El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at today’s Road to Castle Attack event at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
Desperado and Kanemaru defeated El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori in the main event, dethroning the former champs. Desperado pinned Ishimori with a Pinche Loco to win the titles in 20:12.
Desperado and Kanemaru were not originally scheduled for a title match on this tour, but an injury to Hiromu Takahashi left BUSHI and Hiromu unable to challenge for the Jr. Heavyweight titles as planned. Instead, an angle was shot at the February 22 Road to Castle Attack show where Desperado and Kanemaru laid out ELP and Ishimori to set up the title bout.
This reign is the third with the Jr. Tag titles for Desperado and Kanemaru. They most recently lost the titles to ELP and Ishimori at a Road to The New Beginning event on January 23. ELP and Ishimori did not manage a successful defense in their just-ended reign.
NJPW held the final Road to Castle Attack show today in Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
In the main event, El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships, defeating El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori.
To open the show, Hiromu Takahashi vacated the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship and asked that BUSHI wrestle scheduled challenger El Phantasmo for the vacant title on Sunday’s Castle Attack show at Osaka-Jo Hall. After the main event, Desperado cut a promo and asked to be added to ELP vs. BUSHI, or to face the winner at the March 4 NJPW Anniversary show. ELP then laid out Desperado with a Sudden Death superkick. BUSHI would then attack ELP with a codebreaker and posed with the Jr. title belt.
After missing several shows with a knee injury, Tetsuya Naito returned to action on today’s show and wrestled in a six-man. Naito is scheduled to challenge Kota Ibushi for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on Sunday.
Castle Attack takes place this weekend over two nights, with shows Saturday at 2 a.m. Eastern time and Sunday at midnight Eastern time.
Here are results from today’s show:
Great-O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Satoshi Kojima & Yota Tsuji (8:24)
NJPW has officially confirmed a change to the card for the final show of their Road to Castle Attack tour.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori will now defend their titles against El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru in the main event of this Thursday’s Road to Castle Attack event. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI were originally set to be Phantasmo & Ishimori’s challengers, but Takahashi is expected to be out of action for approximately six months due to a torn left pectoral muscle.
Takahashi had been scheduled to defend his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Phantasmo at Castle Attack night two this coming Sunday. NJPW hasn’t announced what their updated plans are for that match with Takahashi unable to compete due to injury.
Phantasmo & Ishimori won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team titles from Desperado & Kanemaru on the Road to The New Beginning tour this January. Desperado & Kanemaru replacing Takahashi & BUSHI in Thursday’s title match was set up by an angle where Desperado & Kanemaru laid out Phantasmo & Ishimori at Monday’s Road to Castle Attack show and vowed to become champions again. Phantasmo & Ishimori had claimed that they had no challengers with Takahashi injured.
Thursday’s Road to Castle Attack event is taking place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan. It will air live on New Japan World starting at 4 a.m. Eastern time. Here’s the full card for the show:
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori defend against El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
Kota Ibushi, Yuji Nagata & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Shingo Takagi
Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jay White, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano & SHO vs. EVIL, Chase Owens & Dick Togo
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Satoshi Kojima & Yota Tsuji vs. The Great O-Khan, Will Ospreay & Jeff Cobb
El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori are the new IWGP Jr. Tag Team champions following tonight’s title match at Road To The New Beginning.
The duo defeated El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru in a match that featured three different referees being laid out throughout the course of the match. ELP eventually picked up the win for his team after superkicking Kanemaru. ELP’s gimmick during recent tours is scoring wins with what opponents suspect to be a loaded boot. In a backstage interview, ELP took off his boot and showed that nothing was inside.
After the match, ELP cut a promo praising his new superkick finish, calling himself an all-time great striker.
Desperado and Kanemaru had held the titles for 132 days, defeating Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI in a tournament final on September 11. The titles were previously vacated after YOH of Roppongi 3K suffered a torn ACL.
The next major NJPW show will be on January 30 with The New Beginning in Nagoya. Shingo Takagi will defend the NEVER Openweight championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi in the main event.
I love Suzuki and I love heel vs. heel brawls, but this was rough. There’s no good reason for Jado to be wrestling every night on this tour.
Suzuki and DOUKI attacked before the opening bell. DOUKI got cut off by a Jado trip from the floor as he ran the ropes. Gedo and Jado worked on DOUKI. Jado also teased going after Taichi who was on commentary.
Jado did some entertaining crowd work from the apron. He got a tag and knocked Suzuki off the apron as Bullet Club continued to dominate DOUKI. Gedo tagged in and tried to take a swing at Suzuki. Instead, Suzuki put him in an armbar over the ropes.
Suzuki didn’t get a tag but jumped in and did a hot tag anyway, and it was awesome. Suzuki shoved the referee down before hitting a big boot in the corner and a PK on Gedo. Suzuki and Jado brawled to the floor.
DOUKI used a double stomp for a near fall on Gedo. Jado hit DOUKI with a kendo stick to stop him from hitting Daybreak.
DOUKI used a Jorge Rivera special to get the pin on Gedo.
Suzuki put the ringside attendants in armbars after the match, while Jado continued jawing with Taichi.
This was the same basic match that this Bullet Club trio has worked every night of the tour to this point.
Ishii and Togo began. EVIL and Yujiro jumped in to try for an illegal triple team, but Okada and YH saved for Ishii and tripled up on Togo.
YH got a tag and worked on Togo’s left arm. Togo used an eye rake. Yujiro exposed a turnbuckle and all three CHAOS teammates got whipped into it. YH got worked over by Bullet Club.
EVIL missed a charge into the corner and ran chest-first into the exposed turnbuckle. Okada got a tag and hit EVIL with a DDT for a near fall. EVIL blocked a second DDT attempt and hit a ref-assisted mid kick.
EVIL tried a fisherman buster, but Okada blocked. EVIL got a Darkness Scorpion applied. Okada forced an immediate rope break. Yujiro got a tag and faced off with Okada. The match broke down and everyone jumped in.
Yujiro hit a lariat for a near fall. Okada blocked a Miami Shine attempt and used the Money Clip on Yujiro, who tapped out.
Will Ospreay & Great-O-Khan (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima by DQ (11:52)
Kojima and Ospreay were good in this match. The finish was bad, but they so rarely do DQs that you can forgive that, particularly since this was a way to get Tenzan and Kojima some of their heat back without pinning O-Khan or Ospreay.
This was billed as Tenzan’s comeback match after he was kayfabe injured in a match against the United Empire at New Year Dash less than three weeks ago.
Tenzan and Kojima used a jumpstart attack. Tenzan and O-Khan began as the legal men and had a sloppy brawl. O-Khan used a nerve hold and stomped Tenzan down. Priestley interfered and choked Tenzan.
Ospreay tagged in and mocked Tenzan with Mongolian chops. Tenzan hit a wheel kick and tagged Kojima. Kojima hit Ospreay with machine gun chops and landed a top rope elbow for a near fall.
Ospreay missed with pip pip cheerio. Ospreay blocked a cutter. Kojima hit a DDT. Ospreay blocked a lariat and hit a rolling elbow and a vertical suplex. O-Khan got a tag and got hit with a Kojima cutter.
Tenzan tagged in and hit O-Khan with Mongolian chops and a headbutt. Tenzan hit a brainbuster for a near fall. O-Khan went for a Dominator, but Tenzan blocked. They traded Mongolian chops.
Ospreay and Kojima entered and traded strikes. Kojima blocked a hook kick and hit a cutter. Kojima and Tenzan doubled up on O-Khan. They hit the TenKoji cutter. Tenzan got the Anaconda Vice applied to O-Khan, then transitioned to a pinfall attempt, but O-Khan kicked out.
Tenzan hit a slam and teased a moonsault. Priestley hit Tenzan with a chair as he climbed to the top. Ospreay tried to use the chair. Tenzan shoved him away and began pounding on O-Khan with the chair for the DQ.
Kojima hit Ospreay with a lariat after the match. Tenzan again used the chair on O-Khan.
Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tomoaki Honma, SHO & Master Wato defeated SANADA, Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI in an elimination match (24:22)
This was fun, especially after the Honma-Naito interactions in tag matches on this tour.
This was held under NJPW elimination match rules where you tag in and out and eliminations can come by pinfall, submission, DQ or being thrown over the top rope.
Tanahashi and Shingo began. They did a couple of elimination teases right away with LIJ trying to team up to dump Tana over the top rope, then Tana’s team doing the same to Shingo.
SHO and Hiromu tagged in. SHO landed a series of strikes in the corner and they teased that he would be DQed before his team calmed him down. Honma tagged in and missed a kokeshi. LIJ used quick tags in working Honma over.
Tanahashi got a hot tag and ran wild with dragon screws. Ibushi tagged in and hit SANADA with a series of kicks and a standing moonsault. Ibushi and SANADA did a series of elimination teases.
BUSHI and Wato fought in the ring, then knocked Ibushi and SANADA off the apron for a double elimination. *Ibushi & SANADA eliminated*
Wato and BUSHI fought to the apron. Wato eliminated BUSHI with a spinning backfist. *BUSHI eliminated*
Hiromu hit a sunset bomb through the middle rope to eliminate Wato. *Wato eliminated*
Hiromu and SHO had a nice exchange. Hiromu applied D. They fought to the apron. SHO eliminated Hiromu with a dropkick. *Hiromu eliminated*
Shingo and SHO squared off. SHO got hit with a pumping bomber on the apron and was eliminated. *SHO eliminated*
Tanahashi entered the match and hit a somersault senton off the second rope on Shingo. Tana blocked a lariat and hit twist and shout. Shingo hit his own twist and shout. They fought to the apron. Tana hit a dragon screw in the ropes and eliminated Shingo. *Shingo eliminated*
It was down to Honma and Tanahashi vs. Naito. Tanahashi hit a slingblade. Tana went for High Fly Flow but got crotched on the top rope and fell to the apron. Naito eliminated him with a baseball slide. *Tanahashi eliminated*
Honma hit a kokeshi on Naito. He tried a top rope kokeshi but got slammed off the top. Naito went to the top rope. Honma cut him off and hit a superplex. Honma covered for a near fall.
Honma avoided a flying forearm, hit a headbutt, then eliminated Naito with a clothesline over the top. *Naito eliminated*
IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship match: Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo defeated El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru to win the titles (23:07)
There were three ref bumps and three different referees in this match. If Bullet Club shenanigans aren’t your thing, you can skip this.
Kanemaru and ELP began the match. Kanemaru kept trying to rip apart ELP’s loaded boot, but failed. Desperado and Ishimori tagged in. Ishimori worked on Desperado’s arms. Ishimori and ELP traded tags and used their comedy back rakes as Desperado was cut off.
Kanemaru tagged in and hit a double back rake. He was quickly cut off and ELP attacked his neck. Ishimori got a tag and continued working on Kanemaru’s neck. Kanemaru was tied to the tree of woe. Ishimori hit him with a baseball slide. ELP and Ishimori stomped on Kanemaru’s crotch. Desperado saved and threw them to the floor.
Desperado tagged in and went after Ishimori’s left leg. He tried for Numero Dos but ELP saved. Desperado got Numero Dos applied, but Ishimori reversed into the Yes Lock. Desperado reversed back into Numero Dos. Ishimori rolled through for a cradle and a near fall.
Ishimori hit a handspring kick. Kanemaru and ELP got tags. Kanemaru hit a satellite DDT for a near fall. Kanemaru got a figure four applied and tried to take off ELP’s boot, but Ishimori saved.
ELP and Ishimori hit an electric chair codebreaker/moonsault combination for a near fall. ELP hit the ref with a superkick and the ref took a bump to the floor. Kanemaru covered ELP but there was no ref. They carried the ref to the back as Desperado hit ELP with a title belt.
Another ref ran out and Ishimori pulled him out of the ring for another ref bump. Ishimori used the titles as weapons. Kanemaru tried a whiskey bottle shot. ELP hit a low blow and hit him with a belt for a near fall. Kanemaru used an inside cradle for two.
ELP tried a superkick. Kanemaru threw the boot into the ref for another ref bump. Kanemaru hit ELP with a low blow.
A third ref came out and cleared the ring of the various weapons. Kanemaru tried the Eddie Guerrero spot with the title belt on ELP, but the ref didn’t call for a DQ. Kanemaru hit a moonsault for a near fall. Kanemaru hit a brainbuster for another two count.
Kanemaru tried Deep Impact but jumped into a low blow. The ref missed the low blow somehow. ELP then hit a superkick with the loaded boot for the pin.
Taichi jumped in the ring after the match and kept ELP and Ishimori at bay while he got Desperado and Kanemaru out of the ring.
ELP cut a promo, then Ishimori and ELP celebrated in the ring to close the show.
The winners for both the World Tag League and the Best of the Super Juniors have been decided.
Hiromu Takahashi has won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament for the second time, defeating El Desperado in the tournament finals. It was a fierce back and forth match; at one point, Desperado’s mask had been ripped so much that he took it off and continued fighting. But after two time bombs, Hiromu pinned Desperado to win the tournament.
After the match, Hiromu praised Desperado, saying there was plenty more still to come. He told Desperado that he won this time, but he will see him again.
Hiromu said that before he faces Ishimori, there is something that he needs to do. He says he wants the winner of the Super J Cup tournament that takes place this weekend.
He thanked the fans, saying he loves the Jr. heavyweight division and NJPW.
In the semi-main event, The Guerillas of Destiny defeated FinJuice (Juice Robinson & David Finlay) thanks to interference from both Jado and KENTA. Jado, who was repeatedly ejected from the arena only to return anyway, distracted the referee long enough to allow KENTA to come into the ring and strike Juice Robinson with his US title contract briefcase. This allowed Tanga Loa to pin Robinson following an assisted powerbomb off the top rope.
This marks the first time the team has won the trophies. Previously, they made it to the finals in 2016, 17, and 18, but lost all three times.
The Bullet Club trio attacked before the opening bell. Fale and Yano started off as the legal men. Yano untied a corner pad and used it as a weapon on Fale, but Fale no-sold it. Yano went for a slam on Fale, but failed.
Ishimori tagged in and got sent into the buckle. SHO tagged in for an extended sequence with Ishimori. They had a nice back and forth. SHO hit a spear, Ishimori hit a handspring kick, then both tagged out.
Eagles peppered Owens with kicks. Eagles hit a pair of meteoras in the corner. He missed a follow-up 450 splash. Owens missed a pump knee strike, but blocked Turbo Backpack.
Owens hit a Jewel Heist for a near fall. Fale tagged in for the tandem Grenade Launcher and Owens pinned Eagles.
**********
After the match, Yano tried to slam Fale again and failed again. Fale then destroyed Yano’s KOPW trophy with a stomp.
**********
Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan & Jeff Cobb (w/Bea Priestley) defeated Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare (10:45)
This was good when Okada and Ospreay were in together.
Okada and Ospreay began with an intense striking battle. O-Khan and Tanahashi got tags. Henare jumped in for some tandem spots with Tana, including a double crab on O-Khan.
O-Khan cut Tanahashi off with a kneebar. Cobb tagged in and hit a backbreaker. O-Khan and Cobb each hit Tana with gutwrench suplexes. Ospreay tagged in for a 3-on-1 on Tana, hitting a missile dropkick.
Tanahashi came back with a dragon screw on Ospreay and tagged Okada. Okada hit a running back elbow, cleared the apron, hit another back elbow in the corner, then hit a DDT on Ospreay for a near fall.
Ospreay fought out of an air raid crash neckbreaker attempt. Cobb and Henare got tags and did some impressive power spots. Henare really needs to go somewhere else, he would be much higher on the card in any other promotion.
Tana jumped in for a slingblade on Cobb. Henare covered, but Ospreay broke up the pin. Henare ran into a pump kick from an interfering O-Khan. O-Khan used a kneebar on Tanahashi to neutralize the interference threat.
Cobb then hit a Tour of the Islands on Henare for the pin.
**********
O-Khan continued to use the kneebar after the bell. Okada jumped in to make the save.
Cobb attacked Okada. Ospreay then hit an Oscutter on Okada. Priestley tossed O-Khan a chair. O-Khan hammered away at Tanahashi’s left leg with the chair.
SANADA showed great intensity in what was more of an angle than a match.
The Bullet Club squad attacked before the opening bell. Togo dragged SANADA to the ramp and choked him out with a ligature. Young Lions and staff tended to SANADA as the match began.
Togo removed a corner pad and Shingo was whipped into the exposed buckle. Yujiro took the ref while EVIL threatened to use Yujiro’s cane on Shingo.
An enraged SANADA jumped in and went after EVIL. He took him down and hammered him with right hands. SANADA shoved the referee down and continued beating EVIL around ringside. This was the most emotion SANADA has ever shown.
Shingo hit a sliding lariat and a Last of the Dragon on Yujiro for the pin.
**********
SANADA continued attacking EVIL after the bell. Young Lions tried to pull SANADA off, but he tossed them aside. SANADA hammered EVIL with right hands and they brawled to the back.
In the ring, Jeff Cobb appeared. Cobb picked up Shingo’s NEVER Openweight title belt. Shingo tried to grab the belt back. Cobb hit Shingo with Tour of the Islands and stomped to the back.
So both EVIL vs. SANADA and Shingo vs. Cobb for the NEVER title look to be Wrestle Kingdom matches.
**********
A promo video aired for the 49th anniversary show on March 4th at Budokan.
A promo video for an appearance at Wrestle Kingdom by a Japanese comedian dressed like Don King. Apparently he is Noritake Kinashi, also known as Don Kinashi.
Ibushi and Naito began with a series of counters and teases, previewing their Wrestle Kingdom match. Ibushi hit a dropkick to establish the early advantage. Wato got a tag and BUSHI and Naito doubled up on him. Naito and BUSHI mocked Tenzan by hitting Mongolian chops.
Wato came back with a series of kicks on BUSHI, then we were back to Naito and Ibushi. Naito got the upper hand in this exchange, hitting combinacion cabron in the corner, then an enzuigiri and a DDT.
BUSHI tagged in and hit a missile dropkick and DDT on Ibushi for a two count. BUSHI hit a swinging neckbreaker for another two as Wato broke up the pin.
BUSHI hit Ibushi with a backstabber. Ibushi came back with a high kick. Naito jumped in. Ibushi held Naito up. Wato hit a springboard forearm and a tornillo to take out Naito.
Ibushi hit a jumping knee strike to the head and a Kamigoye on BUSHI for the victory.
World Tag League final: Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa (w/Jado) defeated Juice Robinson & David Finlay to win World Tag League 2020 (22:15)
This was an excellent match.
Finlay and Loa began with some simple spots — tackles, drop downs and headlocks. Juice and Tama tagged in. Jado tried to trip Juice from the floor and got ejected by ref Marty Asami.
Finlay and Juice went to work on Tama’s left arm. After a miscommunication spot by FinJuice, Loa tagged in and cut off Finlay. Loa hit a blue thunder bomb for a near fall.
Finlay went for a tag but Tama pulled him off the apron. Juice finally got a tag at the ten minute mark. He hit a plancha to Loa, then went after Tama with a clothesline and a high cross off the top.
FinJuice went for a Hart Attack. Instead, Loa speared Juice. Finlay got hit with a Tongan Twist. Loa hit a diving headbutt off the top to Juice. Tama followed with a top rope splash for a near fall.
G.O.D. called for a super powerbomb. Tama missed the setup splash in the corner. All four guys hit big moves and all four went down. Juice hit Loa with a Left Hand of God, then collapsed again.
Juice hit Tama with a cannonball and a series of jabs. Juice called for Pulp Friction but got distracted by Jado walking down the ramp. Tama used a kendo stick on Juice and made a cover. Finlay broke up the pin.
Loa used the OJK on Finlay. Tama used a sharpshooter on Juice at the same time. Juice fought to the ropes to force a break.
Jado called for a Magic Killer. G.O.D. hit the Magic Killer. Tama covered — but Juice kicked out at two.
Jado called for a super powerbomb. Tama hit a running splash in the corner. Loa tried to execute the powerbomb, but Juice hit a super hurricanrana instead.
Finlay jumped in and hit an ushigoroshi on Loa at the 20 minute call. FinJuice hit a Hart Attack. Juice covered — but Tama kicked out at two. Finlay hit a superplex. Juice hit a top rope splash. Tama kicked out again.
FinJuice teased a Doomsday Device. Loa shoved Finlay off the post. Jado jumped in with a kendo stick. Juice cut him off and broke the stick.
KENTA ran in with the U.S. title briefcase and clocked Juice with it.
G.O.D. hit the super powerbomb and Tama covered Juice for the pin.
**********
After the match, KENTA took photos with his phone as G.O.D. and Jado posed with the World Tag League trophies.
**********
Best of the Super Jrs. final: Hiromu Takahashi defeated El Desperado to win Best of the Super Jrs. 27 (30:14)
This was not your typical high-flying Hiromu match filled with a bunch of high risk moves. Instead, they told a great story and worked a NJPW strong style main event match. This was superb.
They started slowly by Hiromu standards. They traded tackles and side headlocks. Hiromu then went to intiate one of his trademark palm strike to the chest sequences. Desperado was having none of it and immediately went for Numero Dos. Hiromu forced a break.
The pace picked up from there. Desperado used an assist from an unwitting referee to hit a basement dropkick to the knee. Desperado sent Hiromu outside and sent Hiromu into the barricade.
Back in, Hiromu sold his back from being sent into the fence. Desperado hit a snap suplex for two. Desperado went after Hiromu’s legs, looking to set up Numero Dos, the same strategy he used to beat Hiromu earlier in the tournament. Desperado expossed a buckle.
Desperado forced Hiromu outside and slammed him on the floor. Desperado followed up by driving the left leg into the floor. Desperado continued working over the leg.
Hiromu used a misdirection spot to set up a hurricanrana. He landed a low dropkick, but after two spots involving running, Hiromu stopped to sell his leg at the ten minute call.
Hiromu stretched Desperado over the top rope, choking him with his legs. Hiromu hit a wheelbarrow slam on the floor, then a shotgun dropkick off the apron to the floor.
Back inside, Hiromu hit a falcon arrow for a near fall. He teased a DVD into the buckle but Desperado blocked. Hiromu blocked a spinebuster attempt and a back suplex attempt.
Desperado hit a kneebreaker. He went for Numero Dos, but Hiromu forced an immediate break by rolling to the ropes. Desperado got launched into the buckle with a release German suplex.
Hiromu went for a Dynamite Plunger. His knee gave out instead. Desperado blocked a thrust kick. Hiromu then connected with two superkicks at the fifteen minute call. Hiromu hit a DVD into the turnbuckle pad, then another in the center of the ring.
Hiromu went for Time Bomb. Desperado slid out and locked in Numero Dos. Hiromu reached the ropes, but Desperado used the full four count before breaking the hold.
Hiromu escaped Guitarra de Angel and rolled outside. Desperado teased a suicide dive. Hiromu cut him off in the ropes. Hiromu went for a sunset bomb but overshot his mark. Desperado threatened to use his Jr. Heavyweight Tag belt, but ultimately attacked Hiromu’s leg with a chair.
Back in, Desperado hit Guitarra de Angel for a two count, then immediately transitioned to Numero Dos at the 20 minute call. Somehow, Hiromu reversed Numero Dos into a destroyer. Both men were down in the center of the ring.
Desperado shoved Hiromu into the Red Shoes the ref, who took a bump. Desperado hit a low blow. Hiromu blocked a straight right by hitting a big right hand of his own.
Hiromu tore off the top half of Desperado’s mask. In a dramatic moment, Desperado tore the rest of his own mask off himself.
The two then engaged in a furious sequence of strikes. After trading, Hiromu dropped Desperado with a palm strike. Desperado answered, dropping Hiromu with a right hand. Hiromu blocked Pinche Loco and hit a headbutt.
Hiromu hit victory royal. He went for Time Bomb. Desperado blocked and used El es Culero for a great near fall.
They charged each other and hit simultaneous lariats. Desperado kicked out the left leg. Hiromu popped back up and hit a superkick.
Desperado ducked a lariat and went for Pinche Loco. Hiromu reversed into a DVD into the exposed buckle. Hiromu hit Time Bomb — but Desperado kicked out.
Hiromu hit a second victory royal. He hoisted Desperado up at the 30 minute call. Hiromu hit Time Bomb II, then covered for the pin.
**********
Hiromu cut a promo after the match. He called out to Desperado as he was being helped to the back. Hiromu said he won this one, but they will be facing each other until they retire.
Hiromu fought back tears as he was handed the BOSJ trophy.
Hiromu challenged the winner of the Super-J Cup. He said he wants that match before he faces Taiji Ishimori for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title.
Hiromu then closed the show with a babyface promo, putting over the crowd.
The full card for the Best of the Super Juniors/World Tag League finals has been revealed.
The Best of the Super Juniors 27 finals will headline the card. Hiromu Takahashi and El Desperado advanced to the finals on Sunday morning’s card. The World Tag League finals will serve as the co-main event, with David Finlay and Juice Robinson squaring off against The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa).
Tag matches round out the undercard. Wrestle Kingdom 15 opponents Kota Ibushi and Tetsuya Naito will face off in a tag match. Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay will also face off in a six-man tag team match. A match between the Bullet Club and CHAOS stables will open the card.
Here is the full card for Friday’s show, which takes place at Budokan Hall:
Hiromu Takahashi vs. El Desperado in the Best of the Super Juniors 27 finals
David Finlay and Juice Robinson vs. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa in the World Tag League 2020 finals
Kota Ibushi and Master Wato vs. Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI
Shingo Takagi and SANADA vs. EVIL and Yujiro Takahashi
Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Toa Henare vs. Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, and Great-O-Khan
Toru Yano, SHO, and Robbie Eagles vs. Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, and Taiji Ishimori
The Best of the Super Juniors and World Tag League finals have been set.
Hiromu Takahashi and El Desperado will meet in the Best of the Super Juniors 27 finals, both reaching 14 points. Jr. championTaiji Ishimori also finished with 14 points. Takahashi and Desperado both have wins over Ishimori, however, which eliminates him from the tournament.
After Desperado defeated BUSHI to advance to the finals, Takahashi came out and confronted Desperado as the two had a staredown.
Meanwhile, Juice Robinson and David Finlay will meet the Guerillas of Destiny in the World Tag League finals. After Finlay & Robinson defeated Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI to advance, the Guerillas of Destiny jumped Finlay and Robinson before they could cut a celebratory promo. Jado called GoD the leaders of the tournament and that they would be the winners come Friday.
Robinson & Finlay and GoD both finished with 12 points. Champions Taichi and Zack Sabre Jr. also had 12 points, but they lost to both teams.
This would be the second time that Robinson and Finlay have reached the finals, winning the tournament last year over EVIL and SANADA. They went on to defeat the Guerillas of Destiny at Wrestle Kingdom 14 for the IWGP Tag Team titles.
The finals for both tournaments will take place on December 11 at Budokan Hall. Here are the final scores for both tournaments:
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.
El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru are the new IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
The Suzuki-gun team defeated Hiromu Takahashi and BUSHI in the main event of today’s New Japan Road event in Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall to claim the vacant titles.
After a low blow and a whiskey bottle shot from Kanemaru, Desperado hit Pinche Loco on Takahashi for a near fall. Desperado followed up with a straight right hand and a second Pinche Loco before pinning Takahashi to win the titles.
The is the second IWGP Junior Tag Team Title reign for Desperado and Kanemaru.
Former champions SHO and YOH were forced to relinquish the titles after YOH suffered a knee injury, resulting in a four team, league-style tournament to determine the new champions.
Kanemaru and Desperado’s team and Takahashi and BUSHI both finished the tournament 2-1 to set up today’s final. The teams of Taiji Ishimori/Gedo and Master Wato/Ryusuke Taguchi both finished 1-2.
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.
