuji over with his wacky offense. Ospreay tagged in and continued the attack.
Kojima got a tag and hit machine gun chops to Ospreay. O-Khan blocked a top rope elbow attempt from Kojima. Ospreay hit Kojima with pip pip cheerio. Kojima blocked a Storm Breaker attempt and took Ospreay down with a cutter.
Tsuji tagged in and hit a back bodydrop and a vertical suplex on Ospreay for a near fall. He followed with a splash for another two count as O-Khan made the save for Ospreay. O-Khan and Kojima exchanged Mongolian chops and rolled outside.
Ospreay hit a bloody sunday on Tsuji. Kojima broke up the ensuing pin attempt. Tsuji connected with a spear to Ospreay. Ospreay blocked a slam attempt and hit a hook kick and an Oscutter for the pin.
O-Khan did his United Empire roll call promo after the match.
Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, Gedo & Jado defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI (10:42)
This was the third garbage brawl between these teams in as many nights and the worst match of the bunch. ELP’s loaded boot was again the story of the bout.
Kanemaru fell victim to the loaded boot after Bullet Club attacked before the bell rang. Bullet Club isolated Kanemaru and worked over his abdomen. Suzuki tried to save but got sent outside by Gedo and Jado.
ELP and Ishimori did a lot of their comedy offense. Kanemaru managed a low dropkick to Gedo and tagged Suzuki. Suzuki hit a penalty kick on Gedo for a near fall.
Jado saved for Gedo. Suzuki put Jado in a Fujiwara armbar. ELP saved for Jado. Suzuki blocked a shot from ELP’s boot and put him in a kneebar. ELP rolled outside. Desperado tagged in and got hit with a kendo stick from the floor.
Ishimori tagged in and hit a seated senton on Desperado. Kanemaru jumped in for a double team. ELP got a tag and stomped on Desperado with the loaded boot. DOUKI tagged in to set up the closing sequence.
DOUKI hit Daybreak for a near fall, but Ishimori made the save for ELP. Gedo jumped in with brass knuckles. Jado entered with a kendo stick. DOUKI brought his pipe into the ring.
ELP hit a superkick with the loaded boot for the pin.
Suzuki put Jado in an armbar on the floor after the match, just for giggles. ELP and Ishimori briefly posed with the IWGP Jr. Tag belts after the win.
This was a fine little brawl. Goto looked especially good here.
Bullet Club used a jumpstart attack and sent Okada and YH outside while they worked on Goto. Goto made a heck of a comeback and beat on all three Bullet Club guys. Togo tripped him from the outside to shift the momentum back in Bullet Club’s favor.
They brawled around ringside. EVIL used a chair to choke Okada. Goto was worked over for several minutes. Goto and Yujiro hit simultaneous lariats into a double down. Okada got a tag and hit some signature offense on Yujiro. EVIL tagged in and got hit by an Okada air raid crash.
YH tagged in. YH and Goto hit EVIL with some tandem offense, including a thrust kick into an ushigoroshi. The match broke down and everyone jumped in for a big move. YH used a lariat and a butterfly lock on EVIL. Togo jumped on the apron with a chair for the distraction save.
EVIL hit a low blow and Everything is EVIL on YH for the pin.
SANADA & Tetsuya Naito defeated Kota Ibushi & Tomoaki Honma (13:07)
Ibushi and SANADA began by locking up. Ibushi broke cleanly against the ropes. Ibushi gained the advantage with a mid kick, then tagged Honma. Ibushi jumped back in for a double team. Honma and Ibushi missed a double kokeshi, allowing LIJ to take control of the bout.
Naito tagged in and toyed with Honma. He hit a series of back elbows to the neck, softening up Honma for a later Destino. Naito and SANADA exchanged tags and kept the pressure on Honma. Naito used a kravate on the mat and hit a basement dropkick for a near fall. Honma came back with a diving kokeshi.
SANADA and Ibushi got tags. Ibushi hit a back elbow and a standing moonsault for a near fall. SANADA hit a dropkick to Ibushi’s left knee. Ibushi tried a sunset flip, but found himself stuck in the paradise lock. SANADA used a dropkick for a near fall.
Ibushi avoided a moonsault attempt and a TKO attempt, but SANADA hit a magic screw to reset the match. Naito and Honma got tags to set up the finish.
Honma hit a vertical suplex for a two count. SANADA interfered. Honma hit a combination complete shot/DDT on both and used a kokeshi for a near fall. Ibushi entered to double up on Naito. Honma hit a lariat for another near fall.
Honma teased a top rope kokeshi, but SANADA cut him off at the pass. Naito teased a reverse frankensteiner, but Honma blocked, thank goodness. SANADA and Naito hit double dropkicks on Honma. Ibushi tried to save but SANADA threw him out of the ring.
Naito hit a step-up enzuigiri. Honma hit a headbutt. Naito blocked a lariat and hit Destino for the pin.
Naito threw Honma into the barricade after the match. He legitimately seemed angry that he had to work with Honma on a third straight show.
SANADA and Ibushi did some crowd work after the match.
This was another fun main event. The finish was awesome and very creative as well.
SHO and Hiromu started out. Hiromu hit an immediate shotgun dropkick. They traded tackles. SHO used two misdirection spots to hit another shoulder tackle. Tanahashi tagged in and used a cobra twist on Hiromu.
SHO tagged in for a strike exchange. BUSHI entered for the illegal double team and LIJ took control of the match. They cut SHO off and all three worked him over. Hiromu tagged back in for another nice exchange with SHO. SHO managed a spear and a tag to Wato.
Wato peppered BUSHI with kicks. They traded strikes. BUSHI hit a rewind kick and a swinging neckbreaker into a double down.
Shingo and Tanahashi tagged in. Tanahashi avoided a combination of strikes and hit a second rope crossbody. Shingo fought off three dragon screw attempts. Tana ducked a sliding lariat. Shingo came back with his own dragon screw. Tana fought off a cloverleaf attempt, but Shingo answered with a sliding lariat.
They traded strikes. Shingo blocked a slingblade and hit a suplex. Tanahashi popped up and hit slingblade into a double down. These guys are incredible.
Wato got a tag and cleared the LIJ apron. Wato hit a dreamcast on Shingo. SHO jumped in for a double team. Shingo hit a double lariat. Wato ducked a short lariat. Shingo got the short lariat on his second attempt.
SHO entered. Hiromu tried a hurricanrana on him, but SHO blocked and hit a lariat. BUSHI hit a step-up enzuigiri on SHO. Tanahashi hit a slingblade on BUSHI. Shingo hit a lariat out of the corner on Tanahashi.
With the deck cleared, Shingo and Wato were set for the finish. Wato hit a crucifix bomb for a two count. Wato used another crucifix for a near fall.
For the finish, Wato tried a dreamcast. Shingo caught the kick and plucked Wato out of the air, then hit Last of the Dragon for the pin.
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Master Wato vs. Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
Report —
Just like last night, this show ran just under two hours, including a long opening video package and a brief intermission. They announced an attendance of 694 for Sunday’s show. No number has been announced yet for today’s show, but the building looked much more empty.
The show itself was very much like last night’s, but with a few minor tweaks to the lineup.
**********
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Satoshi Kojima & Yuya Uemura (9:13)
A solid opener.
United Empire attacked before the opening bell. Kojima and Ospreay fought outside while O-Khan and Uemura began as the legal men. Kojima recovered and helped Uemura double suplex O-Khan for a two count.
Uemura quickly found himself cut off and being worked over in Empire’s corner. He made a comeback with palm strikes to the chest and a dropkick. O-Khan and Uemura tagged out.
Kojima lit up both Ospreay and O-Khan with strikes. Kojima took the Flair press slam bump off the top rope from O-Khan, who stopped him from hitting an elbow. Kojima answered with DDTs to both. Ospreay teased a Storm Breaker. Kojima blocked and hit a cutter into a double down.
Uemura tagged in and hit Ospreay with a flying forearm. He went for a double overhook suplex, but Ospreay blocked by biting his ear. Ospreay then hit a back suplex and tagged out.
Ospreay and O-Khan double-teamed Uemura. Kojima broke up a pinfall after a what-a-maneuver by O-Khan. Ospreay took out Kojima with a hook kick.
Uemura used two quick cradles for near falls. He teased a running forearm, but O-Khan hit a pump kick and Dominator for the pin.
O-Khan did his United Empire roll call promo after the match.
Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI defeated Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, Gedo & Jado (9:48)
Suzuki-gun made their intentions clear as soon as they stepped through the curtain — They were mad about losing last night to ELP’s loaded boot and they were here for revenge.
They attacked as soon as they got into the ring and cut Gedo off. Jado used a kendo stick shot on DOUKI to turn the momentum in Bullet Club’s favor. A bad match ensued.
Jado couldn’t get DOUKI up for a suplex then took a bad-looking bump on a DDT. Desperado, Kanemaru, Ishimori and ELP did their best to save the bout with a nice exchange. Gedo tagged in and immediately tried to drag the match quality back down.
Desperado used a spinebuster on Gedo for a near fall, then used Numero Dos for the submission.
EVIL and Togo began the match with an illegal double team on Okada. Yujiro tagged in and got nailed by an Okada elbow drop. Okada tagged out to YH. YH hit a neckbreaker for a two count. Togo kicked YH from the apron.
YH fell victim to a hot shot across the top rope from Yujiro. Bullet Club turned the bout into a brawl around ringside. EVIL used a chair on Okada. Back inside, YH was isolated in Bullet Club’s half of the ring. Togo, EVIL and Yujiro used quick tags in working him over.
YH hit a vertical suplex to Yujiro and tagged Ishii. Ishii ran wild briefly, before Yujiro used a face rake and a low dropkick to stop his momentum. Yujiro bit Ishii’s hand. Ishii hit a stiff forearm shot. Yujiro countered with an inverted DDT.
EVIL tagged in and sent Ishii into an exposed turnbuckle. Ishii charged out of the corner and dropped EVIL with a lariat. Okada tagged in and hit a flapjack. Okada applied the Money Clip. EVIL broke the hold, by ramming Okada into the corner, then used his Darkness Scorpion. Okada forced a rope break.
Togo tripped Okada from the floor, then raced to tag himself in. Bullet Club tripled up on Okada. EVIL hit a fisherman buster.Togo covered for a near fall.
Everyone jumped in for a big move near the finish. Togo raked Okada’s eyes, but then ran right into a dropkick. Okada locked on the Money Clip and Togo submitted.
This was a fine little match, but nothing you need to go out of your way to see.
SHO and Hiromu began with a striking exchange. SHO got the upper hand. Naito intervened and hit an inverted atomic drop. The LIJ rout was on from there.
SHO came back with a double spear to Naito and Hiromu. Ibushi and SANADA got tags. Ibushi hit a flying mid kick and a standing moonsault for a near fall. Ibushi tried his best to engage the small crowd.
SANADA turned a standing moonsault attempt of his own into a dropkick in a cool spot. Ibushi fought off a paradise lock attempt. SANADA fought off a paradise lock attempt by Ibushi, but then ran into an Ibushi dropkick.
Honma tagged in. He hit a kokeshi on SANADA for a near fall. SANADA raked Honma’s face. Honma avoided a dropkick and hit a diving kokeshi. Hiromu broke up the pin, then hit a pop-up powerbomb on SHO.
LIJ triple teamed Honma and hit a triple dropkick. SANADA teased Skull end, but Honma cradled him for a two count. SANADA hit a magic screw for a near fall.
For the finish, SANADA locked on Skull End with a body scissors and Honma tapped out.
This has to be the first sub-fifteen minute NJPW main event in some time.
Master Wato and BUSHI started out. Wato got a little bit of momentum going with some kicks, but Shingo tripped him from the outside and this quickly became a one-sided affair. BUSHI and Shingo worked on Wato.
Shingo would take some shots at Tana on the apron when he was in working on Wato. Wato hit a jumping kick to Shingo, allowing Tanahashi to get his first crack at Shingo.
Tana went for a cloverleaf on Shingo, but BUSHI broke it up. Tana took BUSHI out with a dragon screw, then hit a senton on Shingo. Shingo came back with a back suplex, then tagged out.
BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. Tanahashi hit a second rope crossbody and tagged Wato back in. Wato hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and a series of kicks. Wato hit a dreamcast and recientemente for a near fall. BUSHI answered with a rewind kick and a backstabber. Both made tags.
Shingo and Tana traded strikes, then traded twist and shouts. They are going to tear the house down in their singles match, they have great chemistry.
Tana and Shingo traded more strikes, then traded slaps. Shingo went for a pumping bomber. Tana turned it into a slingblade. Shingo popped right back up and hit a lariat into a double down.
BUSHI and Shingo doubled up on Tana. Shingo assisted in a BUSHI backstabber for a near fall as Wato saved. Tana blocked a swinging neckbreaker and hit a dragon screw, then used a cloverleaf. Shingo broke that up with a lariat.
Shingo hit Tana with strikes. He tried a pumping bomber, but Tana ducked and Wato hit a springboard attack and a tornillo dive on Shingo.
Tana then hit a slingblade and a High Fly Flow on BUSHI for the pin. A great main event.
Tanahashi and Shingo had a brief face-off after the match. Tana then closed the show with a promo and an air guitar duet with Master Wato.
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan (w/Bea Priestley) vs. Satoshi Kojima & Yota Tsuji
Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & Hirooki Goto vs. EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo
SHO & Master Wato vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
Report —
Due to a COVID-related state of emergency being declared in Tokyo until February 7, the show began a half hour earlier than usual at 4 a.m. Eastern.
This was also a five-match card rather than the traditional six as there is a recommended 8 p.m. curfew in Tokyo (6 a.m. Eastern).
**********
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Satoshi Kojima & Yota Tsuji (8:38)
This was an entertaining opener.
Kojima and Ospreay began, as Kojima wanted revenge for Ospreay kayfabe injuring Hiroyoshi Tenzan. Kojima got the better of a quick striking battle and hit a tackle.
Tsuji and O-Khan tagged in. I like the O-Khan character but his wrestling leaves a lot to be desired. He’s very unorthodox and not in a good way. O-Khan cut Tsuji off and repeatedly picked him and dropped him on the mat. There was a fair amount of squeezing.
Ospreay got a tag and took a back bodydrop. Kojima tagged in and hit some machine gun chops and a top rope elbow for a near fall. Ospreay’s bumping and feeding is the weakest part of his game besides his dollar store Ric Flair gimmick.
Ospreay cut Kojima off with a kick to the bread club and a vertical suplex. O-Khan tagged in and hit some Mongolian chops. Kojima came back with a cutter and tagged out.
Tsuji and O-Khan squared off. Tsuji is significantly better than O-Khan. Kojima jumped in for a double team. Tsuji used a splash for a near fall. Ospreay jumped in and traded strikes with Kojima. Ospreay blocked a lariat with a high kick, then hit a hook kick.
Tsuji used a unique pinning combination for a near fall on O-Khan. O-Khan cut him off with a big boot, then hit the Dominator for the pin.
O-Khan did his United Empire roll call promo after the match.
Taiji Ishimori, El Phantasmo, Gedo & Jado defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru & DOUKI (9:23)
The key to this one was continuing to get ELP’s loaded boot over.
It’s typically fun to watch NJPW’s heel stables wrestle each other, just because there’s no depth that they won’t sink to in trying to win.
This match was the exception to that rule. Ishimori and ELP are fantastic wrestlers who are handicapped by being placed in the Bullet Club job squad. Gedo is a fine in small doses. Jado has significant balance issues and should not be in the ring.
Suzuki-gun started brawling before the opening bell. Bullet Club got the upper hand when ELP hit Kanemaru in the leg with the loaded boot. Bullet Club worked Kanemaru over with comedy back rakes and such.
There was a cool finish. DOUKI went for Daybreak, but came off with a springboard into an ELP superkick with the loaded boot for the pin.
With Jay White on hiatus, EVIL has borrowed his stalling routine.
Yujiro and Goto began as the legal men. Yujiro bit Goto’s hand. Ishii tagged in and demanded that Togo do so as well. Ishii and Togo doing spots together gave me life. This ruled.
EVIL jumped in to try to double up on Ishii. Instead, Okada and Goto saved. EVIL tripped Ishii from the floor, finally allowing Bullet Club to turn this into a brawl more suited to their style. EVIL used a chair on Okada on the floor.
Ishii ended up cut off in the Bullet Club corner. Ishii was whipped into an exposed turnbuckle. Ishii avoided a second whip into the buckle. EVIL ran sternum-first into the exposed steel, allowing Ishii to tag Okada.
Okada had a great hot tag here. He ran wild with elbow strikes and back elbows on EVIL. Okada teased an air raid crash neckbreaker, but EVIL used a hair pull and a trip from Yujiro on the floor to regain command and tagged Togo.
Okada hit a flapjack on Togo. Goto got a tag. Goto tried a misdirection lariat, but soon fell victim to a 3-on-1 from Bullet Club. Togo got a near fall off an EVIL fisherman buster to Goto.
Things broke down as the finish approached. Togo grabbed his ligature. Okada saved. EVIL took out Okada. Goto rebounded and hit an ushigoroshi and a GTR on Togo, then pinned him.
These guys were up first after intermission. SANADA entered last for the LIJ squad. It will be interesting to see if Naito being phased down is just for the short term.
This was not a good night for Naito and Honma in the ring. Someone could have been seriously injured.
Shingo and Tanahashi began. Shingo teased a clean break against the ropes, then tried a wild chop. Tana ducked, then hit a second rope crossbody. Naito interfered from the apron and LIJ took over.
SANADA got a tag and got the paradise lock on Tana. Naito tagged in and used a kravate. Tanahashi knocked Shingo down on the apron with a wild swing. Shingo then tagged back in and the two traded strikes.
Ibushi and SANADA got tags. Ibushi scored a knockdown with a forearm, then used a high kick and a standing moonsault for a two count. SANADA hit a dropkick to the left knee and a follow-up plancha as Ibushi rolled outside.
Ibushi avoided a springboard attack and hit a flying mid kick. Ibushi teased a last ride. SANADA escaped and tried to lock in a dragon sleeper. Ibushi hit a high kick into a double down. Honma tagged in and hit a series of strikes and a bulldog.
Honma missed a kokeshi, allowing SANADA to tag Naito. Naito hit some trademark offense on Honma, then used a crucifix. Tanahashi broke the hold. Shingo entered and took Tanahashi out. Naito tried a Destino. Honma was supposed to reverse, but stumbled. Naito and Honma stumbled around and fell into a turnbuckle.
Tanahashi hit a slingblade on Naito. SANADA took out Tana. Honma missed a top rope kokeshi. Naito and Honma were supposed to do something else, but again they stumbled and fell down. Naito looked like he was really mad with how the match was going here.
SANADA and Naito hit a double dropkick on Honma. Naito then used Destino and pinned Honma.
SANADA and Ibushi stared each other down after the match.
Wato and BUSHI began. Wato immediately knocked Hiromu off the apron with a running boot. Hiromu answered by hitting a sunset bomb. BUSHI tagged out and Hiromu began working on Wato in the LIJ corner. Hiromu knocked SHO off the apron for good measure.
BUSHI got a tag and used an STF, but Wato forced a rope break. Hiromu and BUSHI continued to use quick tags in working Wato over.
SHO got a hot tag and ran wild on Hiromu. Hiromu sold big for him. SHO hit a spear and began working on Hiromu’s left arm, looking to set up the Shock Arrow or the cross armbreaker. SHO hit a vertical suplex for a two count.
Hiromu tried to take SHO’s back. SHO threw him off and got the cross armbreaker. Hiromu reversed the hold into a cradle for a two count. They did a series of counters and reversals. Hiromu hit a superkick into a double down.
Hiromu tried a Dynamite Plunger. SHO blocked and hit a big forearm strike. They traded stiff forearm shots. Hiromu blinked first, as SHO knocked him into the ropes with a strike. Hiromu popped up and they kept trading. Hiromu knocked SHO into the ropes with a strike.
After another striking sequence, SHO hit a lariat into a double down. Both tagged out. Wato lit BUSHI up with kicks and a springboard uppercut forearm for a two count. BUSHI blocked a recientemente attempt and hit a DDT.
BUSHI hit a missile dropkick. Wato blocked a codebreaker and hit a slingblade. Wato climbed to the top rope, but Hiromu shoved him off to the mat. BUSHI hit a missile dropkick with Wato draped over the ropes. BUSHI hit a DDT on the apron.
Hiromu entered for a double team. SHO hit Hiromu with a German suplex. BUSHI hit a codebreaker on SHO. Wato hit a dreamcast on BUSHI. All four were down in the ring at this point.
BUSHI and Wato climbed to their feet and traded strikes. Wato hit a jumping knee strike. BUSHI hit a rewind kick and a destroyer, but SHO saved. BUSHI and Hiromu took out SHO with a double sunset flip.
BUSHI suplexed Wato into a powerbomb from Hiromu, then covered for a near fall. BUSHI tried to set something up, but Wato reversed into a jackknife cradle and stole the pin.
Hiromu and SHO had a staredown over the IWGP Jr. title after the bell.
Wato and SHO both cut short promos in the ring after their win.
Including the opening video package and the intermission, the show was done in an hour and 53 minutes.
The participants for this year’s Best of the Super Juniors 27 tournament have been announced
This year’s format is a dramatic change from last year’s tournament. Instead of two blocks and twenty entrants, this year there is only one block with ten wrestlers. The top two wrestlers who score the most points will meet each other in the finals.
Most of this year’s participants are NJPW regulars. Robbie Eagles, who has not appeared on a New Japan Pro Wrestling card since the COVID-19 pandemic, will make his return on this tour. Master Wato, who returned from excursion earlier this year, will make his Best of the Super Juniors debut.
The ten participants for this year’s tournament include:
Ryusuke Taguchi
Master Wato
SHO
Robbie Eagles
Hiromu Takahashi
BUSHI
El Desperado
Yoshinobu Kanemaru
DOUKI
Taiji Ishimori
The finals will take place on December 11 at Nippon Budokan.
The tournament, which usually runs in May, will instead run in conjunction with this year’s World Tag League. The original tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
One half of the champions, SHO, appeared at today’s press conference and officially vacated the titles, saying that YOH is unlikely to come back before the end of the year due to a knee injury. SHO had said they would be vacating the titles in a post-match interview at Summer Struggle in Jingu.
As a result, a four team round robin tournament will start on September 3. The two teams who score the most points will face off in the finals of the tournament on September 11.
The following teams will compete:
Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato
Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Taiji Ishimori & Gedo
SHO and YOH had held the titles for 239 days, defeating El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori at Wrestle Kingdom 14 on January 5, their second reign as champions. The duo had successfully defended the title twice before vacating.
NJPW has detailed the stipulations and voting methods for the upcoming KOPW qualifying matches that will take place on August 26.
The company held a press conference this morning that was streamed on NJPW World. Kazuchika Okada was at the press conference to announce the stipulations the participants have chosen for their upcoming matches:
Satoshi Kojima has chosen a finisher’s only match, where Kojima’s lariat or El Desperado’s Pinche Loco will lead to a win. Desperado has chosen the opposite, a no finisher’s match where the lariat or Pinche Loco will lead to a disqualification.
Toru Yano has chosen a two count pinfall match, where a two count pinfall will lead to a win. BUSHI has chosen a five count ring out match, where wrestlers can only win by count out after the referee’s five count.
SHO has chosen a submission match, while SANADA has chosen a no pinfalls, give up only match. Therefore, this match has already been determined to be a submission match.
For Kazuchika Okada vs. Yujiro Takahashi, Okada has chosen a 1 vs. 3 handicap match. Yujiro has chosen a lumberjack match where belts can be used as weapons.
NJPW Global has putoutpolls for the three matches with stipulations still to be determined. The results will be announced next Monday, August 24.
The winners will face each other in a fatal four way match at Summer Struggle in Jingu on August 29, where the winner will become the first provisional champion. Whoever is champion at the end of the year will be named the 2020 KOPW champion.
NJPW’s Road to the New Beginning tour continued today in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.
A NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team title match headlined, while opponents for Sunday’s New Beginning in Osaka show squared off in tag matches underneath.
Here are full results and match recaps:
YUYA UEMURA DEFEATED YOTA TSUJI
Tsuji’s right shoulder was heavily taped. Uemura took most of the match, working over the injured shoulder. Lots of ground work. Solid technical wrestling on display here in the opener.
Uemura used a crab, but Tsuji forced a break. Tsuji got the best of a striking exchange, then continued firing strikes with a grounded Uemura in the ropes.
Tsuji hit the ropes, but ran right into a dropkick. Uemura tried an underhook suplex, Tsuji blocked. Uemura hit the underhook suplex into a bridge on the second attempt for the pin.
EL PHANTASMO DEFEATED GABRIEL KIDD
This was similar to the match these two had last weekend. The two have wrestled before in the U.K. and have good chemistry. ELP gave Kidd a lot more offense than a Young Lion would typically get against a veteran.
Kidd scored a knockdown after a drop down and leapfrog sequence. ELP went to work on Kidd’s back and groin with his comedy stomps and back raking. Kidd came back and hit a dropkick and hit some stomps in the corner.
ELP cut Kidd off with a superkick, then hit a frog splash. ELP had Kidd pinned, but pulled him up after a two count, opting to try for his CR2 instead. Kidd used a jackknife cover for a two count, then an inside cradle for another near fall.
ELP then hit an enzuigiri and used the CR2 for the pin. This was an entertaining variation on the typical Young Lion squash.
These old guys (and Henare) went out there and tried to have the best eight minute undercard tag match of all time. The effort was there. Henare was the only guy who didn’t hit a move off the turnbuckles.
Nakanishi and Henare started out by locking up, then trading strikes. Henare tried to put Nakanishi in his own Argentinian Backbreaker, but Nakanishi fought it off, then hit a spear. Both tagged out.
Tenzan and Honma squared off. Tenzan hit Mongolian chops. Nakanishi entered for an illegal double team. He took a swing at Henare on the apron and hit the referee, who took half a bump. Tenzan hit a kokeshi to Honma. Nakanishi hit a spear.
Honma managed a tag to Henare, who used a slam on Tenzan for a two count. Henare hit Mongolian chops to Tenzan. Tenzan came back with a wheel kick, then tagged Nakanishi.
Nakanishi used a short-arm lariat on Henare, then another lariat for a near fall. Nakanishi put Henare in the Argentinian Backbreaker. Honma jumped in to break it up. Henare hit Nakanishi with a vertical suplex.
Honma and Tenzan tagged back in. Honma ducked a lariat and hit a tackle. Honma hit chops, a bulldog, then a kokeshi. Henare entered for a double team. Honma and Henare hit a combination kokeshi/leg sweep for a near fall.
Nakanishi and Henare brawled on the floor. Honma missed a kokeshi off the second rope and sold his neck. Nakanishi jumped in and hit Honma with a lariat. Nakanishi hit a chop off the top rope to Honma. Tenzan then hit a MOONSAULT to Honma for the pin.
WILL OSPREAY, SHO & YOH DEFEATED ZACK SABRE JR., EL DESPERADO & YOSHINOBU KANEMARU BY DQ
SHO and YOH defend the Jr. Heavyweight Tag titles against Despy and Kanemaru on Sunday, so the story here was that Kanemaru and Desperado wanted to soften up their opponents.
They had a great brawl, which is probably not what you would expect with these teams. Sabre and Ospreay had a great technical wrestling sequence as well.
Ospreay, SHO and YOH hit stereo pescados just before the opening bell. Ospreay dragged Sabre into the crowd and rammed him into the famed EAST sign.
In the ring, YOH went to work on Kanemaru with strikes. Ospreay got a tag and hit a slam for a near fall. Sabre made it back to the ring and the match broke down into a brawl around ringside. When the dust cleared, Suzuki-gun was in charge, working over SHO’s left leg.
After a lengthy beatdown of SHO, Ospreay and Sabre tagged in. They had a great mat wrestling sequence, trading cradles and clutches for near falls.
YOH and Desperado tagged in and had an intense exchange of slaps and strikes. YOH teased a dragon suplex, but then hit a bridging German for a near fall. YOH went for a falcon arrow. Desperado slipped behind, then hit a misdirection spear.
SHO and Ospreay jumped in to save YOH. Ospreay hit a mid kick and a standing corkscrew moonsault for a near fall, with Kanemaru and Sabre saving.
SHO and YOH hit stereo knees on Desperado. They tuned up the band for the 3K, but Kanemaru jumped in and spit whiskey in YOH’s eyes. Desperado then used a chair on SHO for the DQ.
Ospreay ran in and cleared the ring. He kicked a chair into Desperado, then kicked Sabre off the apron. Sabre tried to run back in and hit Ospreay with a chair, but Ospreay blocked and hit a high kick.
Suzuki-gun used their standard attack before the opening bell. They brawled around ringside and into the crowd. Taichi used a chair on Okada. Makabe was the legal man. They teased a countout, but Makabe made it back in.
Taichi choked Makabe. Suzuki tagged in and teased a Gotch-style piledriver. Makabe escaped and hit a lariat. Okada got a tag. He laid out Taichi with a DDT, then hit an interfering DOUKI with a flapjack.
Okada missed a Woo dropkick. Taichi answered with a backdrop suplex. Taichi hit a buzzsaw kick for a near fall. Okada escaped a powerbomb attempt and hit a dropkick. Taguchi got a tag and hit a hip attack, then pulled Taichi’s tear-away pants off. Just a tremendous spot.
DOUKI got a tag. Suzuki assisted with a double team. DOUKI hit a springboard double stomp for a near fall. Makabe jumped in and hit a double lariat. Okada hit a shotgun dropkick to Taichi on the apron.
DOUKI went for suplex de la luna, but Taguchi used a victory roll for a near fall. Taguchi hit a Bomaye, then used Dodon for the pin.
Suzuki went after the ringside attendants with a chair after the match.
TETSUYA NAITO, SANADA & HIROMU TAKAHASHI DEFEATED KENTA, JAY WHITE & TAIJI ISHIMORI
KENTA and Naito began. KENTA stalled. White attacked Naito from behind, Bullet Club cleared the opposing apron, then stomped Naito down in the ring. They then took the fight into the crowd. Back inside, Ishimori used a neck crank on Naito.
White got a tag and took Naito back outside, where he repeatedly rammed him into the barricade and the ring frame. KENTA got a tag and hit some stomps, then a draping DDT. This was kind of a night off for Naito, as he just laid on the mat and took some stomps most of the way.
KENTA missed a double stomp off the top. SANADA and white got tags. SANADA put Gedo in the paradise lock on the floor. SANADA sent White into the guardrail. Back inside, he tried for the paradise lock on White, but Switchblade blocked.
White pulled SANADA down by the hair, then hit some stomps. White hit a death valley driver for a near fall. White and SANADA did a series of TKO and Blade Buster teases before tagging Ishimori and Hiromu.
Ishimori tried a handspring kick. Hiromu blocked and hit a German, but Ishimori landed on his feet, then hit the handspring kick. White jumped in and hit a Blade Buster. Ishimori covered for a near fall.
KENTA, Naito, White and SANADA brawled to the floor. Ishimori hit Hiromu with a knee strike. Hiromu answered with an overhead throw into the buckle, then tagged Naito. Naito hit a top rope frankensteiner for a near fall.
Naito tried a Destino. KENTA cut him off. SANADA cleared the ring, then LIJ hit a triple dropkick to Ishimori. Naito hit Gloria, then used Destino for the pin on Ishimori.
White and SANADA looked good here, and Ishimori and Hiromu kicked the match into a higher gear near the finish. KENTA and Naito took it relatively easy ahead of their match Sunday.
NEVER OPENWEIGHT SIX-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: SHINGO TAKAGI, EVIL & BUSHI DEFEATED HIROOKI GOTO, TOMOHIRO ISHII & ROBBIE EAGLES TO RETAIN THE TITLES
This was all action from the opening bell. A great main event.
Ishii and EVIL were nominally the legal men, but all six guys jumped in and traded spots in the opening minute. The challengers went three-on-one against EVIL.
Eagles got a tag and hit EVIL with chops and a leg kick. Shingo cut Eagles off from the apron, and LIJ established a three-on-one. Shingo and Ishii fought into the crowd. EVIL worked over Eagles. BUSHI got a tag and continued the work, hitting a missile dropkick.
BUSHI choked Eagles with his t-shirt, then used the shirt to hit a neckbreaker. EVIL tagged in and knocked Goto off the apron, then hit Eagles with his bronco buster senton. Kevin Kelly always calls it a bronco buster, but it’s really more of a seated senton in the corner than a traditional bronco buster.
Shingo tagged in and teased Last of the Dragon. Eagles fought it off, hit a leg lariat, then tagged Ishii. Shingo cut Ishii off before he could even climb into the ring. He caught his leg on the rope, then sold his taped left knee.
Ishii fired up. Shingo and Ishii traded strikes. Ishii killed Shingo with a forearm to the face, then hit a series of forearm strikes to the back of Shingo’s neck. Shingo no-sold a powerslam and hit a lariat.
EVIL got a tag and hit a corner clothesline. Ishii blocked a Darkness Falls attempt and hit a vertical suplex. Goto got a tag. BUSHI and Eagles jumped in. Both sides teased a double suplex, with Goto and Eagles finally hitting one.
Goto used a Saito suplex on EVIL for a near fall. EVIL blocked an ushigoroshi and hit a draping stomp. Goto blocked Darkness Falls. They did a great series of misdirection spots, ending with Goto hitting a lariat.
LIJ jumped in for a triple team. Eagles and Ishii saved. BUSHI hit a tope suicida to Eagles at the fifteen minute call.
EVIL and Goto teased their finishers. EVIL hit the ropes and ran into an ushigoroshi. Ishii then hit a sliding lariat. Goto and Ishii teamed up for an elevated GTR on EVIL for a near fall. Shingo entered and got hit with an Ishii headbutt.
Goto hit EVIL with a mid kick. He tried a GTR, but EVIL reversed it into Darkness Falls. BUSHI and Eagles tagged in for what looked to be the closing sequence.
Eagles hit an elbow strike to BUSHI’s head. Shingo and Ishii entered. Shingo hit a double lariat to Eagles and Ishii. BUSHI hit a backstabber for a near fall on Eagles. Eagles hit a tope suicida to BUSHI. Goto and Ishii hit stereo ushigoroshis on EVIL and Shingo.
Eagles hit a dropkick to BUSHI’s leg. He tried the Ron Miller Special. BUSHI reversed into a cradle for a near fall. Eagles hit Turbo Backpack for another two count.
Eagles locked on the Ron Miller Special. Shingo broke it up with a sliding lariat. EVIL, Shingo, Ishii and Goto jumped in and traded a crazy series of clotheslines at the twenty minute call, ending with all four down on the mat, then rolling outside.
BUSHI hit Eagles with a neckbreaker. He went for MX. Eagles caught him and hit a codebreaker. Eagles hit a 450 to BUSHI’s leg, then locked him in the Ron Miller Special. BUSHI rolled Eagles over, spit black mist in his face, then used an inside cradle for a near fall.
With Eagles blinded by the mist, BUSHI then hit an MX for the pin.
Toru Yano and Ryusuke Taguchi ran in after the match and stole the title belts. Ishii then grabbed the NEVER Openweight belt and challenged Shingo to defend it against him next. Shingo agreed. Hopefully Ishii gets some time to heal up, as those two had a match of the year in G1 last year.
BUSHI cut a promo to close the show. He said they won, but they don’t have the belts, but they’re still the champs.
